How to Wash Your Hair

Don’t I know how to do this already? you might be asking. But while washing your hair might seem straightforward, a truly effective cleanse requires some thought and expertise. Just like the skin on our faces, each person’s scalp, and the hair that grows out of it, is different. Using the wrong products for your hair type can lead to oily roots, flaky skin and lackluster strands. What’s more, our hair’s needs can shift daily, so the best routine is one that’s both personalized and flexible. Here’s how to tailor your approach to achieve clean, healthy tresses.

1. Pay attention to your scalp

A good routine begins before you get in the shower, with a scalp massage. Massages can lift excess oil, product residue and dead skin cells from the scalp and roots, making them easier to wash away, while also stimulating blood circulation, which some studies have shown may help promote hair growth. A massage can also help you assess how seasonal factors such as dry air and fluctuating temperatures are affecting your hair.

• Start by putting “something slippery on the scalp to reduce [friction],” advises Anabel Kingsley, a trichologist and the brand president of Philip Kingsley Clinics, which offers an exfoliating, antifungal Flaky Scalp Mask.

• Use the pads of your fingertips to gently but firmly massage the scalp in circular motions, moving from front to back, then from side to side. Spend time at the back of the head and nape of the neck, which are often neglected, and avoid using your nails; scratching may feel good but it can damage the skin.

• A mask should be rinsed out afterward, but a leave-in product such as Pattern Beauty’s Scalp Serum can provide lasting hydration after you’re done massaging, and in between washes — a good choice for those with dry skin.

2. Do a dry detangle

“Hair can stretch 50 percent longer when it’s wet,” says Jhavuanna Paterson, the owner of the New York salon October Glory, so if you leave all of your detangling until during or after your shower, “you could be stretching your strands out of shape,” a particular risk for those with curly patterns. Plus, wet hair of all textures is more breakage-prone, so detangling your hair before you wet it is a good way to avoid damage (though you can do a second, gentle round in the shower).

• First, use your fingers to break up any large knots.

• Next, separate your hair into sections — you can use clips if your hair is especially thick — and run a wide-tooth comb through the strands, starting at the ends.

• Detangle any severe knots with your fingers, not by yanking the comb through them.

• Pass over your hair with a brush, this time starting at the scalp, to undo the finest knots. Look for a brush with rounded, plastic bristles, which are less likely to catch on the strands; Paterson recommends a Denman. Brushing will also encourage blood flow and can break up dry skin on the scalp.

• Loosen any stubborn remaining knots by applying conditioner to them once you’re in the shower, before you shampoo.

3. Shampoo strategically

Choose the right products for your hair

Most people should have a clarifying shampoo in their hair-care arsenal, even if they use it only occasionally, to give the roots a deep clean. Mara Roszak, the owner of Mare Salon and the product line Roz Haircare, prefers a gel shampoo, such as her own line’s Foundation Shampoo, noting that she finds that thicker, creamier formulas aren’t as effective in removing buildup and heavy oils. California Naturals Daily Shampoo is another good, coconut-based gel option. You can use these types of cleansers every wash day but if you have specific hair concerns, try using it in rotation with one of the targeted formulas below:

• Oily scalps can benefit from formulas advertised as “balancing.” Those with flat, fine hair can look for words like “volumizing” and “thickening.” For curls or processed hair, both of which tend to need extra moisture, words like “nourishing” and “repair” are a good bet.

• To remedy dry hair or a dry scalp, think about using a hydrating formula that doesn’t contain sulfates — surfactants that help to clean the hair but can strip it if used in high quantities — such as Big Hair’s Clean SLS Free Shampoo.

• If buildup is your main concern, you might replace or follow up your shampoo with a scrub, for example Goop Beauty’s Himalayan Salt Scalp Scrub, to manually slough away dead skin cells. However, “if you have any broken skin, sores or lesions, don’t use a physical exfoliant,” says Paterson.

Wash for a full minute

It should take you about 60 seconds to fully lather shampoo into the scalp, using the same allover technique you used for your massage: circular motions from front to back, then side to side, paying special attention to the back of the head and nape of the neck. The focus here should be on the scalp — the rest of the hair will be cleaned as the suds run down the strands, says Roszak. Rinse, then wash again if you have a large amount of buildup.