Rebel Stylist GR

A lot of trial and error can go into finding the right wash routine for you. Different hair has different needs and therefore needs to be treated in drastically different ways. As a hairdresser, this is how I take care of my hair, and is a pretty good starting place for most hair types.

1. One wash per week
   • But I don’t wanna be DiRtY. I know, I get it. Shampoo companies have convinced us that our hair should be silky-smooth and slippery every night before bed. WRONG. The stuff that comes out of your scalp (oil, sweat, ect) comes out of your scalp because it is GOOD for your hair. This is called sebum and it is supposed to coat your hair naturally. Sebum keeps your hair strong, healthy, and naturally shiny. Many people think that if they don’t wash their hair frequently, the sebum will make their hair look greasy. This is typically due to overwashing. When you wash your hair frequently, you trick your scalp into thinking that it has only one day to coat your hair in sebum, and causes an overproduction in sebum that presents as greasy hair.
   • How do I break the over-washing habit?
     1. Pick a weekend where you can be greasy and don’t have to see anyone.
     2. Have your last wash for the week be Friday night
     3. Wash next on Monday morning. These 48 hours will begin the communication to your scalp that it doesn’t need to produce sebum as quickly as before
     4. The following week, try to have your final wash for the week on Thursday (rock a high bun and some dry shampoo on Friday!)
     5. Using this pattern, slowly phase out washes from your routine until you’re washing only once or twice a week.
2. Shampoo
   • Shampoo choices are very specialized. Consult with your hair stylist to see what shampoo is right for you!
   • I currently have no color in my hair, so I am using Amika Normcore Shampoo.
   • How much shampoo do I use? Great question. If you have long hair, pretend to put your hair in a ponytail; however big around your ponytail is, that is how much shampoo you should be putting in your hair. If you have a pixie or a fade, start with about an almond-size amount and adjust for thickness.
   • Put the shampoo in your wet hands and rub water into the shampoo until you get a good lather going and see some suds forming.
   • Apply shampoo to your hair using your fingertips to massage your scalp
3. Shampoo
   • Um, you made a typo and wrote “shampoo” twice
   • WRONG
   • I actually shampoo my hair twice every time I wash my hair. If I’m only gonna do it once per week, I wanna do it thoroughly.
4. Conditioner
   • After shampooing, I will apply a generous amount of conditioner (I like to SATURATE my hair) to the ends of my hair, and gently work any tangles out with my fingers.
   • If I’m in the shower on a non-shampoo day and feeling a little greasy, I put my conditioner in my hair just like shampoo: using my fingertips to massage my scalp (I recommend Fatboy conditioner for this. It’s got a bit of a minty tingle that makes me feel clean). This will move any sebum or product that has gotten a little weird, make you feel soft & clean, but not actually strip the sebum from your hair the way shampoo does.
5. Hair Mask
   1. Once or twice a month, I do a hair mask. Currently, I use Amika’s Soulfood mask for nourishment.
   2. Before you get in the shower, on DRY HAIR, SATURATE the hair with hair mask.
   3. Give your hair a few minutes to soak in the mask. Drink a glass of wine, call your mom, play a videogame, brush your teeth… ect.
   4. Get in the shower and SHAMPOO AND CONDITION your hair as normal.
   5. You will have hair so soft that your cat will be jealous.
6. Boar Bristle Brush
   • These natural-bristled brushes hearken back to the days when it was commonplace to “brush your hair a hundred strokes a day.” The natural bristles not only detangle, but re-distribute sebum throughout the hair to prevent an overly-greasy look.

Not every hair routine is for every person. Add your own spin to this routine and do research into how people with similar hair to you wash their hair. Ask your stylist! I am always happy to help my clients personalize their haircare routines, because I want you looking your best all the time!

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