Of *course* marketing for some drugstore brand shampoos want to convince you being "too clean" is a problem.

They aren't good enough to get you that clean. *They* want you to think that's a good thing.

Clean is good. Clean prevents infections. Clean allows Conditioner to do its job, as well as any and all products that come afterwards.

Sometimes the waxy buildup is your own sebum not being removed completely, and just resolidifying further down.

#hairtipsfromapro

It is wild to me that regularly washing is seen as controversial just because it's the scalp and not ... say.... hands.

More so if the hair is curly.

More so if the skin is melenated.

Just wild.

Lifestyle dictates routine. Wash when before your scalp gets itchy or more frequently if it gets sweaty or oily.

Scalp produces oil (sebum), oil traps dirt, debris, dead skin, etc and becomes waxy.

Remove it regularly to prevent infections that lead to fungi that lead to hairloss

#hairtipsfromapro

#hairtipsfromapro

The lipid layer of your hair is what protects your hair against humidity and water damage.

Chlorine can effect it, but so can RAW oils.

Oils (like from the kitchen section) contain a lactic acid (or similar compound) that can eat at the protective lipid layer of the hair in large doses (like when it's not formulated into product)

RAW oils also have a boiling point typically around the temperatures we're seeing outside this time of year, and can add heat damage to that mix.

@Kimmycott

Exactly.

Nutrition, hydration, and exercise helps your hair grow as fast as your genetics is coded to allow for.

Hair, skin, and nails are the first indicators of your health.

If your routine is lacking in these areas, it slows down hair growth to accommodate for other more important bodily functions, like digestion and blood flow.

If you're healthy, your body can use the excess energy on hair growth.

#hairtipsfromapro

Nothing on the planet makes your hair grow *faster*.
Denser, yes.
Not faster.

Your hair growth rate is based ENTIRELY on genetics and health.

🍃Eat all your major vitamins A through k, iron, biotin, zinc, 🍃Omega 3s, etc. Your liver breaks these nutrients down to make for healthy hair growth.
🍃Drink water.
🍃Exercise even just walking 10 minutes a day.

This helps get the most out of your genetic hair growth rate. Just take care of it to prevent breakage to retain the length.

@thedisasterautist Everything about hair is chemistry and physics 🥰

#hairtipsfromapro
•The Hydrogen bonds in your hair break every time your hair gets wet and don't reset until your hair dries completely.
•Until then, everything you do to your wet/damp hair trains those hydrogen bonds in how you'd like them to reconnect.
•Once hair starts drying, and those bonds start reconnecting, if you're disrupting curls/waves, etc. before they're done, you're telling some hydrogen bonds to set in a different way than the others.
•This is one major way to create frizz.

#hairtipsfromapro
Let's talk about the marketing phrase "pH balanced".

What is it pH balanced to? And what do they claim that its a solution for?

Some soaps are known to be "pH balanced" up to a 9. Drano is around 12-13.

Hair and skin is around 4.5-4.7. pH balancing around this knowledge is useful. Nothing you use on your hair or skin needs to be much higher than a 7 (water is typically 6.5-7) or much lower than 3.5.

If it doesn't specify, research further. What's it pH balanced -to-? & Y?

#hairtipsfromapro

Fun fact: Grey hair is also called unpigmented hair. It has stopped producing melanin. It's actually transparent, but typically reflects your darker hair to appear grey.

Grey hair, like all hair, does collect various colorings through environmental factors, which is how it can start to gain a yellow appearance through minerals in your water.

Typically, these are solved through a combination of clarifying, and the use of products that can seal the cuticle from these factors.

#hairtipsfromapro

We wash our hands regularly, brush our teeth regularly. We know the stink of body odor is because of bacteria in the armpits, or on the feet.

Yet it's somehow controversial to tell people to wash their hair regularly.

I don't know who's marketing campaign is responsible for getting people to fear clean hair, but your scalp produces sebum daily. Dirt and debris get trapped in that sebum. Failure to wash it off results in infections.

Wash it more frequently than once a week.

#hairtipsfromapro

What's the difference?

Hair is more fragile when wet. Once it's wet, it breaks the hydrogen bonds and becomes more elastic and malleable. We want this when we're ready to shape it into a style, and it's necessary when cleansing the scalp, but we -don't- want this when we're pulling on it to de-knot-ify it!

However; hair is also the strongest when it's -not- dry, aka. hydrated, moisturized, conditioned, and manageable.

Detangle hair dry, but don't detangle dry hair

#hairtipsfromapro

Because the scalp produces sebum regularly which is a kind of oil, your shampoo requires a detergent which activates with water to break down that oil so that it can mix with water and rinse away.

These can include "sulfates" as well as other cleansing agents.

Shampoo should be rinsed and repeated with focus on the scalp until its effectively clean, and all the oils are removed.

Typically clean wet hair has an almost squeaky, rubbery feel.

#hairtipsfromapro

Your scalp produces sebum regularly, which traps dirt and debris, if left uncleansed, these can lead to infections. Once you have an infection, you'll need to see a dermatologist to assess and remove what is usually a fungal issue, or it can lead to hair loss.

How fast you produce oils and need to wash is primarily determined by hair length, density, and thickness of texture.

More frequently than 5 days is typically recommended.

Shampoo is for scalp health, less for hair.

@insomniacviolin That looks to be a great starting resource! However, that person does not claim any scientific credentials, just researching credentials, so if it works, great! And if it doesn't, you may still need to partner with a professional if you can, in this case, a dermatologist.

I am a fan of research! Sometimes that takes trying to find a dermatologist that understands your specific situation, and not just a generalist. Sometimes that takes finding a solid resource to start with. :)

@insomniacviolin 5-7 days is minimum! But for sure if you're dealing with a fungal related dandruff, you gotta make sure it's gone. Sometimes that means an extra rinse and repeat, sometimes it means a more frequent wash schedule.

Those fungal issues thrive on your natural oils, so it's best to make sure it's gone, first, then adjust your wash schedule and product to help with the hair, again :)

@insomniacviolin Preaching to the choir! I feel like I've spent so much time researching brands that actually care more about quality and doing the job right than they do about marketing and being available in every drugstore.

Still, I find making sure it's gone gone is the toughest struggle. A lot of folks give up before it's gone, and it comes back stronger.

Good luck!!

@insomniacviolin A lot of the same things that cause dandruff also cause acne! So the solution is sometimes the same!

Fun fact: it is typically a fungal issue, however, so you use it regularly and efficiently when you need it for the recommended amount of time (typically 2 weeks past when symptoms subside, but check with a dermatologist to be 100% sure), and then switch to something more gentle/hydrating. :)

@WeThePeople There was someone in Florida, I believe, who argued their unborn fetus did not deserve the same jail time as the mother.

It didn't go well either.

@Dogofalltrees Done!!

I'd love to see what you find out!

#survey