Most People Do Not Shampoo Their Hair Correctly

So You Think You Know How To Shampoo Hair?

Step back because you might have to brace yourself for some truth here, especially if you are a hairdresser. I am talking to hairdressers too. Even if you have been in this business 30 years plus or more does not make you exempt from probably not doing a very good shampoo. I bet you might even be sure you do because you give a good massage, or a good scratching and your clients coo over how wonderful in feels. Still, maybe not.

I'm a hairdresser and I have had other hairdressers wash my hair on many occasions. Maybe I got the sub-client treatment because I'm a collegue. I don't know. No excuse for doing a slop job. Why do I say this? Well, most clients won't notice what I mean or even speak up. Maybe I'm weird because I'm super picky. However, I'm not wrong.

How long are you rincing with water before you apply the shampoo?

You are not rincing well enough before you apply shampoo. Maybe it's harder to rince the back of the hair at the shampoo bowl than it is in the shower. I think hairdressers are getting robbed right out of beauty school because their instructors are not teaching them how to do proper shampoos either. What do I know? I was a professional shampoo girl as an assistant in Beverly Hills under a particularly demanding boss who would not settle for less than perfect. WE has class after class and meeting after meeting while the whole group of salon assistants got scolded all at once over whomever in the group was doing a not perfect job. We get clients sent back from the hairdresser to shampoo it over again, and again, ok. . . .PTSD moment. Of course it wasn't me dumping water down clients back or leaving them with soapy necks. Well, not any more.

Why do I know that you are not rincing well? How long does it take you to do a shampoo? A regular client, from shampoo, to repeat, and condition? Do you know how long you take? DO you know that you rush that shampoo on purpose? Are you on a time crunch, clients built up, or must get to work on time if you are shampooing your own hair in the shower? Just throw some water on it and then shampoo and rince after? Is that what you do? If it is, then you are not rincing well enough.

Do you leave natural oils in the hair to act as nutrient for dry hair. Conditioners can put nutrients back into hair and lower the PH level to make it feel soft again after a good shampoo.

Why is it important to do a more thorough rince before you apply the shampoo?

If you are a hairdresser. First of all, the water feels good on your clients scalp. The shampoo is what can set you apart from other hairdressers. This is your opportunity to really win your client's fanship. Is that a word? This is where you show clients that you have the special touch. This is where they build confidence in you, where you win them over. THe shampoo. The water feels good all the way on the whole scalp. If I'm in the shampoo bowl and I begin feel that calming water warm my tired head and then BOOM, water shut off, wet hair, dry scalp, and then lather all around, even scrub my scalp, still, dry scalp. Then dry rub on dry scalp with bubbles everywhere. It's annoying. What do I say? Maybe your clients aren't as weird and picky as me. No, maybe your clients aren't as mean as me and don't consider that of any importance to complain about. I've watched my clients put their own hands in their hair and give it a scrub while my assistant is shampooing. Clients have to feel that water in the scalp. Run it for awhile.

Rincing with very warm water a lot before the shampoo loosens and melts out some hair oils and as well as running the oils through the hair which is good for the hair. A good rince will also make sure the hair is properly soaked and the scalp is sufficiently wet to recieve the shampoo. The detergents in the shampoo that cleanse the hair use the water to travel through so that you can evenly spread the shampoo on to the scalp. Some people are so focused on cleansing the hair that they leave out how important it is to cleanse the scalp. What you are really trying to cleanse is the scalp. Think about the scalp over the hair. It's the scalp that needs to be cleansed.

It should take a good 15 minutes to do a decent shampoo. If you are done in 5 minutes, I sure hope you are not doing hair extensions. If at all you fancy yourself to be a "good hairdresser" or a high end cut above or ever aspire to be, skimping on your shampoo won't do you any good. If you are washing your own hair in your shower and you don't want your extensions to be compromised or if you think your hair in naturally too oily, then I will hope you will accept that rinsing better is a good idea. Rincing well primes your hair for a good shampoo. Don't skimp on the initial rince.

Are You shampooing the right way?

For hair extensions I use Pureology Shampoo. It's very concentrate. Before it goes onto the scalp, I spread out all over my hands and try to spread it evenly into my hair. Adding a little water can help, as Purology is very concentrated. Extra water will also give off a better lather. SOmetimes, the first shampoo does not lather well. That is because the bubbles are eating the oil. It also means the hair is still oily and will need to be shampooed again. When you rince it, it feels clean. No, it is not completely clean. A residue of oil is still left on the hair. Maybe for naturally curly hair that doesn not have extensions it would be okay to shampoo once , but that is not the case here.

The scalp massage

This is not just done because it feels good. The massage exfoliates dead skin from the scalp and the lathering bubbles should go all the way into the scalp to completely cleanse the scalp. Using the balls of your fingers and not you fingernails, massage the scalp, keeping even heavy pressure in little circles, and try not to break contact with the skin or massage differently with each hand to make the scalp move uncomfortable crooked. Feel the suds all the way into your scalp. It should feel fluffy lathery suds. People will scrub their own hair real good here. However, I've noticed that some hairdressers are a tad bit uncomfortable a little when it come to the intamacy of the scalp massage. If a clients start moaning in the chair because it feels so good, this can weird out hairdressers at times. I've seen this. I've seen hairdresser get a little wincy and be weird about the touchy feely thing with clients. If this is your chosen proffession, you have to get past it. Your life means constant contact with another human.

Clients like a good massage, like the way you scrub your own hair in the shower. You need to cleanse that dirty hair and scalp good. Exfoliate. If there is scalp scum or dandruff, I like to use Rusk Purify. There should be no flakes. Do it again until they are all gone. Otherwise, you didn't exfoliate the scalp good enough.

Rince and Repeat

I notice hairdressers have problems at the bowl with not getting the back of the hair wet and or not rincing the nape without drowning the client. After at least two shampoos and maybe three, you are ready for the final rince.

The Final rince.

When you rince the hair, feel the hair, with your fingers into the scalp. It helps push the water up into the back of the scalp. And with your fingers in the hair as you rince, you can feel it. The shampoo leaves a kind of residue, almost a slimey feel. Usig your fingers to feel the entire scalp with let you know when the rince is complete. My mom always told me. "It has to be squeeky clean." Don't leave the bubbles in the hair. Rince them all out very well. Then condition and your done. For hair extensions, keep the conditioner off the scalp.

Why is a good thorough shampoo so important with hair extensions?

The hair extensions bonding will begin to break down and become comprimized if oil is left in the hair.

SO next time you shampoo hair your hair, time yourself. Also, let me hear what you think.