Cleansing Your Hair

Many years ago, my grandmother asked if she should let shampoo sit on her hair for a few minutes before rinsing. Honestly my answer at the time was I don't know. I had never thought about it.

When I was taught to shampoo hair, I was taught to massage the scalp while the shampoo was on the hair. Since this takes time, I never thought about the need to wait.

When you first apply shampoo to your hair, it will be sudsy and after a minute or so, the suds seem to disappear. This happens because the shampoo soaks up the oil and dirt from your hair and scalp. So yes... you need to leave the shampoo on for a couple of minutes to give it time to work.

This leads to the next question...

Do you need to Rinse and Repeat?

The answer to this question depends on a few things.

1. How dirty is your hair?

   If your hair is physically dirty, you've been sweating a lot, or there are odors in your hair, you need to repeat the shampoo.

2. Did your hair use up all the suds from the first shampoo?

   If so, then you need to shampoo again.

3. Do you shampoo your hair every day?

   If you shampoo daily, you shouldn't need to shampoo twice every day.

Since shampoo will dry your hair and scalp out at least a little, I would recommend only using as much and as often as you need. Overuse can lead to dry, itchy scalp and brittle hair, or it could lead to an overly oily scalp. You see, when your scalp is dry, it sends a message to your brain to send help. Your brain then sends extra oil to your scalp to help with the dryness and causes your hair to be oily. This leads to a never ending cycle resulting in oily hair.

Turns out there isn't a clear cut answer to how to shampoo. You must consider many factors to make the best decision for your hair. Always seek advice from your hairdresser and make informed decisions.

Happy Shampooing!