Conditioning comes before everything after that comes the cut, then the "'colour. But if you don't have hair that's in perfect condition the last two don't mean a thing. Strong words, but ones that underline today's all out emphasis on an unstructured beauty that radiates health and fitness. Conditioning, more than a mere after thought, begins the moment you wash your hair. These days this is a more subtle procedure than just shampooing up a storm of bubbles. To begin with, resist the urge to pick up any old jumbo sized brand of cheap shampoo that catches your eye amongst the washing powders and scouring agents at the supermarket. Invest instead in proteinenriched, pH balanced shampoos which cleanse hair and scalp gently instead of stripping them abrasively of oils and moisture.



Frequent shampooing with a harsh alkaline detergent product is the fastest way to loosen and rough up the outer scaly layer of your hair the 'cuticle' encouraging split ends and general dryness. Because all hair whatever its type needs the tender touch, one really good shampoo can be used for every hair type, just increase or decrease the frequency of washing, as well as the application, and work up less lather if you have greasy hair.



Resist the urge to let your hair wallow in suds; the more often you wash the more you should try and get by on only one application of shampoo ,which is ample to dissolve and lift out grease, grime and general debris. However, if you suffer from a severely greasy scalp with or without the led bane of dandruff opt for a shampoo designed especially to combat and control the problem.



The way you treat your hair when it's wet also has lasting effects on its general condition. More damage is inflicted to hair through rough, hasty, ,hod towelling and combing prior to drying, than during actual styling. it's a pitfall you can come up against, even at an established and leading hair dresser, if the shampoo girl or boy happens to have climbed out of the wrong side side of bed on a particular day! Squeeze and pat water out of your hair don't rub it endlessly with a rough towel, and never use a brush or a cheap, spiky, fine toothed comb on wet hair. Hair is at its most elastic, and therefore its weakest, when wet, so gently ease out irritating knots and tangles with a broad toothed comb with round edges. If your hair is long, begin combing slowly at the bottom of the hair and work your way upwards to reduce stress on the hair fibres.