Hair Care 101: 12-15 years old Shampoo & Conditioning

At this stage I recommend your child to be involved in their own hair care. We want to empower everyone with knowledge and confidence. There is no greater confidence than being able to manage your own hair in it's natural state.  So young/pre adult, read it all the way to the end first. Then read it again to retain. Then read it step by step. You got this. It's just hair. You should wash your hair according to how much oil you produce and product you use. The more oil close to every other day. Less oil at least once every two weeks. Use the same scale for hair product used after shampooing and conditioning. 

Step 1: Detangle

Detangle your hair first before washing. This will help to have an easier go at washing. I suggest a leave-in conditioner, wooden wide tooth comb, and water spray bottle. Spray hair with leave-in and follow up with water. Start to finger detangle at the bottom of the hair (not by the scalp, the ends). Then follow up with a wide tooth wooden comb and detangle from bottom to top. Using wooden combs help to reduce the friction and snags. As you detangle you can put your hair in two strand twists to separate and keep out the way.

Step 2: Massage Scalp 

Massage around the edges of your hair, the temples, and move into the crown. This is to get blood flowing to stimulate hair growth. Then do a light scratch across your scalp. This is to break up any dead skin and product that may exist on your scalp. 

Step 3: Clarifying Shampoo

This is your opportunity to take your hair down to the base. It will help to remove product build up that a regular shampoo does not do. Run warm water over detangled hair while taking down the twists. Take hair clips and part hair ear to ear in medium/small sections. Take clarifying shampoo and apply to scalp part and then to hair from base to end. Repeat this across your medium/small sections until you have done your entire head. Now work clarifying shampoo in massaging the scalp and cleansing base to end. Let sit for 3 minutes. Rinse out thoroughly with warm water.

(You might have to do this more then once. You will feel it when its clean and the lather will be big)

Step 4: Moisturizing Shampoo 

This step we are all familiar with. You will shampoo hair as normal with moisturizing shampoo. If you did step 3 correctly you will use little product and see a big lather. Some shampoos might not say this but I recommend leaving the shampoo on for 5 minutes while combing through the shampoo using the wide tooth wooden comb. Then rinse out thoroughly with warm water.

Step 5: Conditioning

This step we take conditioner and lather into hair. Leave this on per the bottle instructions. Rinse out thoroughly with cold water.

Step 5A: Deep Conditioning

If your hair is lacking moisture you can do step 5 but do not rinse just yet. Place shower cap over hair and sit under hooded hair dryer or hand/hood connection for 15 minutes under medium/high heat. Then remove shower cap and rinse out thoroughly with cold water. I would suggest deep conditioning once every two weeks.

Step 6: Leave-In Conditioning

Towel dry hair to damp. Spray in leave-in conditioner and style as desired

See it wasn't that bad. We got through it. Next blog will be treatments. Why, When, and How. 

*Bonus knowledge. Always detangle hair when damp/wet. Dry detangle will cause damage*

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Thank you,

M2GH