Hey Dollies,
Do you wash your hair?
Yes that’s right folks, it’s not rocket science. This weekly routine is a necessity of life, ensuring your friends and family don’t pinch their noses when they get within a two foot radius of you due to the pong ascending from your oily, dirty, unwashed hair. But do you really know what you are using or if it is beneficial to your hair-type?
I get it, sometimes you couldn’t be bothered talking to a qualified human being about your shampoo, it’s just easier to let the special’s in the Woolworths “beauty” aisle sway your judgement. Maybe (hopefully) you want to use professional (actual, proper, essential…whatever) products but are just too socially awkward to go to a salon to ask. Your slack hairdresser may not run through a proper product routine so you’re left to your own devices while you’re buying cat-food and nappies.
Either way, here’s a run down on what you should be using depending on your hair-type, with my favorite products. Knowledge is power, power is using the right shit to put on your head.
Hairtype Definitions
Hair texture is classified as being fine, medium, or coarse. The texture is determined by measuring the circumference (thickness of each hair strand) of the hair.
Fine/Flat Hair
Definition
Fine hair and thinhair are two different things. You can have thin or thinning hair, but the strand might be course. If you have fine hair. the individual strand may be ‘see-through’ and limp. Most of the time fine hair lacks elasticity, making it difficult to look shiny and healthy.
Shampoo/Conditioner
As a general rule, I recommend to use a ‘volume’ shampoo or at least a shampoo that doesn’t have a lot of moisture in it. The more moisture or oil in your shampoo, the heavier it is. Heavy is not your friend. You want feelings of ‘light’ and ‘clean’ to stop your roots from looking flat and your ends from looking stringy. Use the volume shampoo’s conditioner friend if your hair is relatively healthy. If you have colored, highly heat-styled hair, you may want to use a conditioner befitting to the “damaged hair” section of this article.
Sometimes it is best to treat your scalp and your hair as different beings with different needs. What is good for one may not be good for the other.
What would Emily buy?
I personally like to recommend REDKENHigh Rise Volume or Beach Envy shampoo & conditioner to my fine haired clients. The High Rise is best if you prefer your hair to feel soft and natural. Beach Envy is more for those of you who like a more textured/rough look. You could pair each shampoo with the REDKEN Extreme Strengthening conditioner if you have highly colored or heat styled hair.
Read more about these products here.
Thick/Coarse Hair
Definition
Thick and coarse hair-types are defined as two different things, even though they are commonly seen together. Thick hair may refer to the hairs density (how many strands per square centimeter of the scalp). If you have a high hair density, your hair is considered thick (in the same league, if you have low density your hair might be considered thin).
Coarse hair is referring to the hairs texture, the size of the actual hair strand. Most people with naturally course hair find their hair is also thick.
Shampoo/Conditioner
If you find your hair is quite unruly, I will always point you in the direction of smoothing shampoo & conditioner. Thick, coarse hair requires a little bit of restraining, therefore needing a heavier base to weigh it down. Anything with “smoothing” or “taming” on the bottle will be your friend. If your shampoo has some kind of argan oil in it, that is always a bonus.
What would Emily buy?
I am absolutely obsessed with REDKEN Frizz Dismiss shampoo & conditioner. It has the strength to smooth out coarse hair while allowing the hair to fall naturally (not flat and oily). You’ll often find that unfortunately the shampoo & conditioner alone is not enough to keep your hair tame, I would always recommend a smoothing leave-in cream or oil to complement your hair-care routine.
Curly Hair
Definition
Your hair is curly.
Shampoo/Conditioner
Most ranges have a shampoo & conditioner combo for curly hair specifically. Be aware that these products don’t make straight hair curly (if your rolling your eyes right now, or face palming…yes the question has been asked before). They are specifically designed to enhance the curl you already have. If you’re ready to embrace your natural curl, use these products.
What would Emily buy?
Pureology Curl Complete is my go-to for curly haired clients. Most women with curly hair don’t like their actual wave until a day or two after their hair has been washed and also find for that reason that they don’t wash their hair often. This magical duo doesn’t give you a squeaky clean feel, however it does clean the hair properly – leaving it smell so so delicious. If you have ridiculously un-tamable curly thick coarse hair, you may also use something like the above mentioned REDKEN Frizz Dismiss range.
Oily Scalp
Definition
Oily scalp (commonly referred to as oily hair) occurs when the hair at the root area of your scalp has a greasy feeling, even when you haven’t used any other product than a shampoo & conditioner. Most people with naturally oily scalp find they have to wash their hair more frequently due to overactive sebaceous glands producing increased amounts of oil onto their scalps and hair. Oily scalp can also be caused by not washing your hair frequently enough. If you find yourself seeing a build up of oil after only a day, it is certainly a product of your biology. Often oily skin and oily scalp walk hand in hand.
Shampoo/Conditioner
Much like “flat hair”, oily hair requires no added moisture. Try your purifying shampoos that specify that you can use ‘daily’. There are also get specific shampoos available to the public that balance out the PH levels on your scalp to regulate the oil.
What would Emily buy?
For my oily haired clients, I recommend REDKEN Scalp Relief – Oil Detox Shampoo. Along with its Lemon Extract which helps purify the scalp, it also has a Lipa-Sponge System which protects the scalp against excessive oil. You may pair this shampoo with any conditioner specific to your hair type (fine, medium or coarse), however you would never use said conditioner at your roots. Distribute your conditioner through your mid-lengths and ends only.
Damaged Hair
Definition
Hair that is damaged by too much colour or over-styling often is fragile and ‘dry’ feeling. One might feel or see their hair snapping when it is brushed as it is limp on the ends due to poor elasticity. It loses the ability to hold professional hair colours and quite simply, looks dull.
Shampoo/Conditioner
Shampoos & conditioners with the word “repair” on them generally means they contain protein. Hair that has been heavily bleached normally needs extra protein to recover what has been lost through the colouring process. Shampoos & conditioners that has the words “moisture” or “hydrate” on the bottles generally contain moisture without protein or with very small amounts of protein. It is always best to speak to your hairdresser when choosing a shampoo to correct whatever it is that has damaged your hair. Remember, prevention is always key to not ruining your hair. Here’s some tips on how to maintain a healthy hair routine.
If your hair is porous it may be lacking in protein. Protein strengthens the hair while adding shine and reducing breakage. Hair needs a balance of moisture and protein to be healthy, because too much protein in the hair is not a good thing for some hair types.
What would Emily buy?
For my heavily bleached client, I would recommend the Pureology: Perfect 4 Platinum shampoo & conditioner. Those who have damaged hair due to excessive over-styling could also use REDKEN All Softshampoo & conditioner which has a good amount of moisture and protein in it to give your hair everything that it so desperately needs.
Read more about Perfect 4 Platnium here.
“Average Becky” Hair
Definition
Basically everything in between. You aren’t curly, you aren’t straight. You aren’t fine and you aren’t coarse. Most hairdressers would probably describe your hair as “fine-but a lot of it”.
Shampoo/Conditioner
If you identify as an “average Becky” then you’re in luck, you have oodles if options when it comes to hair-care! If you live in Queensland like I do, we get to see a lot of the sun. So bear in mind if you do have medium textured hair, you still need to make sure you are taking good care of it. You should stick to your moisturizing shampoo & conditioner duos that you can use daily. If you have coloured hair it is always good to purchase something that is going to be colour-safe as well.
What would Emily buy?
My favorite shampoo & conditioner to recommend to my Becky’s is either the REDKEN Color Extend or the Pureology Hydrate. The REDKEN shampoo & conditioner is a sulphate free range which will keep your color vibrant and add extra moisture to you hair. The Pureology is great for coloured and uncoloured hair, is vegan, contains patchouli which smells amazing AND leaves your scalp feeling minty fresh.
Men’s Hair
Definition
If you identify as a male.
Shampoo/Conditioner
Men are from Mars, women from Venus; but we mostly have the same hair. Most guys don’t give a hoot what they use to scrub their head with. Thankfully there is becoming a more widespread acceptance of all things metro and the ‘male grooming’ industry is jumping on board. Just because your male has short hair doesn’t mean he cant look after it.
What would Emily’s husband buy?
So David (the lucky soul bounded to me by marriage for all eternity) is, what most people would class as a “modern man”. He likes to take care of his hair/beard and has become quite fussy with his hair grooming regime. When asked, David would always recommend his favourite shampoo & conditioner by Groomed Man Co. – Cola.
“not for the cleanliness factor, just because it smells like cola” – David.
Read more factual information about the Groomed Man Co here.
If you are using the wrong shampoo & conditioner, it could be the reason why you dislike your hair. Most often I find complaints to be simply rectified by changing the type of shampoo & conditioner you use on a weekly basis.
If this article still leaves you dazed and confused about what kind of hair you have, never fear – not all superhero’s wear capes. In fact, we put the capes on our clients to make them all look like floating heads AND we know a thing or two about hair. Ask your stylist, buy their recommended shampoo and love your hair!
Think I forgot about your kids? Check out my post on kids hair-care here.
Resources
Image #4 – estyl.pl
Retro Brisbane Hair Parlour 