How to Wash Your Hair—The Right Way

1. Start with a rinse. Just like your laundry needs a rinse cycle before you add detergent, hair should be thoroughly wet before you add your shampoo. “Hot water will open the cuticle, which is good for removing any dirt or product trapped in the hair,” says White. Another bonus: “When your hair is rinsed in warm water, it loosens the oils through the scalp and opens the cuticle so it is able to absorb the oil” in your conditioner, says hairstylist Nunzio Saviano. 2. If you have long hair, condition first. Yes, really! “If you have hair beneath the shoulders, protect fragile ends from drying out and further damage by running a small amount of conditioner through them and lightly rinsing, before any shampooing. This will not only keep ends healthy, it will fill any holes in the cuticle with moisture, making it smoother and boosting shine,” says Kyle White, lead colorist at famous salon in USA. 3. Don’t rinse and repeat. Despite what the instructions on the back of your shampoo bottle may say, there’s no need to wash your hair twice. “Avoid stripping the hair by doing one shampoo only, which is usually sufficient,” says White. “Unless the hair is extremely dirty and the first shampoo didn’t produce a lather,” in which case, go ahead and lather up one more time.

4. Finish with a cold water rinse. “Cold water will shut the cuticle tight, sealing the shingle-like outer layer, which will cause it to reflect the most light and give off the most shine,” says White.

Thanks to: Wendy Rodewald