The Beauty Aficionado tackles all things hair

As someone who dated for a decade, I’ve experimented with many forms of hair torture — blow dryers, straightening irons, and hot air brushes, to name a few. Add to that the visits to the salon in the event of an occasion, when the stylist would aim the dryer straight at my scalp while I writhed in agony.

I was therefore mindful to mitigate the damage as much as possible. I let my hair air-dry unless it was absolutely necessary to style. I analyzed products that would provide the right level of conditioning — not too much, not too little. I applied coconut oil hair masks on a weekly basis, which would require two shampoos, minimum, to wash out. If I recall correctly, I even popped biotin supplements at some point.

Like skin, there are numerous hair types; like skin, it can be dry or oily. There are other categories too: thin vs. thick, straight vs. wavy vs. curly. Prone to frizz? Battling dandruff? Thinning hair?

The list of hair concerns can be daunting, especially as there’s no one answer when it comes to hair care. So, like with skin care, try to figure out what sort of hair you have so you can assign products and methods accordingly.

Shampoo

In recent years, daily shampooing has taken a bit of an image hit. If hair is prone to dryness, shampooing often strips the hair of nourishing oils. If hair is oily, while it does need more shampooing than dry hair, shampooing too much can also make the scalp over-produce oil.

Therefore, shampoo according to your hair’s needs. Maybe it’s every other day, maybe every three days. With oily hair, there might be an adjustment period until the oil calms down, so bear with it.

When shampooing, focus on the scalp and roots, not on the ends of hair. Additionally, water should not be hot, but rather lukewarm. Hot water isn’t good for hair or skin.

Be sure to get a shampoo that works for your hair type. Dry hair? Look for labels that tout “nourishing,” “hydrating,” and “smoothing.” Oily hair? “Clarifying” and “purifying” is up your alley. Fine hair? Seek out “volumizing,” “thickening,” and “biotin.” Do you dye your hair? Go for “color protect” or “color care.”

If you want to stretch the time between shampoos, either due to extending a style or a three-day Yom Tov, try a dry shampoo. These are powders that absorb excess oil. I’ve actually used cornstarch in a pinch (a dusting, only!), and it worked quite well.