Displaying items by tag: Haircare Tips

It's common knowledge that sunscreen is important for protecting the skin against sun damage, especially in summer. However, most people don't think about the sun's effect on the hair and scalp. Although not as severe as damage to the skin, the sun's rays can have a huge impact on your hair's health.

Your hair is made of dead cells, so it doesn't need SPF like your skin does, but the sun does cause damage and distress to the hair by drying it out, fading the color, and accelerating hair loss. Hair can also be damaged by wind, chlorination from pools, and salt water from the ocean. Dyed hair will usually have the most visible damage and fading, but even uncolored hair can suffer from serious sun damage.

Sunscreen for your skin isn't effective in preventing damage to hair. It would be difficult or impossible to thoroughly cover your hair in normal sunscreen, and your hair would feel extremely oily. Fortunately, there are a variety of sunscreens available that are specifically made for hair. These sunscreens prevent moisture loss and bleaching from the sun. Some come in a spray form that you can spray on your hair right before you're exposed to the sun, and others are similar to conditioners or hair masks that you treat your hair with once or twice a week.

In addition to hair damage, many people also forget that the sun can harm the scalp. Although most of the scalp is covered with hair, the exposed areas, like the hair part, can be severely burned and even develop melanoma. This can be especially harmful for people who have hair loss, as more of the scalp is exposed to the sun. You could apply sunscreen for skin onto the exposed areas of your scalp, but it could be difficult to thoroughly apply it without getting sunscreen all over the roots of your hair. Your best option to protect your scalp is just to wear a hat in the sun. It will cover your entire scalp and completely prevent sun damage.

It's great to enjoy time outside during the warmer months of the year, but protecting your hair and skin should always be a priority. Even spending just a few minutes in the bright sun can damage your hair. Next time you're planning on going out in the sun, consider using hair sunscreen or a hat for protection.

Reverse Shampooing: Mix up Your Routine for your Best Hair

Chances are, you learned to wash your hair the same way we all did: shampoo, rinse, repeat, and then condition. This tried-and-true cleansing method has been an integral part of our beauty and hygiene routine for years, and there's never been any reason to question it... until now. Recently, a trend called "reverse shampooing" has emerged, and it's changing the way we wash our hair.

So... What Is It?
Reverse shampooing is simple: just swap the order of your shampoo and conditioner. That's right, condition your locks before you shampoo. We know it sounds a little crazy at first, but there is some serious logic behind the trend.

The idea here is to nourish and moisturize with conditioner, and then use shampoo to cleanse your hair of dirt and oil, and wash away any excess conditioner. Conditioner, while necessary for most of us, also tends to weigh it down, leaving it flat. Shampooing after you condition will ensure that you get the nourishment you need without the extra weight, giving your hair added bounce and volume.

How to Reverse Shampoo
Reverse shampooing is pretty straightforward, but there are a few slight differences from your normal routine. The biggest difference is that you can fully condition your scalp to add moisture there -- since you will be shampooing afterwards, you don't have to worry about greasy roots. Once the conditioner is on, leave it for three to five minutes before rinsing and shampooing.
Another thing to consider is the shampoo you're using. You may want to choose a more moisturizing shampoo so that you're not stripping too much moisture out of your hair as you wash away the conditioner.

If you have especially thick or tangled hair, you may benefit from conditioning, shampooing, and then using a small amount of conditioner just throughout the ends of your hair to make it more manageable.

Who Should Try It?
Reverse shampooing is especially beneficial to people with fine hair that tends to get oily quickly. Because fine hair can easily be weighed down by conditioner residue, this method is ideal for this hair type.

On the other hand, those who use a toner or a harsh clarifying shampoo will need to condition after shampooing. These products are too harsh to be used without a conditioner to follow.

During the summer, the sun’s rays, humidity, and sweat affect hair strands. However, there are 10 ways to protect your hair and scalp when the temperature rises. 

Apply Less Cosmetics
On hot days, do not use hair treatments because the chemicals will damage your hair. If you need to dye your hair, apply the product two months in advance.

Use Shampoo Occasionally
If you wash your hair with shampoo every day, your hair and scalp will lose moisture. To avoid unnecessary damage, cleanse your scalp once a week with a mild shampoo.

Swimming Procedures
Do not shampoo your hair before you go swimming because the water will pull the protective oils out of the follicles. After you get out of the pool, wash your hair thoroughly in the shower. To remove the chlorine, cleanse your strands and scalp with a product that has ethylene acid.

Avoid High Heat Sources
Any additional heat could severely damage your hair during the summer, so avoiding using your curlers, blow dryer, and styling iron.

Trim Your Hair
When the temperature climbs outdoors, the tip of your strands will become brittle. Instead of cutting your hair extremely short, shorten the strands by trimming the ends.

Use Sun Protection Products
A simple scarf can protect your hair from the sun’s intense rays. However, if a scarf does not blend with your sense of style, use a leave-in conditioner instead.

Manage Fizz
By wrapping your hair, frizz will not be an issue on a hot day. Knots can also keep your hair frizz-free.

Dry Wash
If you have oily hair, use a dry shampoo instead of a traditional shampoo. A dry cleansing product will protect your strands throughout the summer.

Use Effective Hair Products
Hair products that moisturize and hydrate produce great results on hot days. Do not apply any products that have formaldehyde because the chemical will dry your hair.

Co-Washing
To co-wash your hair, rub a replenishing conditioner on your scalp for two minutes and remove it with clean water. During the summer, a good conditioner can provide protection for three to four days.

Dandruff affects about 50 million people in the U.S.

Dandruff can have several causes, including:

• Dry skin. Simple dry skin — the kind you get during winter when the air is cold and rooms are overheated — is the most common cause of itchy, flaking dandruff. Flakes from dry skin are generally smaller and less oily than those from other causes of dandruff, and you'll likely have symptoms and signs of dry skin on other parts of the body, such as your legs and arms.
• Irritated, oily skin (seborrheic dermatitis). This condition, one of the most frequent causes of dandruff, is marked by red, greasy skin covered with flaky white or yellow scales. Seborrheic dermatitis may affect not only your scalp, but also other areas rich in oil glands, such as your eyebrows, the sides of your nose and the backs of your ears, your breastbone, your groin area, and sometimes your armpits.
• Not shampooing often enough. If you don't regularly wash your hair, oils and skin cells from your scalp can build up, causing dandruff.
• Psoriasis. This skin disorder causes an accumulation of dead skin cells that form thick, silvery scales. Psoriasis commonly occurs on your knees, elbows and trunk, but it can also affect your scalp.
• Eczema. If you have eczema anywhere on your body, it could also be on your scalp, possibly leading to the development of dandruff.
• Sensitivity to hair care products (contact dermatitis). Sometimes sensitivities to certain ingredients in hair care products or hair dyes, especially paraphenylene diamine (PPD), can cause a red, itchy, scaling scalp. Shampooing too often or using too many styling products also may irritate your scalp, causing dandruff.

Dandruff does not cause baldness.

Dandruff isn't contagious and those white flakes on your shoulders pose no health risk.  Although it's embarrassing -- and the itching can be bothersome -- dandruff isn't harmful.

1 out of 5 people suffer from scalp flaking.

Stop scratching - It’s tempting to scratch an itchy scalp, and doing so may relieve the itch, but it can make things worse. That’s because scratching releases flakes of skin and increases visible dandruff. It can also weaken hair, making it prone to breaking.

Dandruff cannot be cured - but it can be controlled.

To decrease the buildup of dandruff's dead skin cells, try using an antidandruff shampoo daily. Leave shampoo on for 5 minutes, then rinse well. You may need to try several dandruff shampoos to find one that works best for you. If one stops working, try another. If that doesn't help, call your doctor.

If the dandruff flakes you see are greasy and yellow, you may have seborrheic dermatitis. It's an inflammatory skin condition that can occur where there are lots of oil glands, like the scalp and face. Though seborrheic dermatitis is related to hormones, fungus, and even some neurological problems, it's treated the same as dandruff: with antidandruff shampoos. Severe cases may need a prescription steroid or antifungal medicine.

Dandruff Shampoos Defined by Medicine

Dandruff shampoos are classified according to the medication they contain:

• Zinc pyrithione shampoos (such as Selsun Salon, Head & Shoulders). These contain the antibacterial and antifungal agent zinc pyrithione, which can reduce the fungus on your scalp that can cause dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis.
• Tar-based shampoos (such as Neutrogena T/Gel). Coal tar, a byproduct of the coal manufacturing process, helps conditions such as dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis by slowing how quickly skin cells on your scalp die and flake off.
• Shampoos containing salicylic acid (such as Ionil T). These "scalp scrubs" help eliminate scale, but they may leave your scalp dry, leading to more flaking. Using a conditioner after shampooing can help relieve dryness.
• Selenium sulfide shampoos (such as Selsun Blue). These shampoos slow your skin cells from dying and may also reduce malassezia. Because they can discolor blond, gray or chemically colored hair, be sure to use them only as directed, and rinse well after shampooing.
• Ketoconazole shampoos (such as Nizoral). Ketoconazole is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent that may work when other shampoos fail. It's available over-the-counter as well as by prescription.