“Invest in your hair, it is the crown you never take off!”
– Westrow Bingley, an award-winning salon
Sit in your personal salon chair with this guide to a healthy hair care routine! Your hair is beautiful, just like you. Be it thick, thin, long, short, wavy, curly, or straight – its how you embrace and don healthy hair that matters. It’s every girl’s dream to have healthy, lustrous, and perfect hair on her head. We have summed up the different hair types and hair care routine you can follow for your hair type. Read on to find a healthy hair routine that works for you!
What are the different hair types?
Your hair type is primarily identified with your hair curl’s pattern. The shape of your hair follicle determines the amount of curl in your hair. Ultimately, it is our genes that give us the hair we are born with. However, each time the hair goes through its growth cycle, these genetic characteristics are affirmed.
“Before choosing any hair care regimen, it is essential to analyse your hair type and identify the causes for hair issues. The results of the analysis will determine the required hair care routine and treatment,” says dermatologist Harish Koutam, in an insightful piece to SkinKraft, Let’s dive into the different hair types so you can identify yours and then choose a hair care regimen that is best suited for your hair.
- Type 1 or straight hair – Hair which continues in the same direction without deviating. The individual strands may be fine or coarse, thick, or thin, but they fall without waving from root to tip.
- Type 2 or wavy hair – Hair which curves slightly with a gentle texture. From the roots to around eye level, your hair is straight. And from eye level to the ends, you have a loose, undefined wave.
- Type 3 or curly hair – Hair which is spiral shaped loose loops! The curls have a circumference a little wider than the large end of a taper candle.
- Type 4 or coily hair – Hair which is super voluminous, and the strands form tight curls in a zig-zag pattern from the scalp.
Stepwise hair care routine for your hair
Now, why is it important to have a hair care routine? It is as important as your skin care regimen! It is a way to keep your hair soft, healthy, free of infections, greasiness and other damage that may be caused due to external factors.
Here are the essentials of a routine to begin your hair care journey, with tips on how organic, natural goodness can be incorporated into your routine.
- Shampoo
Cleansing is the most essential part of your hair care routine. A natural shampoo is the ideal cleanser for a clean scalp and clean hair. It gently yet effectively washes your hair while balancing scalp oil, unclogging hair follicles, and strengthening the roots. For optimal effect, use your fingertips (not your nails) to gently rub it into your scalp.
- Condition deeply
After you shampoo your hair, it is possible your hair is stripped of its natural oils. This is exactly why a conditioner is often advised as a combination with the shampoo. It has the intense power to restore some of the moisture in your strands. Leave it on your hair (not your scalp) for 5 minutes before you rinse it off.
- Massage with oil
A tradition known to us for years and years, our mothers and grandmothers have passed this down to us for long, luscious, and healthy locks! Using organic coconut oil has an exceptionally moisturising effect as it is freshly harvested in the coconut farms in India. Coconut soil, or the Ayurvedic ‘elixir’ is the perfect hydration boost your hair needs. Nourishing it with nutrients, it brings new life to your hair.
- Leave-in conditioner
These conditioners are also called no-rinse or leave-on conditioners. They are applied as a last step to towel-dried hair and before you style your hair. Leave-in conditioners are known for their ability to add moisture, protect your hair from damage and detangle hair strands.
- Pamper away!
Give your hair the much-needed special attention occasionally, with DIY hair masks! Treat yourself to an at-home spa day using a few kitchen staples as your ingredients. A coconut oil hair mask, for example, can be warmed and applied overnight to give you a treatment that will say goodbye to split ends, frizz and breakage.
Basics for any hair care routine
While you follow the above steps and build your hair care routine, make sure you keep these basics in mind to get flowy, lustrous, and healthy hair.
- After you wash your hair, always allow it to air dry and then towel dry it. Heat drying is best avoided each time you wash your hair and if you do, remember to use a heat protecting spray before and after.
- To remove knots while drying, use a wide-tooth comb or your fingers
- Trim it regularly to ensure split ends do not damage your hair
- Add vitamin supplements to your diet and a natural, ingredient-rich leave-in serum to your hair care routine