Hair Shampoo Pointers

Shampoos are basically some combination of water, detergent and fatty material; they often come in formulations for normal, oily or dry hair. Keep these pointers in mind:

>Herbal, lemon and egg shampoos smell nice, but they don't have any particular degreasing benefits.

>Some men use beer in the final rinse because it gives hair a springiness or coarseness that adds body. There's no benefit from mixing it with the shampoo.

>Shampoos advertised as containing proteins that mend split ends don't really hold much water. Even though hair is a protein, topically applied protein won't build it up.

>If you suffer from dry hair, hair loss or a scalp condition, don't use baby shampoo in the mistaken belief that if it's mild enough for babies, it's the best thing for you. Babies often have cradle cap, or stubborn scaling, and most shampoos for them are filled with detergents to combat this problem.

>If you're bothered by dandruff, use a natural-bristle brush and plenty of conditioner. (If you're going to the beach, rubbing conditioner through your hair and leaving it on can lessen damage from sun and water.) Bring persistent itching or inflammation to a doctor's attention.

To understand the importance of following shampooing with conditioning, consider the hair itself When glimpsed under a microscope, the cuticle, or outer layer, looks as though it's made up of overlapping fish scales. Conditioners close these scales up to make your hair softer and smoother. Ideally, your final rinse washes the greasy conditioner off the hair surface, but some of it stays sealed inside thc cuticle to "glue" the scales together.

Even if you have oily hair, don't be tempted to skip conditioning, which can save enormous wear and tear and lessen breakage from combing or brushing.