A good hair care routine is essential for maintaining healthy and strong hair. While the basics—cleansing, conditioning, and styling—apply to everyone, the key to an effective routine is tailoring it to your hair type, texture, and specific needs.

1. Identify Your Hair Type

Hair types include:

• Straight hair: Falls flat from the roots, tends to be soft and smooth, does not hold curls easily, and gets greasy more easily.
• Wavy hair: Falls in loose waves, holds hairstyles well.
• Curly hair: Has prominent curls from roots to ends and usually is more dry and frizzy than straight or wavy hair.
• Coily hair: Is tightly curled. fragile, and needs proper care to avoid breakage.

2. Cleansing

Shampoos clean the hair and scalp. Different types of shampoo are formulated to meet certain hair needs, such as:

• Baby shampoo
• Body-building/thickening
• Clarifying (deep cleans hair and scalp)
• Color-protecting
• Moisturizing
• Revitalizing or replenishing
• Shampoo and conditioner in one

Follow the directions on your product, but generally speaking:

• Apply a small amount of shampoo to your palm and rub your hands together.
• Apply shampoo to your scalp only.
• Gently massage for about 30 seconds to form a lather.
• Rinse thoroughly.
• Repeat, if necessary (such as with an oily scalp).

How often to wash your hair depends on factors such as hair type, how often it gets oily or dirty, and special hair considerations such as dandruff. Some people need to wash their hair daily, while others do best washing their hair every two to three weeks, and everything in between.

You may need to shampoo more often if:

• You tend to have a greasy or oily scalp and roots.
• You have fine, thin, and/or straight hair.
• You work or spend a lot of time outside, exposed to dirt and allergens (normally harmless substances, such as pollen, that can trigger an allergic reaction in some people).
• You exercise or sweat frequently.

You may need to shampoo your hair less often if you:

• Have chemically treated hair
• Have dry hair
• Have dyed hair
• Have thick and/or curly hair
• Have natural, coiled hair
• Notice dullness and shedding

3. Conditioning

Conditioners help to keep hair hydrated, smooth, and manageable.

Types of conditioners include:

• Rinse-out conditioner: Use after every shampoo; apply to ends for fine hair, from mid-length to ends for thick or dry hair.
• Deep conditioner: Use weekly for dry, damaged, or chemically treated hair.
• Leave-in conditioner: Adds extra moisture and protection, especially for curly or frizzy hair.

4. Moisturizing and Treatments

Hair masks, oils, serums, and conditioning treatments may be helpful if your hair needs extra conditioning:

• If you have curly, dry, or easily tangled hair, look for conditioning products that contain argan oil, cetyl or stearyl alcohol, or glycerin.
• Hair oils, such as jojoba, argan, and coconut, may be massaged into your hair once a week.
• Monthly professional conditioning treatments at a salon are also an option.
• Products designed for Black hair can help meet its unique moisturizing needs. These may include oils, sheens, and greases.

5. Detangling

If your hair tends to get tangled, you can try tips such as:

• Detangle your hair while wet, ideally in the shower with conditioner in your hair, or wet thoroughly between washes, with leave-in conditioner applied.
• Be gentle, hair is more fragile when wet.
• Use your fingers first to detangle.
• Use a wide-toothed comb or brush for thick or curly hair.
• Work in sections.
• Use a detangling spray or serum, if needed.

6. Styling

After washing your hair, use a microfiber towel to soak up excess water.

If you are letting your hair dry naturally, apply your desired products and allow it to air dry. If you are going to be using heat to dry or style your hair, it’s important to apply a heat-protectant product first to prevent heat damage.

Some tips for helping to protect your hair while heat styling include:

• Use low or medium heat settings.
• Limit the use of heat tools.
• When using a hair dryer, hold it at least 6 inches away from your hair and use continuous motion.
• Allow your hair to air dry partially before drying to minimize blow dryer time.
• Use flat irons on dry hair with a low setting.
• Hold your curling iron in place for no more than one or two seconds.
• Use heat styling tools like flat irons or curling irons infrequently (aim for once a week or less).

Styling tips to minimize damage to your hair include:

• Avoid continuously wearing hairstyles such as tight ponytails, hair extensions, braids, and cornrows, which cause tension and could lead to hair loss.
• Avoid or minimize styling products that create a “long-lasting hold.”
• Brush only as much as you need to (more brushing does not make your hair healthier).
• Use covered elastics instead of open rubber bands.

Chemical treatments that alter the natural curl pattern may be used. Relaxers are the most common chemical treatment used for Black hair. Relaxers permanently straighten the treated hair (new hair growth will be its natural texture).

Typically, relaxers are applied every six to 12 weeks. Relaxers can make the hair more fragile and prone to damage, especially when applied more often than every six weeks or in combination with hairstyles that cause tension. A protective base should be applied before the relaxer.

7. Choosing the Right Products

If you have straight and/or oily hair:

• Choose shampoos that remove oil and grease.
• Use a light conditioner.
• Avoid leave-in conditioners.

If you have wavy, curly, or dry hair:

• Choose shampoo formulated for waves or curls.
• Use moisturizing conditioners.
• Consider deep conditioning treatments and leave-in conditioners.
• Style with curl-defining products.
• Look for conditioning products that contain ingredients such as glycerin, argan oil, or a fatty alcohol such as cetyl or stearyl alcohol.
• If using a dandruff shampoo, follow directions, then use a moisturizing shampoo after.
• Use a comb or brush designed for curly hair.
• Choose products specially formulated for dry and/or curly hair.

If you have coily hair:

• Choose mild shampoo.
• Consider deep conditioning at least once a week.
• Use a daily moisturizing spray.
• Use a comb or brush designed for coily hair.
• Use hot oil treatments twice a month.
• If using a relaxer, have it applied by a professional hair stylist.
• Look for products formulated for coily or Black hair.

Factors to Consider Before Starting a Hair Care Routine

Before selecting products or deciding on a routine, consider the following:

• Hair type and texture: Fine, medium, coarse, straight, wavy, curly, or coily
• Porosity: How well your hair absorbs moisture
• Density: How thick or thin your hair appears
• Elasticity: How well your hair stretches without breaking
• Scalp condition: Dry, oily, normal, or prone to dandruff
• Lifestyle and styling habits: How often you heat style, color, or chemically treat your hair

Identifying your hair type and structure will help you choose the right products and treatments.

Tips for Maintaining Healthy Hair

Other tips for maintaining healthy hair include:

• Choose styles that do not require frequent heat or chemical treatments.
• Make hairstyles such as ponytails and braids loose, or leave your hair down.
• Wear a hat or other head covering in the sun.
• Get regular trims (every two to three months).
• Wash hair in cool or lukewarm, not hot, water.
• Reduce damage-causing friction at night by pulling hair into a loose ponytail on top of the head and/or using satin or silk bonnets or pillowcases.

How Your Diet Impacts Hair Health

Eating a variety of nutritious food helps support hair health. While taking in additional vitamins and minerals may not do much for your hair, supplementing may be necessary if you have a deficiency in micronutrients such as:

• Folate
• Iron
• Selenium
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin D

Check with a healthcare provider before taking supplements.

Summary

Most basic hair care routines involve cleansing, conditioning, and styling. Products and practices, such as how often to wash hair, depend on factors such as hair type, lifestyle, and individual needs.

Fine, thin, straight hair is typically more prone to being oily, requiring more frequent washing and lighter conditioning. Thick, curly, or coily hair tends to be more dry, requiring less frequent washing and more conditioning.

If you are unsure about your hair type or needs, make an appointment with a professional hairstylist.