| HelloCurls.com - Cleansing Techniques |
Your curly, wavy, kinky hair is naturally dry and prone to split ends and mid-shaft splits. Your hair is extremely delicate and you
need to treat your hair like it is a fine silk blouse. Skip brushing or combing your hair out before getting in the shower. Instead,
use a wide-tooth comb while you condition to remove any snarls and fallen hair.
Kick the SLS-shampoo habit. Stop using harsh detergents, such as Sodium Laurel/Laureth Sulfate. You do not need a harsh
detergent to achieve clean and healthy hair. If you love the suds, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate is a gentle, plant-based cleanser.
I prefer to use a cream style cleanser that has very little or no sudsing action. Water and massaging your scalp will remove dirt and
sweat.
Cleanse your hair only when it needs it. This is your personal preference. Everyday...every other day...once a week. What works
for you? For the most defined curl pattern, wet your hair everyday and reapply conditioner and your styling products.
If you have long hair, flip your head over and massage your cleanser just on the scalp and root area.
For extra moisture, protect the shaft of your hair by applying conditioner to the ends of your hair before you cleanse your scalp and
root area. Rinse, then re-apply conditioner to your ends and hair shaft, then rinse.
If you have dry, itchy scalp, you probably DO NOT need a dandruff shampoo. Dandruff shampoos contain selenium sulfide (Selsun
Blue) or tar, yes TAR (T-Gel). These products do a fabulous job of stripping dead skin cells and every drop of natural protective oils
from your scalp. These products will destroy hair color, too. Your scalp wants balance. If there's not enough natural oil, your
body will kick up production and you'll enter a never ending loop of thinking you "need" for such a product. Inflamed broken skin
needs medical attention. Please have a dermatologist diagnosis your condition. Scalp psoriasis (scaly patches) and seborrheic
dermatitis (true dandruff) can be helped by specific medicated products.
Dry scalp could be a variety of reasons. Cold weather, stress, illness, hormonal changes, excessive product build up, hair care
products that cause an irritation, diet and general health could be a reason. I'm not a doctor nor can I diagnosis any ailment.
However, many of my clients have found relief by adjusting their cleansing habits, taking supplements and eating a better diet.
Babies and cradle cap: When my curly-haired daughter was about a month old, she developed cradle cap. I tried to use a baby
shampoo specific for cradle cap and followed with a conditioner. Her hair became a snarled mess and her delicate hair started to
break off! I can't believe I put shampoo on my little one! The shampoo went into the trash. Instead, I massaged olive oil and/or
apricot oil onto the affected areas and lightly massaged the patches with an extra soft baby toothbrush. I followed with a gentle
baby shampoo, California Baby. The clumpy flakes released from her scalp and her scalp was completely clear in a week. She rarely
needs a shampoo and I only use conditioner in her hair about every other day.
Curly Haired Kids: Skip shampoo and just use conditioner. I love the California Baby line. Curls.biz offers two great lines for babies
and children. Drugstore "zero tears" products are pH balanced at 7, or neutral as water, so that a child's eyes do not become
irritated. "Zero tears" does not offer moisture and could be drying out your child's curly hair. Instead, add conditioner to a spray
bottle of water and use that as a de-tangler and leave-in conditioner. Conditioner is acidic so that it balances with human hair's pH
of 4.5-5.5.
need to treat your hair like it is a fine silk blouse. Skip brushing or combing your hair out before getting in the shower. Instead,
use a wide-tooth comb while you condition to remove any snarls and fallen hair.
Kick the SLS-shampoo habit. Stop using harsh detergents, such as Sodium Laurel/Laureth Sulfate. You do not need a harsh
detergent to achieve clean and healthy hair. If you love the suds, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate is a gentle, plant-based cleanser.
I prefer to use a cream style cleanser that has very little or no sudsing action. Water and massaging your scalp will remove dirt and
sweat.
Cleanse your hair only when it needs it. This is your personal preference. Everyday...every other day...once a week. What works
for you? For the most defined curl pattern, wet your hair everyday and reapply conditioner and your styling products.
If you have long hair, flip your head over and massage your cleanser just on the scalp and root area.
For extra moisture, protect the shaft of your hair by applying conditioner to the ends of your hair before you cleanse your scalp and
root area. Rinse, then re-apply conditioner to your ends and hair shaft, then rinse.
If you have dry, itchy scalp, you probably DO NOT need a dandruff shampoo. Dandruff shampoos contain selenium sulfide (Selsun
Blue) or tar, yes TAR (T-Gel). These products do a fabulous job of stripping dead skin cells and every drop of natural protective oils
from your scalp. These products will destroy hair color, too. Your scalp wants balance. If there's not enough natural oil, your
body will kick up production and you'll enter a never ending loop of thinking you "need" for such a product. Inflamed broken skin
needs medical attention. Please have a dermatologist diagnosis your condition. Scalp psoriasis (scaly patches) and seborrheic
dermatitis (true dandruff) can be helped by specific medicated products.
Dry scalp could be a variety of reasons. Cold weather, stress, illness, hormonal changes, excessive product build up, hair care
products that cause an irritation, diet and general health could be a reason. I'm not a doctor nor can I diagnosis any ailment.
However, many of my clients have found relief by adjusting their cleansing habits, taking supplements and eating a better diet.
Babies and cradle cap: When my curly-haired daughter was about a month old, she developed cradle cap. I tried to use a baby
shampoo specific for cradle cap and followed with a conditioner. Her hair became a snarled mess and her delicate hair started to
break off! I can't believe I put shampoo on my little one! The shampoo went into the trash. Instead, I massaged olive oil and/or
apricot oil onto the affected areas and lightly massaged the patches with an extra soft baby toothbrush. I followed with a gentle
baby shampoo, California Baby. The clumpy flakes released from her scalp and her scalp was completely clear in a week. She rarely
needs a shampoo and I only use conditioner in her hair about every other day.
Curly Haired Kids: Skip shampoo and just use conditioner. I love the California Baby line. Curls.biz offers two great lines for babies
and children. Drugstore "zero tears" products are pH balanced at 7, or neutral as water, so that a child's eyes do not become
irritated. "Zero tears" does not offer moisture and could be drying out your child's curly hair. Instead, add conditioner to a spray
bottle of water and use that as a de-tangler and leave-in conditioner. Conditioner is acidic so that it balances with human hair's pH
of 4.5-5.5.
| Beverly Meyer Neeland, The Stylist for Curly Hair 619-756-4396 |
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