Tips on shampooing and conditioning

1. It is important to wash your hair because shampooing removes dirt, dead skin cells, hair oils and hair products. How often? The general rule is: for oily hair you should wash every day or every other day and for dry hair only wash 2-3 times a week.

2. Buy shampoos & conditioners that match your hair type, trial and error is the best way to find out what specific hair product is best for your hair. Try rotating the shampoo and conditioner periodically, your hair responds differently to different products.

3. Shower with warm water only, hot water can dry or irritate the scalp.

4. When shampooing, rinse your hair before applying any shampoo to remove any dust and dirt, then apply the shampoo onto your scalp and massage it gently with your finger tips and work your way outwards. After you are done make sure that you thoroughly rinse your hair to remove any shampoo residue that may be left. Shampoo residue may dry your scalp/hair and attract dirt. It is recommended that you only lather once to avoid drying your hair out, if you have oily hair, lathering again may stimulate your oil glands to create even more oil than normal.

5. Use a conditioner after shampooing, it'll moisturize your hair, give it extra protection, add shine, reduce static, and makes it easier to untangle. Try to spread conditioner evenly through out your hair and leave it in for a couple of minutes before rinsing your hair. Apply conditioner at about an inch away from the scalp, the roots of your hair contain the most oils and usually don't need the extra conditioning.

6. Use a leave in conditioner, it'll hydrate and protect your hair. A leave in conditioner on your hair is the equivalent of moisturizer on your face.

7. Be gentle when shampooing and conditioning, don't use excessive force to rub your hair or scratch your scalp, remember hair is the most vulnerable when wet.

Find the hair style which fits you

The way you do your hair must flatter your face and enhance your best features. Not all hairstyle will look good on you unless it fits the shape of your face. Let's look at the different hairstyles that are considered most flattering for each shape of face.

An oval face. Congratulations! You got the perfect shape because almost any hairstyle will go with oval. You will do well with having layers near your chin or cheekbones to draw attention to them. However, try to avoid hairstyles that add volumes to the top of your head, it will make your face look longer.

A long face. If you have a long face, you should create the illusion of width to balance it out. You can add width to your face by doing your hair with long, side-swept bangs or chin-length bobs, curls and waves that frame the face. Avoid letting your hair grow extremely long or having your hair cut extremely short. Such extreme hairstyles will take the width from your face and emphasize its length.

A round face. People with round faces need to take some of the width and bulk off by adding length. If your face is round you need to create the illusion of length by having your hair cut just below your chin, or in graduated layers. Do not do your hair in short, one-length, blunt cuts, as it will only draw attention to the roundness of your face.

A square face. Having a square face means having an angular jaw. The hairstyle trick with having a square face is drawing attention away from that jaw. This is done by putting texture to your hair. Short curls do exactly this, as well as long layers that start just below the jawline. Avoid having your hair cut in one-length bobs or wear bangs that are cut bluntly. It will only emphasize the squareness of your face.

A heart-shaped face. If you have a heart-shaped face, you could bring focus to your eyes by wearing side-swept bangs, a fringe on your brow or long layers at the top. Or you could let your hair grow and have it done with layers that touch your cheekbones.