How To Wash Your Hair Properly: 8 Simple Steps To Longer, Stronger & Healthier Hair

Although washing our hair may seem like something that comes so naturally to us all, it could be that we’ve been doing it wrong our whole lives. Some specific techniques and processes can help to benefit your hair’s overall health and to stimulate growth, and luckily the experts at UKLASH are here to let us know what these are and how to wash our hair properly. 
In this article we will break down the hair cleansing and conditioning process into 8 simple steps and explain the do’s and don’ts for washing your hair - helping you to achieve longer, fuller and healthier-looking hair. 

How to Properly Wash Your Hair in 8 Simple Steps

1. Brush your hair
Brushing your hair before washing is a crucial part of the process. You should avoid brushing your hair whilst it’s wet as the protein bonds in your hair strands are weakened, making your hair more prone to breakage. So making sure your hair is free from tangles and knots before washing, whilst it is dry and the bonds in your hair are stronger, is an important first step in the cleansing process. It makes it easier to work your hands through your scalp and strands while washing, achieving a cleaner and fresher cleansing experience.

2. Soak on
Before applying any product, it is important to thoroughly soak your hair. This will start the cleansing process by beginning to wash away any dirt or build-up and preparing your hair for any products you are about to apply. 

Hair Washing Hack: Keep a cap on the water temperature! The water should be warm but not hot. A warm temperature can help to open up the pores on the scalp and remove daily build-up, however - make the water too hot and it has the potential to strip the hair strands of their natural oils, causing dryness and breakage.

3. Lather for length
To wash your hair correctly it is important to use a proactive Shampoo that will help to nourish and lengthen your hair, such as our UKHAIR Shampoo. Make sure not to overload your scalp and strands with product as this can lead to a greasy texture, especially if you are working with thin or fine hair. It’s best to squeeze a coin-sized amount of Shampoo into your hands, rubbing your palms together to lather the Shampoo before applying it to the scalp.

4. Indulge in a scalp massage
Indulging in a scalp massage whilst cleansing your scalp and strands can be a great way to remove any scalp build-up, helping to increase circulation and stimulate hair growth. Studies have shown that conducting a four-minute scalp massage, on wet or dry hair, daily for five months will result in thicker hair.
The best way to massage your scalp is by using either your fingertips or a scalp massager, applying light to medium pressure whilst moving in small circular motions to make sure you reach all areas of the scalp, repeating the process for around four minutes.

5. Rinse & repeat
One of the most vital parts of washing your hair is making sure you have washed away all the product from your scalp and strands. Again using warm water, make sure all areas of the scalp are cleansed and the water running from your hair is running clear with no soap suds. 

6. Condition the ends
After cleansing your hair and scalp, it is important to replenish and nourish your hair using a proactive conditioner. Our UKHAIR Conditioner is the perfect example of this as it combines Vitamin B5, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein and Coconut Water, as well as a string of other active ingredients and natural extracts, strengthening your hair to prevent breakage and resulting in thicker, fuller and healthier-looking hair. A top tip is to make sure you only apply conditioner to the mid-lengths and ends of your hair - applying conditioner to the scalp will just result in product build-up and may leave you with oily and greasy hair.

7. Hydrate with a Hair Mask
For added nourishment, we recommend treating your hair with a moisturising hair mask once a week. A hair mask is a more intensive conditioning treatment for your hair than a conditioner, which helps to target dry, damaged and brittle hair. Our UKHAIR Hair Mask is specially formulated with amino acids to nourish hair, whilst the addition of Avocado Oil helps to repair and strengthen to prevent future breakage. We recommend leaving your hair mask on for around five minutes to allow the treatment to work into the cuticles of your hair, providing optimum nourishment and strength to the strands.

8. Soak off
Now’s the time to make sure all of the product is washed out of your hair. As previously mentioned, you should make sure the water isn't too hot to avoid damaging the hair follicles, but it still needs to be warm enough to thoroughly cleanse the scalp and remove any leftover Shampoo, Conditioner or Hair Mask from the strands.

Hair Washing Hack: For those working with long or thick hair, who often find that their hair is left greasy directly after washing - try gently separating your hair into sections in the shower and rinsing each section separately to ensure you’re reaching every part of the hair on your head and cleansing through your luscious locks!

Do’s & Don’ts - Hair Washing Tips For Ultimate Growth

○ Do focus on the scalp - It’s the home where your hair grows and needs to be cared for. Make sure to remove any build-up and massage gently to improve circulation and encourage growth

○ Do Shampoo twice - This can help to make sure your hair is thoroughly cleansed and rejuvenated before moving on to conditioning the hair follicles

○ Do use proactive products - Using products packed with vitamins, nutrients and natural extracts, such as our Shampoo, Conditioner and Hair Mask will give your hair the best chance of growing healthier, bolder and stronger.

○ Don’t wash your hair every day - If your hair gets greasy fast, it could be that you’re washing your hair too frequently. We recommend washing your hair 2-3 times a week

○ Don’t be rough - As mentioned previously, your hair is more fragile when wet so make sure never to brush your hair in the shower and to be gentle with your strands and scalp

○ Don’t forget to condition - Your hair is most vulnerable when wet, making it the perfect time to penetrate the hair follicles using nourishing and conditioning ingredients such as those in our Conditioner and Hair Mask.