A hairdresser has pointed out a common mistake that many of us could be making when it comes to washing our hair.
If you're particularly into your haircare, there may be several steps that you take to care for and style it - but ensuring your hair looks its best all starts with how you wash it, according to the experts. Gareth Williams, a hair stylist at SALON64 in London, told The Mirror that the temperature of the water is key when it comes to getting the best results.
"One of the biggest mistakes people make when washing their hair is using water that's too hot," he explained. "You want to make sure that the water is tepid.
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"When you're washing your hair, you're actually activating the sebaceous glands if you're using water that's too hot, or using a shampooing technique that's too vigorous on the hair fibre will actually cause the sebaceous glands to become reactive and therefore can make your hair greasy."
Gareth also urged people to use thermal protection on their hair after washing. before they use any heat styling tools - particularly if you have dyed hair. "Not using thermal protection can actually enable the colour to fade faster and make the hair become brassier quicker," he advised.
"It can also cause overall irreparable damage to the hair fibre, so make sure you use thermal protection before blow drying or styling with heat tools to be fully protected."
If you're planning to visit the salon to get your colour done and are wondering whether or not to wash your hair prior to your appointment, Gareth advised showing up with hair that is "not too clean, but definitely not greasy" is the sweet spot - and explained why arriving with greasy hair is a big no-no.
"When you're applying colour to the hair, you'll have to break through this grease as an initial barrier," he said. "When you have clean hair, this barrier isn't present, so the product can fully penetrate through the hair fibre and you'll be able to achieve the results you desire."
SALON64 owner Ricky Walters previously said that many people miss out on a crucial step while washing their hair between shampooing and conditioning. The hairdresser to the stars warned: "There's nothing worse than splashing out on top quality conditioner to then apply to soaking wet hair straight after washing.
"The high end, thicker, luxury conditioners on the market should be applied to towel dried hair. Long hair can hold a huge amount of water which then dilutes your lovely conditioner, leaving you with nothing but a watery residue."
The expert recommended shampooing hair twice for best results, and then towel drying it for two minutes before applying conditioner and leaving this on for a further two minutes. But you should be sure to avoid the roots when putting on conditioner, as this can make your hair "lank, heavy and greasy" according to Ricky.
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