Published 03/07/2024
A Complete Guide to Hair Types and Care
Knowing your hair type is essential. It's necessary for selecting the right care products. This way, shampoo, conditioner, or mask will provide maximum benefit. The expected result will only be achieved if the product is applied according to the hair and skin characteristics, as each type requires its own care program.
Identifying Hair Types: From Dry to Oily
Shampoos, masks, conditioners, and other products are formulated considering the specifics of each hair type. The effectiveness depends on the correct application of each product.
- You can identify the normal type by strong, shiny strands and no dandruff on the skin.
- Dry type is characterized by thin, brittle, dull strands that are difficult to style. It's often due to genetics and lack of essential nutrients.
- Strands with an oily type look "heavy," poorly washed. It's challenging to create volume when styling. These characteristics are due to disrupted sebaceous gland function.
- Mixed/combination type is typically found in longer strands. Scalp oil collects near the roots and doesn't distribute evenly. This type forms due to frequent use of chemicals and heat styling without heat protection.
Knowledge of your hair type determines the correct choice of products for it.
Specifics of Care for Different Hair Types
In each case, a specific care program is needed for selecting and using appropriate products. It's important to note that even products designed for mixed types may not be suitable for others.
Caring for Normal Hair Type
It's important not to harm by using "foreign" products.
Wash your hair twice a week with a gentle shampoo for normal hair. The water shouldn't be too hot. After each procedure, apply a moisturizer to avoid excessive dryness. Conditioner should be applied evenly and throughout the length.
Caring for Oily Hair Type
Use a shampoo with deep cleansing properties. After application, massage the scalp and wait a few minutes to dissolve oily deposits. Rinse with comfortably warm water. For proper care, avoid products containing silicones and oils. Give preference to lightweight moisturizing conditioners. Masks based on clay are also beneficial.
You can also balance your scalp with proper nutrition. It's best to exclude fatty foods from your diet.
Caring for Dry Hair Type
Wash your hair twice a week, but no more often. Use a shampoo specifically designed for this hair type. The product should be free of silicones.
You can use oil, serum, and spray with moisturizing properties. It's also recommended to apply nourishing masks regularly. For better results, you can wrap your head with a towel after application.
Caring for Combination Hair Type
In this case, you need a shampoo specifically for combination hair type. It can reduce scalp oil production and nourish the ends.
Conditioner, mask, and other hair care products for this type should be applied only to the ends, but if the product is not too heavy, distribute it along the entire length.
Features of Care for Special Hair Types
Hair strands damaged by coloring agents and styling with thermal tools require special attention and an individual approach. Here, procedures and products capable of restoring hair structure and enhancing their health are necessary.
Colored and Damaged Hair
After a chemical process, natural hair pigment changes to artificial, requiring enhanced nourishment. Proper care for strands cannot be organized without the use of a special rinse-out conditioner or conditioner. For instance, conditioner has the ability to seal the cuticle scales, making the hair surface smoother.
To expedite hair recovery, it's important to consider several recommendations:
- Shampoos should contain proteins, ceramides, or keratin for faster hair restoration.
- Do not wash your hair too often (no more than twice a week). After washing, apply conditioner or mask.
- It's beneficial to take breaks between styling sessions, even when using heat protection.
- Regular trimming is also recommended to promote hair health and maintain a groomed appearance.
Damage to hair cuticles from frequent coloring or other causes is immediately noticeable. Strands appear lifeless and feel unpleasant to touch. To restore them, stylists recommend using:
- A sulfate-free, silicone-free, alcohol-free shampoo.
- Conditioner containing oils.
- Restorative (home-made or store-bought) masks with multiple oils.
- Leave-in care products with oils and keratin.
- Heat protection.
- Dry shampoo for roots.
Home care provides excellent support. For weakened and damaged hair, a mask based on olive oil and avocado pulp is suitable. Mash the fruit into a thick paste, add egg white, one tablespoon each of olive oil and yogurt. Mix until homogeneous, apply evenly along the hair length, and leave for 15 minutes. Rinse with room temperature water.
Choosing Products for Different Hair Types
It's not just about using shampoo or conditioner and regular hair washing. It's crucial to select products that match the hair type.
For dry strands, moisturizing shampoos, softening masks are needed.
If hair quickly becomes greasy, overly nourishing or heavy products can be harmful.
Proteins and keratin-containing products help damaged strands recover faster.
When choosing, pay attention to the ingredients of care products. They should be free from sulfates, parabens, and other harmful substances to avoid scalp irritation and hair damage.
It's also recommended to consider reviews.
Many users highlight the benefits of masks containing royal jelly. Its mass fills gaps in the hair shaft, strengthens its structure, restores natural elasticity and strength. Such masks are ideal for damaged hair, free from silicones, achieving deep moisturization and nourishment.
Owners of oily hair note the benefits of a gel containing glycolic, lactic, and citric acids for gentle scalp peeling. The product promotes pore content dissolution, normalizes pH balance. As a result, less sebum accumulates at the roots, reducing the risk of dandruff, and hair stays cleaner and more voluminous longer.
When choosing a product to restore colored strands, consider a shampoo with natural antioxidant resveratrol. It helps not only protect hair but also maintain the desired pigment longer.
Each person has their own characteristics, and what suits one may harm another, but a balance of negative and positive reviews about a product will help form your own opinion.
Best Practices and Golden Rules for Hair Care
Stylists and trichologists agree on the importance of multi-step care.
We know the importance of using shampoos, conditioners, and balms, which are needed most often. It's also important to know that hair and scalp cleansing won't be complete with just these products.
Using a scrub or exfoliant is recommended. These products not only ensure thorough cleansing but also improve blood circulation in the scalp, aiding the penetration of beneficial substances into hair follicles. Sea salt or coffee is often used as scrub/exfoliant. It's important to note that this procedure is not suitable for severe hair loss or immediately after coloring or mesotherapy.
Styling is an essential part of hair care. Here, consider hair type, condition, and skin. You can assemble a kit including special mousse, gel, hairspray. Using a product that combines styling and treatment (moisturizing and nourishing) will be more effective.
Using a product with heat protection is crucial. Its level can vary, and the product itself may additionally provide light fixation.
By considering the characteristics of hair and scalp when choosing the right products and applying them correctly, your hair will always delight with beauty and health.
