Shampoo is a part of your daily life. It’s an easy detail to overlook, and at the same time it’s important to know a little about how shampoo actually works with your hair type.
A lot of people prefer shampoo that lathers a lot, thinking it’s working better. However, understand that the effect of lather depends somewhat upon how “dirty” your hair is when you wash it. For instance, the cleaner your hair is to start, the more lather you will get. In addition, more lather may just mean more detergent in the shampoo. You can tell how well your shampoo is working by how your hair feels after you wash it. Wet hair is clean when it starts to squeak.
A big misconception with shampoo is that “more is better” when it comes to products that are loaded with moisturizer (which many are). Note that hair can have too much moisture; you may have noticed this in your own experience once you are finished styling your hair after washing it. It will be stretchy, can look dry and won’t hold a curl. It can be hard to recognize when it looks dry, but it’s not. The air you live in can also make a difference. If you are in a dry climate, you will likely do well with a moisturizing shampoo as there is not much moisture in the air. Here in Seattle where humidity is a bit higher, you may notice your hair going flat with a heavy moisturizing shampoo.
The best Seattle hair stylists will have a good handle on what will be best for your hair type and lifestyle, i.e. how many times a week you shampoo and style. For example, naturally flat and fine hair needs a protein shampoo, which strengthens the hair. As a general measure, the finer the hair the less protein it naturally contains. It doesn’t tend to hold curl well; if you use a curling iron, the curls may only last a few hours. Because hair absorbs moisture from the air, it causes the curls to fall out. Redken makes a protein spray called CAT that really helps fine hair from going flat.
On the other hand, if you have naturally coarse hair you will find that it will benefit from moisturizing shampoo. Thicker hair strands actually contain more protein chains, so coarse hair doesn’t require the extra protein. However, because it can lack moisture naturally and pick up what is in the air, it is good to add moisture with your shampoo.
Your Seattle hair stylist will likely have the best knowledge on what is on the market that will be best tailored for your personal hair needs. Don’t be afraid to ask detailed questions; you deserve to have the shampoo that is best for you.