Get the right look for your hair

BEAUTY CORNER

The first step in hair care is shampoo. Select a mild herbal shampoo, according to your hair type. Rinse the hair well with water, in order to get rid of all soapy residues. The way you wash and dry the hair are also important.

Routines & patterns

Oily hair, especially in hot, humid weather, should be washed often. Three or four times a week for oily hair and twice a week for dry hair is the norm. An important aspect to bear in mind is that washing does not harm the hair. What harms the hair is the product you use and quantity of shampoo that is used for each wash.  For oily hair and in hot, humid weather, you can even wash the hair daily. 

First wet your hair thoroughly. Apply the shampoo and use your fingertips to rub it lightly into the scalp and hair. Work up a lather. Start at the scalp and go downwards. Be gentle with your hair. While washing, run plenty of water through the hair, so that you get rid of all the soap, along with dirt, dead skin cells and other impurities. 

After washing the hair, avoid rubbing with a towel. Wrap your towel around the head for a few minutes to soak up moisture. Avoid brushing wet hair. It can cause the hair to stretch and break. Use a wide- toothed comb, to comb out tangles, starting from the ends and going upwards towards the scalp.

Tips to blow-dry your hair  

With a few professional tips, you can use your blow-dryer to set short hair into a style quite easily. It gives the hair more body and bounce. 

For very short hair, the fingers can be used to push the hair into the style in which it has been cut. For longer hair, you will need a styling brush. Use a brush with soft, natural or plastic bristles.

The hair should be slightly damp for setting. Divide the hair in sections and hold them back with clips or hair pins. This allows you to work on each section at a time.

The hair on top of the head should be lifted upwards with the brush, so that hair gets more body and bounce. For layered cuts, heat should be applied across the hair on either side.

*If you like tight curls, wind sections of hair around small rollers, before using a dryer.
*To add fullness, bend forward and brush the hair from the nape of the neck to the ends.
*To add fullness on top of the head, divide the hair at the crown into four sections. Wind them around four large rollers, before drying the hair.

When the hair is completely dry, brush it into the style, so that all sections have blended together into one.

Hair straightening with a blow dryer

A temporary method of straightening the hair is with the use of a hand-held hair dryer. When the hair is damp, divide it into sections. Hold each section with a brush, holding it straight and slightly downwards. Dry it with the blow dryer. Do this with each section.
The effect lasts till the next shampoo. Hold the dryer at least six inches away from the hair, so that it doesn’t dry out the hair.

How to comb and brush

Use a firm regular stroke and pull the brush through the hair gently, close to the scalp, in a smooth motion.

Long hair should not be brushed in one stroke. Hold each section of hair with one hand and brush it in lengthwise sections.

Avoid using a brush when the hair is wet. Use a wide-toothed comb made from tortoise shell, horn or wood. These are better than plastic combs. The teeth should be smooth and well-rounded.

For styling, brushes with wide-spaced plastic teeth and a full round brush are used.
For your handbag, get a comb with even, closely-spaced narrow teeth.

If you are suffering from hair loss, hair breakage or split-ends, avoid brushing the hair. Use a wide-toothed comb. Most importantly, have fun while styling.