The right way to shampoo

by Erick Carter

Do you remember the scene in “South Pacific” where Nellie jumps into a cold shower to shampoo her hair? She then begins to sing “I’m gonna wash that man right out of my hair!”

Forget about the man. Could she really have gotten her hair clean? Why not?

Most people go into the shower and immediately wet their hair and begin to shampoo. It’s best to let the water run 3-4minutes on your hair, before starting the shampoo. Also, it’s important that when shampooing, you don’t pile all your hair on top of your head. Furthermore, scrub your scalp only, not your hair using your fingertips. This will help prevent tangles.

When rinsing the shampoo out, you should rinse for3-4 minutes, depending on hair length, maybe even longer for long hair. This will allow the shampoo to clean the ends while removing all of the soap. Don’t forget to rinse behind the ears.

The last thing you want to do is leave shampoo that will look like flakes of dandruff when dry. Done properly, one soaping is usually enough. When applying conditioner, which I recommend to 95 percent of my clients, rinse well. But, if you have coarse wavy/curly hair, leave a little conditioner inmost shampoos have a higher pH than your hair.

A conditioner brings the pH back to its normal level. You don’t have to wash your hair every day. Natural oils from your scalp are great for your hair. In between shampoos, you might use dry shampoo with fine hair. Rinse your hair with conditioner if you have thick hair.

Note that using a high quality clarifying shampoo once a week or every other week will help prevent product build-up.

I am always open for questions so please feel free to email me yours. Oh…and if you see Nellie, please tell her how to wash her hair successfully! Now about the man….

I would like to invite all readers to write in your questions. You can do so by email at Erickcre8U@gmail.com or call me at239.777.2380.