If shampoo advertisements are to be believed, our hair should be bouncy with blinding shine every time we step out after the hair wash.
But the reality is far away from what we see on TV. We usually come out with hair all over the bathroom floor, dry scalp and rough ends. If it happens with you too, chances are you are making a shampoo mistake.
While shampooing is not rocket science, there are a few small things we ignore during the hair wash. If you think your hair wash routine is not helping your hair, check for these shampoo mistakes.
1. Using hot water to wash hair
It might be soothing, but using hot water to rinse hair can damage the strands. It makes the scalp too dry and flaky. Hot water also causes hair fall; if you rinse hair with hot water and see hair fall regularly, you know what the reason is. If you are in a cold city, try and use lukewarm water for hair wash.
2. Starting at the same spotIf you have noticed, you always start the hair wash at the same spot. It’s a natural reflex once you begin to lather the shampoo and the spot is usually the top of the scalp. This is the reason why that area is usually dry. Try alternating the routine, start at the nape of the neck and then the top of the crown for the next hair wash.
3. Creating friction
Rigorous rubbing and massaging of the scalp don’t fetch any benefits. It would help if you were gentle; use your fingertips to massage the shampoo on the scalp rather than rubbing it on with your palm.
4. Washing hair less or too frequently
You have to strike a perfect balance; the frequency of your hair should suit your scalp and hair type. If it’s dry, then maybe you need to wash your hair less frequently, and if it’s too greasy, you might want to increase the frequency.
5. Not wetting the hair properly
Putting shampoo in semi-dry hair doesn’t do any good to the hair. The product doesn’t work correctly if the hair isn’t wet enough. Instead, it makes the hair and scalp dry and flaky.