What does hair health care include?

Nowadays, formal hair health care is a complete system that covers the scalp and hair shaft, from testing to hospital care to home guidance. It is really not just about applying essential oils and baking oil as everyone thinks.

Don’t believe it. A little girl who just went to college came to me in the past two months and said that she had changed seven or eight bottles of anti-hair loss shampoo, and her hair was falling more and more. The first step when she entered the door was to do a high-definition scalp hair follicle test. After magnifying it 500 times, she found that her scalp was covered with hair follicles. The residue of the unwashed styling cream blocked the hair follicles tightly, as if the pores were blocked by blackheads, and the hair could not be firmly rooted at all. She usually thought that her hair would be clean after washing it twice, but she didn't know that these residues had been accumulated on her scalp for half a year. This test is actually the prerequisite for all maintenance. Nowadays, better institutions will also simultaneously test the toughness of the hair and the degree of damage to the hair scales, saving everyone the hassle of buying products randomly.

After the test, care will be taken accordingly. If the oil and residue are very clogged like this little girl, deep cleanse first, using low-concentration salicylic acid or plant-derived cleansing essence, not the strong cleansing shampoo we have at home. The nurse will slowly massage along the scalp meridians to rub out the dirt in the hair follicles. She said her scalp was much lighter the day after the first treatment. Her bangs, which had been oily the next day, took three days to become oily. If your scalp is sensitive and red due to inflammation, you will also be exposed to red and blue light or introduce anti-inflammatory essence. However, let’s be honest here. There is quite a controversy in the industry about the so-called "hair growth introduction essence". Generally, it regulates oil, anti-inflammatory and soothes. The essences are all clinically proven to be effective, but if someone tells you that the essence can make hair follicles that have been necrotic and closed re-grow hair, that is 100% deception. If it is really a problem like male baldness, maintenance can only be used as an auxiliary, and you still have to follow the doctor's advice to take medication.

Once the scalp is well maintained, the problem of the hair shaft must also be addressed. For example, for people who often perm and dye their hair, the hair scales will become warped like open fish scales, feel frizzy and break easily. Nowadays, the commonly used keratin filling care is to fill the gaps of the hair scales with small molecules of keratin, which is similar to the composition of hair, and then tighten and smooth it. Last year, I permed the ends of my hair with wool curling and it broke when I pulled it. I did it three times in a row. The ends of my hair were indeed much smoother and there were fewer breakages. However, there are pitfalls here. Many organizations claim that keratin care can last for half a year. We all know that keratin care can only last for 1 to 2 months at most. After all, hair grows every day, and daily hair washing will also metabolize the surface care ingredients. If it can really last for more than half a year, it must be because of the addition of banned softeners. If used too much, it will corrode the hair. In the past two years, there have been special cares for locking the color after dyeing and protecting the curls after perming. I have met many girls who have dyed their hair light blonde or pink brown. If they do color locking care every half month, the hair color can stay two months longer than without it, and the hair will not turn yellow like hay with each wash.

Oh, by the way, the formal maintenance program also includes follow-up home guidance. You don’t just leave it alone after you finish it at the institution. I usually give them appropriate care based on their scalp and hair condition. I even give them instructions on the water temperature for shampooing and the distance for blow-drying. I once had a programmer client who washed his hair with too hot water after working overtime every day, and also used the hottest windshield to blow against his scalp. He had a dry scalp, causing dandruff to fly everywhere. After adjusting his washing and drying habits, and adding some soothing essence, the dandruff was reduced by more than half in half a month.

Anyway, hair care is not an out-of-reach expense nowadays. Basic cleaning costs a few dozen yuan to specialized care costing a few hundred yuan. When choosing, don’t just listen to the sales hype. First, check whether the test results are really in line with your own situation. The probability of falling into a trap will be much smaller.