Combination hair is tricky to deal: greasy roots and dry tips each require pretty specialist treatment, and finding a product that effectively manages to deal with both is a bit of a nightmare. There’s no need to take the clippers to your scalp though: experts tell us there are several solutions. To help you to deal with your difficult tresses, I’ve done some research and put together a list of 7 ways to handle combination hair.
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1. Choose Wisely
As I’ve mentioned, finding the right products to deal with your combination hair is no easy task. You may be tempted to buy both shampoos designed to treat oiliness and those directed at dry, breakable tresses and, unfortunately, neither will do your hair much good. Shampoos for combination hair are available, but not every one is particularly effective. Experts suggest we stick to gentle products that will neither strip the hair of its oils not weight it down with greasy residue.
2. Develop a Washing Strategy
Instead of simply applying the shampoo to your entire head, make sure you concentrate your attention on working the lather through the roots of your hair. This will help to control greasiness close to your scalp, but won’t risk divesting your fragile ends of the little moisture they have. The opposite strategy should be adopted when conditioning: here you should apply the product to the ends and don’t focus on the roots.
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3. Get the Temperature Right
When you shower, hair dressers stress the dangers of hot water. High temperatures can really damage hair, causing it to become weak and brittle. To protect your dry ends, remember to rinse your locks in water that’s luke-warm, and to blast them with a burst from the cold faucet just before getting out. This helps to close down the hair’s cuticle, locking in moisture and boosting shine.
4. Trim Regularly
Breakage is one of the real problems with combination hair. The fragile ends simply snap off if they’re handled too roughly and this makes it difficult to grow your locks into a longer style. Hair dressers suggest frequent trimming as a solution. While this might seem a little counter-intuitive (cutting hair off to make it grow?!) the logic here is actually sound. Dry, brittle ends tend to split up the length of the hair, weakening the entire structure of the strand and encouraging it to snap closer to the scalp. Getting rid of these damaged extremities via trimming is thus a good way to keep the body of hair strong and intact.
5. Dry Shampoo
There are a few of these on the market at the moment and they’re sold as a quick fix for greasy hair when you haven’t time to wash it properly. Every so often, if you think the ends of your combination locks are looking particularly delicate, you might want to consider skipping the full on ‘wet wash’ in favour of this quicker, moisture free alternative. Protect you hair with a shower cap in the shower and when you get out, work some of the dry product through the roots. This gets rid of the grease close to your scalp without stripping the fragile ends of their essential natural oils.
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6. Rethink You Colour Care
Often, combination hair is a result of over dying. If you have coloured or highlighted locks, it’s important that you take steps to ensure they doesn’t become dehydrated. DIY dye girls: consider visiting the salon for your next colour application, and be sure to get yourself a few good maintenance products while you’re there.
7. Leave in Products
While an all over conditioner may result in aggravating the oiliness of your roots, a leave in product applied only to the ends of your help will not. Find a protein rich product: this should help to strengthen and protect your damaged ends.
Tresses that are both greasy and dry are notoriously difficult to treat. Your care routine needs to involve a careful selection of products, new washing habits and regular visits to the salon. Hopefully, my list of 7 ways to handle combination hair has helped to point you in the direction of healthy, even locks; do you have any tips to add to it?
Top Photo Credit: _Tophee_
