I got a haircut a few days back and while the chit chat session with the hair dresser, he gave me a few hair-care tips  for the winter season. I have been religiously following them since then.

1. Oil your hair

a night before a hair wash. If that is too much, at least an hour before washing your hair. Massage your scalp with warm oil and spread it to the the tips of your hair.

A lot of women forget to apply oil on the tips and in most cases, this leads to split ends.

I prefer to use warm olive oil. But you can use any oil you want to. I have heard some great reviews about Dabur Vatika a Hair Oil .

2. Steam

This step is optional. Before half an hour from washing your hair, wrap your hair in a steaming towel.

3. Shampoo

Shampoo your hair the next morning. Use your finger tips to work the  shampoo into lather  (this helps stimulate blood circulation in the head) and then rinse it off.  Keep the shampoo routine pretty short as the chemicals in shampoo can dry your scalp out.  These days I am using Dove Shampoo for normal hair and so far,  I am loving it.
I have seen a lot of Indian women completely skip the step of conditioning. A conditioner is very important for miniaturization and reconstruction of your hair.

How to use a hair conditioner?

I am copying it directly from ehow and adding another step that I follow in my regular conditioner routine.

Step 1

After shampooing, squeeze your hair gently to remove the excess amount of water so that your hair can come into greater contact with the hair conditioner you are going to apply. Pour the conditioner to the palms and rub them before applying to your air. Apply the hair conditioner to the hair shaft and ends. If you have oily hair, apply to the ends only. You do not need to apply it to the roots of the hair as the roots already have its own sebum and you do not need to condition it.

Step 2

Use your fingers to detangle the hair, this would help you to spread the conditioner evenly. Some people also use a wide toothed comb but I am not comfortable with that. Combs and brushes tend to break the wet hair break easily. This is a personal preference.

Step 3

Generally, you have to leave the conditioners on the hair for 3 minutes before rinsing. Always follow the instructions on the packaging instructions for the time stated. Do not leave the hair conditioners for too long or too short for optimal result.

Step 4

Rinsing is another important step also. Always rinse off the hair conditioners with warm water completely and follow the directions on the packaging labels. Any residual conditioners can attract dust and thus resulting in an oily appearance.

I am using Dove Conditioner these days and I am pretty happy with it. I have used Pantene and Dabur Vatika’s Conditioner is past. Among the two, I would say Pantene’s Conditioner was  a better one.

5. Pat and Pamper

When damp, don’t rub your hair vigorously as excess friction can cause hair to break off! Pat gently with a towel.

6. Air Dry

Air dry your hair as much as you can. Keep the usage of blow dryer to the minimal. If you have to use a hairdryer, keep it slightly away from the hair, and use lower heat settings.

I follow this routine atleast twice a week. You may follow it as per your hair and scalp needs.

Have a happy head!