How Do You Choose The Right Hair Products?
When it comes to understanding a medical or scientific advancement, our first instinct is to read or listen to a report from a reputable source. However, when it comes to choosing hair products, we tend to maybe ask a friend what they use or go on YouTube to see what others are using. Rarely do we think to speak to an expert about the science behind what we put on our heads. Since hair care products are such a normal part of our everyday lives, it's easy to forget that beauty products are a type of technology that is backed by research and science.
The research that goes into formulating and designing these hair products is usually conducted by cosmetic scientists. A team of scientists who understand hair and how ingredients influence hair perform extreme, cutting-edge research to make the hair care products we buy. Despite all the hair care products that are so cleverly marketed to us, most of us are still struggling to find the right products for our hair.
In this article, we'll go through the various types of hair products out there and what to focus on when choosing the right ones for your hair profile.
FIRSTLY, WHAT IS HAIR?
If you took a microscope and had a look at your scalp you would see tiny holes (or “pores'') in your skin called follicles. A follicle is a sac-like pit in the dermis layer (second layer) of the skin which grows your hair by packing old cells together. Your hair starts to grow from the bottom of the follicle called the hair bulb which contains arteries that nourishes the root of the hair. As the cells multiply, the hair grows and gets pushed up through the skin before reaching the outermost layer of the skin (epidermis layer). This process is called keratinisation which forms the hair you can see on your head known as the hair shaft (aka hair strand), made up of 3 layers - a cuticle layer, a cortex and a medulla. How quickly or slowly your hair grows and sheds is determined by your growth cycle . Once the hair is at the skin's surface, the cells within the strand of hair aren't alive anymore which is why you can get a haircut and not feel any pain, at least not physically.
HOW DO HAIR PRODUCTS AFFECT MY HAIR?
When it comes to hair products, the cuticle layer is the main part of the hair shaft that is affected by the product. The cuticle layer allows moisture to enter and exit the cortex and medulla while shielding them from harmful environmental agents. When the cuticle is damaged or severely opened, the inner layers are unable to maintain their moisture balance and suffer from dehydration, potentially resulting in damage and breakage. Since hair strands are dead cells, no product can "heal" the damage done to the hair. All the products can do is coat the strand to change the appearance or manageability of the hair as it grows out based on the product's formulation and application.
So let’s talk about these products, shall we.
Shampoo
The main purpose of a shampoo is to extract dirt and oil from the surface of the hair shaft as well as the scalp. Shampoos typically have a primary and secondary surfactant for thorough cleaning, as well as a solvent, conditioning agents, a viscosity builder, pH adjusters, shelf life stabilisers, and other non-essential ingredients like colourants and fragrances.
There are typically three types of shampoos:
Clarifying Shampoo - Deep-cleans the hair and scalp to remove excess sebum, oil and impurities. It often contains purifying or exfoliating ingredients and is applied very in-frequently.
Medicated Shampoo - Contains specific ingredients such as coal tar, salicylic acid or steroids that help with mild to moderate scalp concerns such as flaking, redness, and itching. These are usually prescribed by a doctor or hair specialist as they can be harsh if misused.
Cleansing Shampoo - Gently cleanses the hair shaft and scalp to remove environmental dirt and sebum whilst leaving a thin layer of oils, silicones and other conditioning agents as a thin protective layer.
One of the difficulties in selecting the proper shampoo is that most of us have no idea what kind of hair we have or what our hair needs from a shampoo. While a low-cost shampoo will possibly clean your hair just as well as a salon-quality shampoo, low-cost shampoo also only offers a temporary, short-term cleansing that is often too harsh for certain hair types or contain very small quantities of the high-grade ingredients found in salon-quality or prescribed shampoo. The type of shampoo you choose should be based on your hair and scalp's needs at that time.
Conditioner
The main purpose of a conditioner is to make the hair smooth enough to comb by providing a temporary microscopically thin protective film on the hair shaft. Conditioners usually contain additives like silicones or cationic polymers to improve shine, soften hair and reduce static electricity, as well as bridging agents to increase absorption and some cleansing agents. Similar to shampoo, conditioners also contain viscosity builders, pH adjusters and other non-essential ingredients like colour and fragrance.
There are typically three types of conditioners:
Rinse-out Conditioner - Treats the outside surface of the hair cuticles to smoothen and protect hair from damage by heat appliances and aid in detangling hair. It is usually applied after shampooing.
Deep Conditioner - Adds moisture to dry or damaged hair to restore its elasticity. It is usually applied after shampooing and left for 10 - 30 minutes under a shower cap or heated cap before rinsing out.
Leave-in Conditioner - A very thin, light-weight conditioner designed to moisturise and protect hair quickly and easily on the go. It is usually applied like a styling product on wet or dry hair.
Leaving a conditioner on your hair for 10 minutes or 30 minutes will likely give you the same results if the product is highly concentrated with high-grade ingredients. Once the conditioner has been distributed eventually on your hair, your hair has absorbed as much product as it can. Leaving it on for long periods than is advised on the bottle is more often a convenience for you rather than a necessity for your hair. The type of conditioner you choose should be based on your hair's needs at that time and the quality of the ingredients.
Hair Treatment
Most people confuse treatments with conditioners because more often than not the term “conditioner” is used to describe products that strengthen and moisturise hair; however the two are very different. True conditioners affect the surface of your hair as described above, whereas treatments penetrate the hair to reconstruct the bonds in order to maintain internal strength, straighten or curl the hair strand or change its colour. Conditioners are typically used after any shampoo, while treatments are used by you or a professional hairdresser to address specific hair concerns.
There are typically three types of hair treatments:
Pre-Shampoo Treatment - The process of applying a treatment to your hair before the actual shampoo process to provide dry, tangled and damaged hair with a protective layer and reduce loss of moisture.
Protein Treatment - Binds proteins to the cuticle layer of the hair strands to strengthen the natural hair so it doesn't break-off easily, making it less likely to get damaged hair.
Chemical Treatment - Chemicals used to break disulphide bonds in the hair structure to alter its appearance either permanently, like relaxers, perms or colouring, or temporarily like keratin treatments.
It’s easy to get confused between hair treatments and hair mask (or masque) because the two terms are often used interchangeably depending on the brand. One brand might rebrand a deep conditioner as a ‘hair mask’ whilst another brand might provide a specially formulated protein treatment for strengthening the hair branded as a “hair mask”. The type of hair treatment you choose should be based on your hair's current condition and the experience of the person providing the treatment.
Sealants
Hair is largely hygroscopic meaning it is able to exchange water molecules with the air around it as well as collect dirt and other debris from the environment due to the structure of the cuticle layer. When the outer surface (cuticle) of the hair cracks and frays, moisture evaporates from the inside of the hair (the cortex and medulla) leaving hair dehydrated and prone to breakage. By sealing the hair strands you are “closing” the cuticle layer thus helping to slow down the absorption and evaporation process that your hair has with the environment and styling tools.
There are three types of products that are generally used to seal hair:
Oils - Hair oils have a film effect and adsorb to the surface of the cuticle enhancing shine and diminishing friction by increasing lubrication of the shaft to help reduce breakage. Some oils can penetrate the cuticles to replace the lipids in the hair.
Natural Gels - Hair gels bind with hair to strengthen it by adhering to damaged areas and smoothening the hair cuticle which boosts shine and reduces breakage.
Serums - Silicon-based styling products that coat the outside of the hair shaft to reduce damage caused by brushing and combing or heat from styling tools and UV rays.
Reducing moisture loss helps keep hair hydrated and improve elasticity which also helps protect from damage. Keep in mind that hair oils, butters and gels will not hydrate your hair but simply help to keep the moisture you already have in your hair locked in. As for heat protectants, they only reduce the amount of damage caused by heat styling, they can’t completely protect your hair from heat. The type of sealant you choose should be based on your styling needs and the environment which your hair is often exposed to.
Styling
A styling product works by creating a film on the hair shaft to create a physical connection between adjacent strands, allowing them to stay in place. There are a number of styling products that can be used to achieve various styles. From hairsprays and mooses to pomades, brushes and heated tools. The type of styling product you choose should be based on your hair profile, it’s condition, the style you want and the environment in which you wish to maintain your hairstyle.
There are a lot of products out there. While everyone's hair is made of exactly the same stuff, the way it behaves varies from person to person.
WHAT DO I DO NOW
Now that you have an idea of the different types of products out there, book your consultation with one of our certified hair experts. Get a personalised regimen consisting of highly effective product recommendations to solve your hair and scalp concerns. Let us help you discover the expert hair care advice you need to get the healthy hair you want.