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Choosing the Right Hair Treatment for Your Hair Type
What is the Treatment Adapted to Your Hair Type?
Natural Hair: Treatments Adapted to Your Hair Type
The relationship we have with our hair is often passionate and tumultuous. One day we love it, and the next day we hate it—the famous "bad hair day," challenging to explain since we follow practically the same beauty routine every day.
What if we misidentified our hair type? What if the beauty care isn't right?
It's essential to learn to diagnose our hair type so that we can take better care of it!
Diagnosing Hair Nature
The first essential step in caring for your hair is to know its nature.
Curly and dry hair does not have the same needs as fine and wavy hair or thick and straight hair. Similarly, the nature of the scalp is important in caring for your hair.
Do I Know the Nature of My Scalp?
In addition to hair nature, it's crucial to assess the nature of the scalp. Neglecting your scalp's condition is a mistake, as it is the foundation of our hair and essential for its health!
Different Types of Scalp
Dry to Oily Scalp
In the scalp, hair follicles are associated with sebaceous glands that secrete sebum to protect the skin. If skin cells need moisturizing and protective sebum, excess sebum on the hair from the root, hyperseborrhea, makes the hair oily, heavy, promoting itching and bacteria formation.
On the other hand, when sebaceous glands are slow, there is a lack of sebum, and the scalp is not sufficiently hydrated and dries. As a result, itching and dry dandruff occur.
Irritated Scalp
Our scalp is one of the most sensitive parts of our body. It can react to all kinds of external factors such as cold, heat, ultraviolet rays, very aggressive treatments, inappropriate cosmetic products, frequent coloring, straightening, stress, or even tobacco.
In response, physiological changes in the hair occur, scalp cells renew very quickly, dandruff forms, causing itching and irritation.
Do I Know the Nature of My Hair?
Here are the 4 hair types determined by André Walker, a famous African-American hairdresser. Each of these hair types can be fine or thick, dense or sparse.
Type 1: Straight Hair
They are shiny and resilient but tend to be oily. The flowing sebum slides through the hair to the tip without being obstructed by waves or curls.
Type 2: Wavy Hair
Often thick and shiny wavy hair may lack discipline. Its waves have the shape of an elongated S.
Type 3: Curly Hair
They have more defined curls and less loose than type 2, often also drier, less shiny, and less solid. This type is subdivided into 3 subtypes. Curls can be loose, firm, or very firm.
Type 4: Kinky and Afro Hair
They are naturally less shiny, drier, and more fragile than the other three hair types.
Appropriate Care for Hair
Once your scalp and hair type have been identified, the choice of hair products becomes essential. Each hair type has its treatment!
Scalp Care Adapted to My Scalp Nature
The scalp must be pampered and treated to restore sebum secretions and treat irritations.
Treatments for Oily Scalp
The first rule for treating an oily scalp is to reduce the frequency of washing and avoid touching it too much during the day!
You can also opt for shampoos for oily hair that will regulate the pH of your hair.
Treatments for Dry Scalp
Hydration and nutrition are essential for treating a dry scalp. There are many moisturizing shampoos, but especially conditioners, masks, and treatments that nourish it. Be mindful of the sun, which dries it out, and avoid tight hairstyles, ponytails, and braids.
Caring for an Irritated Scalp
The scalp needs to be treated with gentleness, so avoid very vigorous massages, very hot hair dryers, and very vigorous detangling.
Many treatments based on panthenol, betaine, and vitamin B5 protect the scalp from aggressions. Above all, rinse your hair well after each shampoo!
Care Adapted to Hair Nature
Needless to say, but each hair type requires the right care that will precisely target its weaknesses.
Hair thickness does not determine its nature! Therefore, there is no specific treatment for fine or thick hair, but it will need to be treated differently if it is straight, wavy, or curly.
Caring for Straight Hair
Often more resilient and stronger than others, but, on the other hand, usually lacks volume.
The treatments used should not be too rich to avoid overloading the hair and making it flat! Avoid shampoos loaded with chemicals; prefer sulfate-free, silicone-free, and paraben-free shampoos. Also, avoid very rich moisturizing treatments and masks.
Care for Wavy and Curly Hair
By nature dry, they do not need very frequent washes. They should be hydrated. Products made from shea butter and argan oil are particularly effective.
After shampooing, apply a mask or a nourishing treatment.
Care for Afro and Kinky Hair
Kinky and Afro hair are the driest and require regular care. Use very nourishing shampoos and masks and supplement between two washes with the application of serums on the lengths, based on argan oil, coconut, or castor oil.
While it may not be possible to make fine hair thicker or straight hair curly, it is possible to improve the quality and health of your hair by caring for it properly.