The Best Ways to Wash and Dry Your Hair

You want to keep your hair healthy for life, and you can. Developing good habits around haircare is the best way to keep your hair healthy, full, and looking great. There’s a lot of competing information out there about how to take care of your hair, but if there’s one thing experts can agree on, it’s that every healthy hair routine relies on the same foundation: how you wash and dry your hair. Below, we’ve compiled the most essential tips for washing and drying your hair to keep it strong, healthy, and full. Read on for your best hair day yet, and to find out how hair restoration treatments can help if you’re having trouble with hair loss.  

Tips For Washing and Drying Your Hair 

Read on for our top tips for washing and drying your hair correctly. 

Don’t wash your hair every day   

Current wisdom suggests that the less you wash your hair, the better. Your scalp produces oils which slowly work down to coat the hair, protecting the hair shaft from UV rays and other environmental factors. Washing the hair removes this protective coating, and washing too often can result in dryness, frizz, and breakage. Most hair types can get away with washing only once or twice per week. Those with oily hair may want to wash more often, but note that if your hair feels oily, it could be due to washing too often, which causes the scalp to overproduce those natural oils in order to replenish what has been stripped away. Letting your hair rest for a few days between washes gives your hair’s natural oils the chance to do their thing and keep your hair healthy. 

Focus on your roots 

When you’re in the shower, keep this maxim in mind: Wash your scalp, condition your hair. This means that when you shampoo, you should stick to massaging the product into your scalp and roots, which is where hair experiences the most buildup. The rest of your hair will be lightly cleansed when you rinse out the shampoo, without stripping the natural oils away. You should always avoid vigorously rubbing shampoo into your strands. Once you’re done, apply conditioner to the lengths of your hair, avoiding the scalp in order to prevent weighing the roots down.  

Water temperature matters 

When it comes to hair health, the temperature of the water you use to wash it is important. Water that’s too hot will strip your hair of those protecting natural oils mentioned above. For that reason, use lukewarm or warm water when you’re cleaning and conditioning your hair. To give your hair a shine boost, take a few extra seconds to run cold water over your hair—as cold as you can handle—which helps seal strands and make them smooth. 

Avoid stripping the hair 

Many shampoos contain strong detergents, such as sulphates, to clean the hair. Sulphates are typically found in products that you use to clean your house, like dish detergent and multi-purpose cleaner, and really aren’t necessary to use on the hair. Not only that, but they can strip your hair of nutrients and natural oils, leaving hair dry, dull, and damaged. Instead, look for sulphate-free shampoos that are gentler. Additionally, that old rule about wash, rinse, repeat? You can ignore that—when it comes to shampoo, once is enough. 

Take care of your scalp 

With so much focus on the hair, it’s easy to forget where healthy hair comes from—the scalp. Taking care of your scalp is an essential part of maintaining a healthy head of hair. Cleansing, exfoliating, moisturizing, and massaging the scalp regularly will ensure you’re one step ahead as far as keeping your hair looking great for a lifetime.  

Dry your hair without drying it out 

After putting so much care into the washing stage, it’s important to follow up with the proper drying technique. The first mistake most people make is drying their hair with an ordinary towel. Rubbing the hair with anything rough while it’s still wet is a surefire way to get frizz. Instead, use a microfiber cloth or even a spare t-shirt to gently squeeze the moisture out, and then let your hair air dry as much as possible. Can’t avoid heat styling? Then make sure you use a heat-protectant first, and let hair dry completely before using a hot tool such as a curling iron or straightener. Finally, remember not to brush hair while it’s wet, because the strands are more prone to breakage.  

Hair Restoration Treatments for Thinning Hair & Hair Loss 

Even when you take great care of your hair, hair loss can occur as a result of aging, genetics, and other unavoidable factors. The latest hair restoration technology can restore your hair back to its full, natural-looking beauty. Venus Concept offers two state-of-the-art devices for hair restoration, NeoGraft^® and ARTAS^®. NeoGraft^® treatments specialize in female hair loss, while ARTAS® was designed with male hair loss in mind. With either device, your results will be discreet, natural-looking, and long-lasting—our procedures boast an average 94% "Worth It” rating from patients on RealSelf.com.  

NeoGraft® Hair Restoration Treatments 

During a NeoGraft^® session, the treatment provider extracts individual hair follicles from the back or sides of the head using a specialized device and then implants them in the area where more hair growth is desired. The newly implanted hair follicles continue the natural hair growth cycle, and results improve each week, with full realization at 9-12 months post-procedure. Unlike previous methods, which involved surgically removing a strip from the back of the patient’s scalp and grafting it to a new area, this procedure is minimally invasive for a faster recovery process and no linear scarring.  

ARTAS^®Robotic Hair Restoration Treatments  

ARTAS^® Robotic Hair Restoration Treatments harnesses the advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to design the ideal extraction and placement of the hair follicles. The device’s precision and speed protect your existing hair and maintain a natural appearance for the newly implanted hair. Both devices ensure that you can restore your hair discreetly and successfully, with long-lasting results that look great.  

Begin Your Hair Restoration Journey Today 

Our certified treatment providers are excited to create a hair restoration plan that works with your aesthetic goals and lifestyle. Speak to an expert near you today by using the search field below.