Cold Water for Shiny Hair?

Are you aware of the theory that cold water can bring shine to your hair. Yes, I have read countless of the places that cold water is good for sealing the cuticles after washing and conditioning of the hair and thus, helps in bringing shine. I tried it and as usual with every new product you try, the results were fabulous up to a certain time. But, later on, it too became monotonous and not so amazing. That made me think what is the truth behind such a myth. And, recently, I read somewhere that this theory is actually a myth. Cold water does not help in sealing the cuticle or for that matter, even bringing shine to the hair or preventing frizzes. Cold water helps our hair temporarily until the hair dries be it air-dried or blow-dry. So, in case you are a fan of final cold water rinse, try replacing that with room-temperature hair rinses which will do a whole lot of good for your hair.And, if you are one who can not tolerate cold water on head, do not torture yourself just for the sake of beautiful hair as it would be of no use.

Now, let me make you aware of the reason why the starting results of using cold water rinse were fabulous for me. I was used to using medium to hot water on my hair to wash it and changing that to cold, obviously, gave my hair a boost. But, then, I got used to reduced water temperatures and started using almost lukewarm water and the results stopped showing. The motive in telling you this all was that do not burn your hair using really hot water to wash hair. Use lukewarm water or water at room temperature to wash your hair. Bot excess hot and excess cold are bad for your hair and cause dryness so instead of preventing frizzes, that practice would increase them.

A note to my readers: Due to other commitments, I am unable to post regularly and you must have noticed the irregularity in my posts. Thus, I have decided to write posts once a week instead of everyday. Hope you all will keep with me and enjoy reading my posts. Thanks a lot to you all.

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Are you shampooing your hair the right way?

Our hair is our pride and it needs an extremely tender care. Cleaning is the first step for it. We all think we are shampooing our hair in the right way but are we? How to know how to shampoo the hair in the right manner? Well, let us look through a few key points which should never be missed or ignored under any circumstances:

• Comb your hair before you shampoo your hair. Tangles in the hair do not let the shampoo work properly and evenly on your hair.
• Do not shampoo your hair more than twice a week for dry hair and more than thrice a week for oily hair in whatever conditions. This habit leads to dryness in hair which might pose severe problems. You can avoid washing your hair even 2 or 3 times a week if you know that it has not gathered any dust. You may even choose to cowash your hair instead of shampoo.
• Use a very mild shampoo, a herbal one if possible. Choose your shampoo wisely or you may use the age old ways to clean your hair. Much of the chemicals do not do any good to your hair.
• While pouring out the shampoo, make sure you are using a right amount. Too less will not clean your hair properly and too much will dry your hair. 
• Always dilute your shampoo no matter what is says or which brand is it. This rule even applies for herbal shampoos. Pour a small dollop of shampoo in a bowl and put a handful of water in the bowl and mix it well. This reduces the harshness of the chemicals in your shampoo.
• Wet your hair well under a shower. Do not forget to wet it in layers. Partition your hair if it is long and stand under the shower till your are sure your hair is saturated with water. Wet hair is essential for the shampoo to lather though more lather does not mean the shampoo is good. It only means the shampoo is harsh. That is why it is important to dilute it in the first place. 
• Do not flip your head over while washing your hair. You will create more tangles.
• Once your hair is wet, take a little shampoo (which is in liquid condition) in hand and start applying on scalp. It will lather well. Cover all your scalp and start massaging it. Do not use your nails or palms. Just use your finger balls. Use the lather produced to wash the body of the hair. Do not worry about its adequacy. The hair will get cleaned with that amount of shampoo. 
• Massage your scalp in only four directions: back and forth and sideways (left and right). Any other way would end up tangling your hair. And, do not pile up the hair on your head. Shampooing does not mean your let the hair get tangled. You are supposed to keep your hair untangled in whatever condition. 
• If your hair is coming out while you are washing it, pull the strand out. Do not panic if more are coming. Just remove them and throw them. It is better to remove the strands which are dead otherwise they will hinder in the new hair growth.
• Wash your hair properly and follow up with another round of shampoo. Always go for two rounds of shampoo - first one is to remove all the dirt and second one is to ensure squeaky clean hair. Only remember to use even lesser shampoo in the second round as the hair is really wet and will lather quite well with a very little shampoo. Keep it on your head for 2-3 minutes and wash off.
• Once you finish shampooing your hair, take a strand in two fingers and run them through it. The strand should make a squeaking noise. If it does, you hair is clean and if it does not you can proceed with one more round of shampoo but always be careful about how much shampoo are you putting on your hair. You can perform this test even after first round of shampoo. Second round is generally recommended but if you shampoo your hair too frequently, you can forgo it.
• You may apply conditioner on your hair. This will control your frizzes and dryness caused by the shampoo. Apply the conditioner gingerly as your hair is wet and in the weakest condition. Do not apply conditioner to the roots. You will end up clogging the hair follicles and effecting your hair health as a consequence. Apply it only to the body and pay special attention to the ends. Wait for 5-10 minutes and then, wash off. 
• Remember to shampoo your hair with lukewarm water and condition your hair with cold water. Stand under cold water to end your shampooing routine. Make the water as cold as you can tolerate. Do not go to the extremes.You may even follow your hair wash with hibiscus shampoo or using baking soda. 
• You can follow with a leave-in conditioner or better, use natural aloevera gel straight from the plant or apply glycerin while your hair is still damp.It will keep your hair moisturized.

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