Here's Your Mane Guide to Creating a Healthy Haircare Routine, According to Trichologists
Get ready to kiss bad hair days goodbye.
While it can be tough to figure out the kinks of your hair problems—from dryness to thinning and everything in-between—there are countless reasons why your locks may have lost its luster. But luckily, we're here to help.
Trichologists—i.e. the pros that study the hair and scalp—Sara Hallajian and Shab Caspara shared their mane tips and tricks for creating a foolproof haircare routine that will not only help your strands grow, but promote a healthy scalp.
Because, as it turns out, your tresses need the same amount of care that you give your skin. That's why they broke down everything from the ideal time to go between washes, how your diet can affect your tresses and why styling products can also cause more harm than good.
If you want your locks to look and feel their best, keep reading Hallajian and Caspara's beauty advice. We have a feeling you'll (hair) flip over it.
What's an ideal haircare routine?
It turns out, the best coarse of action is to focus on the scalp—not the strands.
"The ideal routine should consist of a weekly exfoliating treatment for the scalp, followed by shampoo and conditioner," Hallajian said. "Depending on your hair type, I recommend protecting the hair with a leave-in conditioner, hair oil or heat protectant [in addition to exfoliating]."
How often should you wash your hair?
"On average, people should wash their hair every 24 to 48 hours," Hallajian advised, before adding, "However, hair type does affect how often one washes: Curly or textured hair can usually go longer in-between washes than straight or fine hair. The main difference is that scalp sebum (oil) production varies based on internal factors such as hormones and genetics."
But instead of focusing on how often to wash, stressed Caspara, put the emphasis on maintaining a healthy scalp. For instance, if you wash your hair every seven to 10 days, she said it's best to include a scalp exfoliant or clarifying shampoo every wash day. If you clean your hair every two to four days, you can use it every other wash day.
Her go-to pick? Biotera's Intensive 2-in-1 Scalp Scrub and Shampoo because it "gently exfoliates the scalp while also removing oil- and product-buildup without damaging your hair."
"It's not easy to change someone's hair-washing behavior," the New York-based hair growth expert continued, "so, I recommend a supplemental product to balance out the scalp."
Can using too many products impact your hair?
In short, yes. But here's why: "Applying too many styling products without washing efficiently can create tangling, dullness and dry hair over time," Caspara said. "Product and sebum buildup can lead to inflammation and flaking—known as folliculitis and seborrheic dermatitis, respectively—which can then lead to thinning and hair loss."
Another area people can create more harm than good is using their styling products incorrectly.
"Applying products to the scalp when the products are intended for the strands can create buildup and hinder the way hair grows," she explained. "If your scalp is constantly sore and itchy, the first thing to avoid is getting styling products onto your roots."
What is the best way to promote healthy hair growth?
It all goes back to treating your scalp. As Hallajian suggested, "Adding in a serum that stimulates growth, like Aavrani's Hair Density Boosting Treatment can provide a lot of support to the skin and hair follicles as well."
How does diet affect your hair?
Yep, what you eat can take a toll on your tresses.
The biggest culprits, Hallajian noted, are alcohol, refined or added sugars, saturated and trans fats and foods with a high glycemic index—a measurement system that ranks how much certain foods increase blood sugar levels, per Healthline.
For example, saturated and trans fats, the Âme salon founder said, "can lead to increased levels of Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone associated with hair loss," while "high alcohol consumption can lead to dehydration, therefore, hindering the growth of healthy hair."
On the upside, foods rich in proteins, iron, vitamin C, zinc and B-vitamin "can regulate and stimulate hair growth," she pointed out, "and reduce shedding and inflammation."
The biggest haircare takeaways?
All in all, your mane focus should be to treat the head of your crown.
"It's important to take care of our scalp because it is the environment in which our hair grows," Hallajian shared. "We can't grow healthy hair if our scalps are imbalanced and inflamed—just like a tree cannot grow in soil that is unhealthy."
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