I’m a hairdresser – there’s 10 common mistakes people make when washing their hair, which are you guilty of?

DO you shampoo your hair once when washing it? Then you’re making one of the most common hair washing mistakes, according to Jay Hogan, Melanie Smith, and Katherine De Rozario, expert colourists at Josh Wood Colour. The trio talked to Express.co.uk about commonly made errors, including how often the hair is washed.  “Aim to wash […]

DO you shampoo your hair once when washing it?

Then you’re making one of the most common hair washing mistakes, according to Jay Hogan, Melanie Smith, and Katherine De Rozario, expert colourists at Josh Wood Colour.

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Are you guilty of making one or more of these common hair washing mistakes?[/caption]

The trio talked to Express.co.uk about commonly made errors, including how often the hair is washed.

 “Aim to wash your hair less, as this lets your scalp adjust and only produce the necessary amount of oil,” they explained.

“It may take a while to get used to if you’re a serial daily hair washer, so find what works with your hair.”

If you have fine hair, the recommendation is to wash it around every two to three days, while people with thicker hair can go up to five days without shampooing.

Speaking of shampoo, it’s very important to choose a good quality product that’s free of sulphates and parabens.

“These ingredients make the shampoo lather, which is satisfying and something we’ve been conditioned to associate with ‘clean hair’, but they also dry out the hair and make the colour fade,” they warned.

“The lathering effect caused by shampoos with these ingredients strip the hair more than it needs to be, which can lead to grease due to overproduction of oil.”

And once you’ve chosen your shampoo, use it twice when you wash your hair.

“The first rinse simply gets rid of grease and dirt, something any shampoo can do,” the colourists explained.

“The secondary wash gives you the results you’ve bought the shampoo for.

“For example, if you buy a moisturising shampoo, it cleans on the first wash, but only deposits the moisturising properties on the second.”

And don’t use too much shampoo either – a 50p sized amount should be sufficient – and it should be lathered in your hands rather than on your hair.

Once the shampoo is applied to the hair, take some time to give yourself a scalp massage.

“Use your fingertips and work firmly in circular motions across the scalp,” they advised.

“Avoid using your nails or being too aggressive. Minimum pressure is best.”

Then, lift up the hair to expose the underneath sections.

“By dealing with your hair in two sections, you can really get a deep clean,” they said.

“You should then repeat the entire process but use slightly less shampoo and lathering.”

In terms of other products, make sure you have a decent conditioner, but don’t apply too much.

Squeeze excess water out of the locks before applying, and concentrate the conditioner on the ends of the hair.

And consider adding a hair mask to your weekly haircare regime.

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“Gently squeeze your hair with a towel before applying it to avoid it being diluted and leave it on for ten minutes,” they added.

“Get into the habit of using a mask once a week for added shine.”

To conclude the washing process, give your hair another final rinse with cold water.

“If you don’t rinse properly, your hair will be flat and lifeless and feel coated,” they said.

“A shot of cold water will close the cuticle.”

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Use cold water to give your hair a final rinse before you finish the washing process[/caption]

If you live in a hard water area, you should think about perhaps rinsing your hair in sparkling water.

But this doesn’t have to be quite as decadent as it sounds.

“Supermarket own brand is fine,” the experts said.

“The carbon dioxide in the water lifts the mineral deposit from the scalp and hair, leaving it glossy and free from build-up.”

And for the final piece of advice, the trio explained that you should avoid using a towel to dry the hair – use a microfibre hair turban instead to reduce frizz and damage.

In other hair news, this woman’s highlights are so bad that they look like they’ve been drawn on.

Try this magic formula to see if you’d suit short hair.

And run to Primark to grab the store’s £2.50 heatless curlers.