Creating a hair care routine can be difficult. You might have been using the hair care routine a friend of yours suggested but did not do any good to you. You might miss the fact that one hair care routine might work for one person but does not give out the same result to others.
There are so many factors that you must consider when creating a hair care routine that will work for you. Don’t just pick one routine online or copy what your friends are doing. Create and make your personalized hair care routine that suits your needs. Following are the things that you might want to consider when creating your own hair care routine.
Know Your Hair Type
The first thing you must look into is your hair type. Each hair type is different, so it must also have a different approach when it comes to hair care. To successfully create an effective hair care routine, know and understand what your hair type requires.
The Different Hair Types
Check out these four hair types and determine where your hair belongs and plan your hair care routine accordingly.
Straight Hair
If you have fine and flat hair from the roots to the tips, you have a straight hair type. This type of hair does not curl easily which is why it can be difficult for you to style your hair. The texture of the hair is soft and silky. Women who have fine, straight hair types have oily scalp which makes their hair evenly greasy.
Wavy Hair
The wavy hair type is considered the most convenient of all hair types as it can be styled in different ways and can hold it very well. A wavy hair type produces big, soft curls that are noticeable from roots to tips. The texture of wavy hair is usually rough. If you have this type of hair, it will be easy for you to straighten, curl and style it in any way that you please.
Curly Hair
Compared to wavy and straight hair types, curly hair is more frizzy and dry. Check out the pattern of your curls, if it has an ‘S’ pattern then you fall under the curly hair type. Due to its texture, a curly hair type is prone to tangles which is why you must take extra care when handling this type of hair.
Coily Hair
The fourth hair type is the coily hair. It has a ‘Z’ pattern and has a rough and coarse texture. This type of hair is prone to breakage and has very tight curls. Curly hair can be soft or wiry, which is why you should not be surprised if your coily hair feels wiry compared to others, or vice versa.
What Your Hair Needs
Now that you determined which hair type your hair belongs, the next step you must do is to figure out what your hair needs. Below are the common hair problems that women are facing. Check out each of these problems and choose one that best describes your concern.
Frizzy Hair
If your main concern is frizzy hair, then maybe your hair lacks moisture. This problem is mostly a result of genetics, damage, or humidity. It can be very difficult to manage frizzy hair as it can stick out and stand up which results in a bad hair day.
Damaged Hair
Another common concern every woman face is hair damage. Your hair gets damaged from colouring, bleaching, excessive exposure to heat, and friction. When you say heat, this can be from blow drying, and even from the sun.
Friction can be caused by styling your hair into buns and tight ponytails. Yanking your hair during hair styling also contributes to damage which is why the more you style your hair, the more the damage worsens.
Too Much or Lacking Volume
Volume can be a cause of concern whether it is too much or too little. If you have thin, straight hair, it will have a tendency to lack volume which means that it will only fall flat and lifeless on your back. Thick hair on the other hand can produce too much volume which is also not a good thing.
Whichever volume issues you are suffering from, you must take it into account when creating your ultimate hair care routine.
Not Enough Shine
Having not enough shine on your hair may make it appear dull and unhealthy. Shiny hair is an indication that you have clean, healthy and well-moisturized hair. Your hair must be able to reflect light for it to be considered shiny.
Hair types that are coarse, frizzy and dry are the ones who encounter this problem all the time. When choosing what product you will include or use in your hair care routine, you might want to check out if your hair is suffering from this issue.
Lacks Definition
A well-defined hair appears to be light and soft as it will move and hangs freely the way you prefer it to. If you find your hair looking heavy and is not easy to manage, then your hair is definitely suffering a lack of definition.
Is Your Hair Chemically Processed?
Colouring, bleaching, or any chemical treatment your hair went through should be taken into account when choosing a hair care routine. For example, colour-treated hair is not advised to wash every day as it can cause preterm colour fading.
This is why you must take note of the recent treatments you have done to your hair to know not only what kind of hair products to use but the entire process as well.
The Basic Components Of A Hair Care Routine
Whatever hair types or concern you have, your hair care routine must include the same basic components. You must include all of these components into the hair care routine that you will make.
You can see each of these components below plus pieces of advice for each hair types and hair problems that you are facing. You can follow this advice as it is or you can incorporate your own personalize approach if you think it is what’s best for your hair.
Cleansing
Cleansing your hair is a very important part of a hair care routine, This is where you will remove all the dirt, hair care product residue and dead skin. It should be made with a balance of getting rid of unwanted residues while avoid stripping out the natural oil on your hair.
If you do not cleanse your hair regularly, the sebum along with the dead skin and any chemicals can build up on your hair leaving it damaged, oily and generally unclean. Cleansing your hair varies depending on what hair type you have, the concern you are facing and the state of your hair.
For Straight Hair Type
If you have a straight hair type, you must wash your hair more often. This hair type produces more natural oils which can attract dirt that can build up on your hair if not washed regularly. Use a sulfate-free shampoo to help eliminate dirt and grease from your hair and scalp.
The recommended washing schedule for this hair type is once every two to three days. However, if you are experiencing too much grease on your hair and scalp, it is best to wash your hair more often than what was recommended.
For Wavy Hair Type
Wavy hair on the other hand does not need to be washed often. If you cleanse your wavy hair the way you cleanse a straight hair type, the tendency is that your hair will become dry and dull. A wavy hair should be washed only once every three to four days.
Choosing a sulfate-free shampoo that is made for wavy hair type will help you cleanse your hair while providing it with the proper nourishment it needs.
For Curly Hair Type
As curly hair types are more dry and frizzy, constantly cleansing it will only make it worse. You must only wash your curly hair once a week to avoid making it too dry. Use sulfate-free shampoo and only focus on using the shampoo on your scalp as this is only what needs to be cleansed.
Washing your hair shaft with a shampoo will strip down natural oils and moisture that will leave your hair more dry and frizzy after every wash.
For Coily Hair Type
Another hair type that is difficult to manage is the coily hair type. As you already know the texture of this hair type, it is best to use mild, sulfate-free shampoo and focusing only on the roots of your hair avoiding the shaft altogether.
Conditioning
The second step of your hair care routine should be conditioning your hair. A conditioner does not only moisturize your hair but it as well helps with detangling, improves shines and reduce frizz. Once again, it is best to consider what hair type you have to know how to properly condition your hair.
For Straight Hair
Do not apply a leave-in conditioner to your hair after washing it. Instead, opt for a lighter option to avoid making your hair feel heavy and extra greasy. Conditioners with coconut oil or jojoba oils would be your best option in making your hair soft and nourished without making it heavy.
When you apply a conditioner, make sure to avoid the roots of your hair but focus instead on applying the conditioner on your hair shaft. If you apply a conditioner to your roots, it will make your hair more greasy and will fall flat and lifeless. Applying a volumizing hair product will help in giving your straight hair more volume. Make sure to apply it to damp hair and air dry after.
Wavy Hair
Conditioning wavy hair is not enough. You must nourish your scalp and hair with oil massage before every wash. Do this one hour before you cleanse your hair to ensure that your hair will be healthy and properly hydrated.
Use ordinary conditioner after every wash. You can opt for leave-in conditioners to make your waves more noticeable. Apply it while your hair is wet and scrunch it using your fists to make your waves more bouncy. Dry hair by air and avoid blow dryer as much as possible.
Curly Hair
For curly hair types, it is more important to use conditioner than shampoo. By doing so, you can be sure that your hair will be well-nourished and frizz-free. Additionally, adding essential oils into your conditioner will ensure your scalp is well hydrated.
For this type of hair, it is best to use deep conditioner like hair masks at least two times a week. Doing a hair mask will make your curly hair more manageable as it can reduce frizziness and dryness. Detangle your hair in the shower while you apply your conditioner to prevent hair breakage.
Coily Hair
Deep conditioning your coily hair is the best option. Do it once a week to ensure that you give your hair the proper hydration and nourishment. Additional moisture can also be acquired by spraying your hair with a moisturizing spray every day.
Apply oil on your hair before every wash and make sure to detangle as you apply your conditioner in the shower. Do not try to detangle it after a shower or while your hair is dry as it will result in damage and hair falling out.
Seal The Moisture
After cleansing and conditioning, sealing the moisture on your hair is important as well. You do not want all your efforts to go to waste which is why it is important to seal the moisture of your hair every regularly. Sealing the moisture of your hair is typically a two-step process.
Moisturizing and sealing your hair should be done daily to ensure that your hair will not dry up until your next wash day. Spray your hair with water or any light water-based hair moisturizing product and seal it with oil. You can use light oils such as jojoba oil or argan oil to seal the moisturize. You can also opt to seal the moisture with shea butter, whichever you prefer or use both.
Protect
The last step of your hair care routine should be to protect it. There are so many ways you can style your hair and most of it will require heat. Before you expose your hair to heat from a blow dryer or from straightening or curling iron, make sure that you apply heat protectant product into your hair.
It is also best to use a hat whenever you go outside, especially if it is sunny. Long exposure of the direct heat from the sun will make your hair dry, damaged and frizzy.
In Short
Following this guide will ensure that you will address the problem properly with the right hair products and process. Taking proper care of your crowning glory is vital to achieve good looks and to be able to style your hair without worry.