The secrets to great hair is a mystery beauty lovers have been trying to figure out time immemorial.
While everyone's tresses and needs are different, much of the advice out there can be conflicting. But, ultimately, the end goal is a head of hair so strong, healthy, and glossy that it inspires jealousy.
One hair care expert has set out to bust some myths on how to keep our hair as healthy as it can be. Speaking to The Mirror, Susie Hammond, a trichologist at the Philip Kingsley Clinic in London, says there is a grim reason we should be washing our hair every day.
She explains: "There are lots of common mistakes we can make with our hair and scalp care that can have a huge impact on how our hair health performs and one of the most common myths is that we don't need to shampoo frequently and I'd like to bust that right now, washing your hair every day or every other day is what we advocate at Philip Kingsley."
One common refrain is that washing your hair daily is bad as it'll dry out, but Susie says that's not an issue.
"It's not true that washing your hair too often will dry it out, your hair is taking hydration from the water and from the atmosphere around it," Susie said.
"Don't forget that your scalp is skin, like anywhere else on the body and we're shedding skin cells all the time, and the only way of removing those as well as environmental dirt and sweat is to have a really good shampoo."
Susie says there is an important sanitary reason to wash so frequently - and it has to do with the yeast living on our scalps.
The trichologist said: "All of that dirt is collecting on the scalp and as it's a lipid-rich humid environment up there we have yeasts that live naturally and healthily on our scalps. These can overgrow and trigger dandruff, so we want to keep that scalp environment clear and the only way to do this is to have a thorough shampoo."
And if all of that weren't enough, she continued to say how sebum, an oily substance produced by sebaceous glands, also collects on the scalp and can make your head 'smelly'.
"Sebum collecting on the scalp can make the hair look lank and limp and it can also make your scalp a bit smelly as well," Hammond claimed.
In order to avoid this, you'll want to ensure you're giving your hair and scalp a proper wash.
The expert has explained the best way to do this: "When you're shampooing, don't just rub your hands roughly over the top of your head and hair, really get your fingers in under the hair and massage, lathering up the shampoo to help loosen up any of those skin cells and get a nice thorough cleanse," she explained.
"Be sure to apply conditioner every time you wash your hair as well. It's not a question of 'my hair is too fine and conditioner is too heavy for my hair', we can always find a conditioner that's suitable for your hair type as it's really important to use it every time as it helps close the cuticle on the outside of the hair shaft and protect the inner cortex of the hair and helps it to hold hydration.
"Keep a wide-tooth comb in the shower and comb your conditioner through to get any tangles out more kindly and you'll get a more even distribution of conditioner this way as well. Then rinse it off and job is done."
However, she also warned people to be careful when towel drying their hair after a wash, saying that rubbing it with a towel is an error.
"You should be blotting and squeezing with the towel and try and avoid rubbing as this is much kinder to the hair," Hammond added.
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