Hair Problems

Because every hair type is different, there isn’t a step by step ‘one fits all’ guide on how to look after your hair. How you care for your hair depends on
the thickeness and texture of your hairthe environment you live and work inthe texture and quality of your hairhow you style your hair

Many people don’t know how to look after their hair properly. We offer tailored hair care advice based on your individual needs which will help keep your hair healthy. Our tailored hair care advice is unique to you and involves analysing your scalp and hair to assess its condition. This allows us to put together a step by step hair care regime booklet that will work for you. Your booklet will tell you how often you need to wash and moisturise your hair, what products you should use to do it as well as advice on health, diet and lifestyle.

If you can’t come to the clinic for a taylored hair care advice you can still pick up some great tips in our 'how to look after your hair in the article below.'

How to look after your hair

Although simple, this guide if followed properly will help to improve the texture and quality of your hair.

As much as you don’t want to hear it, Black hair problems tend to occur because we don’t always care for our hair properly. Caring for your hair doesn’t have to be a complicated process and will help to minimise scalp and hair problems throughout your life.

Washing

Hair should be shampooed at least once every two weeks and can be shampooed every day, but care should be taken if you use heat to style your hair after washing because too much heat will cause your hair to become damaged and break off. When you wash your hair every day, sebum a natural conditioner which lubricates the scalp, will take more time to repopulate on your scalp. Therefore a conditioner should be used after each shampoo.

How to shampoo your hair:Wet hair, apply shampoo to hands and rub together. Shampoo hair using the balls of your finger tips. Apply medium pressure but do not scrub the scalp too hard as this can damage and irritate your scalp. Make sure that you massage the whole of your scalp including the hairline and the nape of the scalp. If you wear nail extensions be careful not to scrape the scalp. Work the shampoo into the rest of your hair by making downward stroking movements down your hair. Rinse and repeat.

Conditioning

You should always apply a conditioner to your hair even if you have soft fine textured hair. Soft fine textured hair types should use a light conditioner or a leave in spray conditioner while medium, thick and coarse textured hair should use a thicker conditioner.

Combing

Culturally we are quite rough when it comes to combing our hair. Although we experience natural breakage in Black hair, this is often increased because of the pressure we apply when combing. This prevents our hair from reaching its natural length. You should comb your hair gently, dealing with any tangles and knots that you come across them before you continue to comb the same area. Brushes are not recommended as the natural vulnerabilities of Black hair mean that it can’t handle this amount of pressure. I recommend buying a wide toothed comb made from non splitting material and the teeth should be pointed but soft.

Drying

Leaving your hair to dry naturally or drying with a towel is the best way to dry your hair, but if this is not possible, you can use a hairdryer. Make sure that you apply an oil moisturiser or a heat protection spray before drying. If using direct heat on the hair try sticking to a moderate heat as higher temperatures can dry out and damage your hair.

Moisturising

The unstable climate means that our hair requires frequent moisture. This is probably the most essential part of your hair care regime. The below is a general guide on moisturising frequency’s. You should increase or decrease moisturising frequency’s as you get to know the needs of your hair. The amount of moisturiser you apply depend on the thickness of your hair. If you have very fine hair you only want to apply a small amount to so you dont weigh your hair down, if you have a lot of hair you should apply more to ensure the whole hair is covered.