April 2005
Revised 5/01/07
April 27,
2005
Full Strength Shampoo On Long
Hair And Itchy Scalp Concerns?
Question
Dear Karen,
I have read your suggestions about diluting shampoo with water
and have tried that system of drizzling the mixed up suds over the
top of my scalp and it does work well.
Recently I tried another method and wonder if it is doing long
term harm to my hair. Maybe you can advise me?
Sometimes I like to use full strength shampoo but tried NOT
lathering at all. What I do is drizzle full strength shampoo
on my hair starting at my scalp and then letting it run down the
length of my hair. Then I pat it onto my hair and let the
water wash over it and rinse it all off. I do not scrub not do
I let the product form any suds.
I figured if I did the shampoo this way, and it flowed down
the length of my hair from the roots to the ends, the hair cuticle
would remain closed and I would not have to worry about tangles or
other issues that occur when I scrub the scalp or swish my hair back
and forth.
The first few times I did this method, not only did I get done
in the shower much faster but my hair seemed just fine.
I did notice that my scalp seemed a little itchy after the
first few times of not scrubbing so that is one thing that maybe I
should think about.
Any thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Karla
Answer
Dear Karla,
When it comes to hair, one size never fits all. This is
true about any hair topic ranging from what is the best products to
use to how to use them.
One of the reasons I always advise people with long hair to
dilute the products is because longer tresses tend to be more
fragile and dry.
Also, because the strands extend much further past the roots than
short or medium length hair and therefore it is more challenging for
natural hair oils to make it down from the root to the ends.
Thus the strands may not get as much natural moisture as they need.
Undiluted shampoo can be harsh for certain hair types, textures
and conditions, but not all.
If you believe that using undiluted shampoo on your hair works
great for you, then of course you and your hair knows best.
As far as the itchy scalp, it is possible that not scrubbing or
massaging the scalp during the cleansing process might allow buildup
of dirt, grime or other toxins. As long as you make sure that
shampoo (diluted or not) are making their way to all of your hair,
including the scalp areas, you should probably be fine.
However, to be safe, you may wish to use the pads of your fingertips
to massage your scalp at least every other time your shampoo.
Some hair experts believe that it is not necessary to ever
shampoo hair and recommend only that the hair and scalp be saturated
with water to remove dirt and grime. Other hair experts hold
other opinions ranging from washing with full strength shampoo,
using diluted mixtures or alternating with a variety of options.
Other long hair experts sometimes suggest that hair be cleansed with
water and conditioner only.
Only you can ultimately decide what works best for you, your
scalp and your hair.
A great way to discover the best plan of action for cleaning your
hair is to keep a long term "hair" diary of all the different
cleansing actions you take. Keep clear notes regarding how
your hair felt, looked and behaved after each cleansing process.
After a reasonable period of time you will have a good idea of
what works best for you and your hair.
Best wishes,
Karen
April 2,
2005
Applying Jojoba Oil To Hair To
Deal With Frizz?
Question
Dear Karen,
I have naturally wavy hair and I constantly struggle with frizz
because I live in a very humid climate. I currently use a
moisture enhancing shampoo, leave-in conditioners and other things
to try and minimize the fizziness.
One thing that helps a lot is when I apply jojoba oil directly
to my hair. The only problem is that my hair feels like it has
oil on it and I just don't like the feeling although I appreciate no
frizz.
Any ideas that I might try?
Malva
Answer
Dear Malva,
You might try mixing jojoba oil with distilled or filtered water
and then lightly spritzing it onto your hair concentrating the light
spray in areas that are most prone to fizz.
I have been using this trick for years during very hot summer
months in Texas or when the weather is humid. I buy brand new
glass spray bottles with spray tops and then mix filtered water with
a 8-10 drops of jojoba. I shape the mixture well and then
spritz lightly.
You can experiment with adding more or less jojoba to the water
to determine what keeps your hair from fizzing without the feeling
of oil on your hair that makes you uncomfortable.
I often experiment with adding other essential oils to my
jojoba/water hair formula. Peppermint provides a nice little
energy burst or lavender is very calming. Play with some
combinations and have fun taking your frizz.
Best wishes,
Karen
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