Determining hair care just on hair type is a little simple. What we really should say is determining hair care based on your personal hair system because your entire system is involved from the root beneath the surface, the sebaceous glands through the skin, down the shaft, to the very tip. You’ll want to develop a routine that supports the whole system. This is our recommendation for formulating a regular healthy hair care routine that will compliment your scalp and hair. The 4 steps are Groom, Cleanse, Condition, and Style. But how and when you do these steps is informed by your Scalp Surface, Strand Structure, Porosity, and Hair Texture.
To get a deeper understanding of what your natural system is like, try changing your existing routine and challenge the norm by switching to a ‘Noo Poo’ method for a week or so. Ditch all your styling products for just a short time to re-wild your hair system. It’s not required, but it would be an interesting experiment for you. Read this article if you are looking for answers to common hair challenges .
Scalp Surface
The first step is to determine what your natural scalp condition is and how that may inform your routine. When you are determining which scalp type you have, remember to focus oily on the scalp surface and not the hair. For example you could have dry split ends and an oily scalp. To determine which scalp type you have just notice how your scalp feels a couple of days after washing. Notice I said days after. You need to give your scalp a chance to do what it does naturally. Each time you wash, you strip your scalp and your hair.
One thing that is universal no matter what your hair type and scalp condition is you only need to wash your hair once or twice a week. And when you do wash, wash your hair through twice (first time for your debris second time is for your scalp)and generously rinse clear. For the best hair health, you want to make sure your scalp is clean and debris free and the pores are not clogged.
- Dry –
- Groom – Start the day waking up the scalp and end the day encouraging circulation and stimulating glands with a nice gentle brushing. Use soft brushes, wide toothed combs or hair picks to prevent tugging on scalp. Never brush, comb, or pic dry hair. Lightly moisten with a Hair Hydro or plain water first.
- Cleanse – Once a week with an Organic Shampoo. In between you could rinse with plain water or use our finishing rinse to refresh your hair and scalp.
- Condition – Deep conditioning with rich oils once a week and moisture locking Hair Gel as many times as you need during the week. A hair mask or steam treatment once a week may also provide relief.
- Style – Air dry or use cooler setting on hair dryer. Adopt a hair style that doe not require frequent brushing or combing through the day.
- Normal –
- Groom – Everyone should start the day with a good groom. Brushing or combing your hair even before you hop in a shower, is a great way to get the scalp stimulated. Never brush, comb, or pic dry hair. Lightly moisten with a Hair Hydro or plain water first.
- Cleanse – Once or twice a week with an Organic Shampoo.
- Condition – Condition as the climate or your needs dictate. Once a week I use the Très Spa Hair Gel and that does the trick. In the winter I may do one or two Hair Oil treatment
- Style – Air drying is best for healthy hair but your scalp can tolerate some heat and is not overly sensitive to brush types and combs.
- Oily –
- Groom – When you groom your hair think in terms of stimulating your scalp without irritating it so start with either a pic or a wide toothed comb. You also may want to adopt a lighter touch so you don’t end up pulling oil down your hair shaft. Try not to groom to often. Never brush, comb, or pic dry hair. Lightly moisten with a Hair Hydro or plain water first.
- Cleanse – Twice a week with an Organic Shampoo.
- Condition – Water based conditioning that wont clog pores or cause oily build up would be the best solution. The Très Spa natural Hair Gel helps lock in moisture and is oil free.
- Style – Air drying is always best but if you need to use a dryer, keep to the cooler settings. Heat triggers sweating which may trigger the sebaceous glands.
Hair Strand Structure
The thickness of your hair can indicate it’s ability to hold a style or how it will handle products. Strand size has no impact on your routine for cleansing and only a little impact on your conditioning and styling. They way to determine how thick your strands are is fairly easy to do. Take a piece of sewing thread and lay it next to a strand of your hair. If your hair is smaller and barely visible, it’s fine. If it matches size, your medium and if it is larger then you have thick strands.
- Fine – Chief characteristic complaint is that you can’t get it to do anything and everything makes it go flat.
- Groom – Brushes tend to get better coverage for fine hair. Follow what your hair texture and scalp needs.
- Cleanse – Follow what your scalp needs
- Condition – Stay away from things that may weigh your hair down. Water based conditioning that wont clog pores or cause oily build up would be the best solution. The Très Spa natural Hair Gel helps lock in moisture and is oil free.
- Style – Fine hair has a hard time holding a style imposed by curling, blow drying, and even ironing. If you have a special occasion that requires every hair in a particular place, you’ll need extra support. You could try doubling up on our natural water based Hair Gel.
- Medium – I can’t say that I have ever really heard any complaints about medium strand thickness. It’s the most agreeable strand dimension.
- Groom – Follow what your hair texture and scalp needs.
- Cleanse – Follow what your scalp needs
- Condition – There really is no right or wrong here, follow what your scalp needs.
- Style – You can do just about anything you want.
- Thick – Thick or coarse hair complaints are usually about how difficult it is to exert control and harness
- Groom – Follow what your hair texture and scalp needs
- Cleanse – Follow what your scalp needs
- Condition – Don’t let the dimension of your hair convince you you need more conditioning, it’s not true.
- Style – Thick coarse hair really can hold a style like no other as long as you can get it too do what you want. It can handle a bit of heat without wilting so break out the hot rollers, curly, and flat irons.
Porosity
A persons porosity has to do with the porous nature of the cuticle covering your hair. The cuticle is composed of cells stacked like tiles over the hair follicle. It starts in the root and extends all the way over the tip to protect the hair fiber. The level of porosity is inherited but it may change over time. Changes can happen from a number of factors from over use of hair care products to chemical treatments and even environmental impact.
You can easily detect how porous your hair is by taking a couple of strands and floating them in a cup of water. Give it a minute or two and if it floats, then you have low porosity. If your strand sinks to the bottom like a rock then you have highly porous hair. If your hair is anywhere in-between then you have balanced hair. Lucky you!
- High Porosity – High Porosity has large gaps in the cuticle and readily absorbs moisture. It also releases moisture rapidly which can leave the hair very dry and brittle and more pron to breaking.
- Groom – Don’t overdo it here. With hair that is on the edge of fragile, you really don’t want to tug and pull at it with excessive grooming.
- Cleanse – Follow what your scalp needs
- Condition – Yes please! You want to make sure you are feeding your highly porous hair with enough munition to give it a fighting chance. Leave in conditioning is key here. Deep conditioning with rich oils once a week and moisture locking Hair Gel as many times as you need during the week. A hair mask or steam treatment once a week may also provide relief.
- Style – Avoid styling practices that further dry your hair or rob it of any defenses. I’m always going to suggest air drying but I know some of you use blow dryers. Just keep it cool.
- Balanced Porosity – This is the easiest porosity to manage. It is just the right amount of protection with the right amount of allowance to take in external moisture.
- Groom – Follow what your hair texture and scalp needs.
- Cleanse – Follow what your scalp needs.
- Condition – Follow what your scalp needs.
- Style – While this porosity can handle just about any treatment you want to toss at it, over time and with too much processing, you may cause damage
- Low Porosity – This hair has a very tightly layered cuticle and the overlapping scales blocks external moisture from getting in. Low porosity hair has a signature high shine to it. It is considered to be the healthiest version.
- Groom – Follow what your hair texture and scalp needs.
- Cleanse – Follow what your scalp needs.
- Condition – Follow what your scalp needs but make sure you are using a leave in conditioning product that will help lock in moisture like our natural Hair Gel that will not build up on the hair and clog pores.
- Style – It is more resilient to chemicals (not that you would ever use chemicals) so you may need to add a bit of heat to help open the cuticle.
Hair Texture
Texture is pretty easy to detect. Just take a look at your hair after you let it air dry. Your locks will fall into one of these categories.
- Straight –
- Groom – You can use just about any brush or comb for this type of hair. Never brush, comb, or pic dry hair. Lightly moisten with a Hair Hydro or plain water first.
- Cleanse – Follow what your scalp needs.
- Condition – Follow what your scalp needs. If you feel the need to condition then use a water based product that is lighter once a week with a moisture locking Hair Gel should work fine.
- Style – Straight hair is pretty determined to be straight hair so beyond a brilliant cut there isn’t much you need to do.
- Wavy –
- Groom – You can use just about any brush or comb for this type of hair. Never brush, comb, or pic dry hair. Lightly moisten with a Hair Hydro or plain water first.
- Cleanse – Follow what your scalp needs.
- Condition – Follow what your scalp needs. If you feel the need to condition then use a water based product that is lighter once a week with a moisture locking Hair Gel should work fine. This will help keep the moisture locked in and keep frizz from happening.
- Style – Avoid too much heat as this can create a drying trend and rob your hair of valuable nutrients. If wavy hair gets overworked it can easily turn frizzy.
- Curly –
- Groom – Over grooming can cause damage to those curly locks so be gentle. Use fingers then pic then comb. Never brush, comb, or pic dry hair. Lightly moisten with a Hair Hydro or plain water first.
- Cleanse – Follow what your scalp needs .
- Condition – Weekly hair masks and steam treatments with organic hair oils could give you the level of moisturizing you need. Keep your ends conditioned and protected. For leave in without oily build up we recommend the Très Spa natural Hair Gel. This will help wrap a protective layer around your hair and seal in moisture.
- Style – Avoid heat and only use a diffuser to blow dry. Best to let your hair air dry and use your fingers to gently set your curls in place.
- Coily to Kinky –
- Groom – Never brush, comb, or pic dry hair. Lightly moisten with a Hair Hydro or plain water first.
- Cleanse – Use of a hair mask before washing may be beneficial. Definitely try to keep washing to once a week.
- Condition – Highly textured hair requires extra attention and with all the twists and turns, you may find leave in conditioners to be a life saver. Weekly hair masks and steam treatments with organic hair oils could give you the level of moisturizing you need. Keep your ends conditioned and protected. For leave in without oily build up we recommend the Très Spa natural Hair Gel. This will help wrap a protective layer around your hair and seal in moisture.
- Style – Avoid heat and only use a diffuser to blow dry. Best to let your hair air dry and use your fingers to gently set your curls in place.
We are not your Doctor
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