Chapter 2: 100% Perfect Hair - Part 1

A Head of Healthy, Shiny Hair

 

Lots of people have asked me where and how I got my hair treated.  The answer is I myself take care of my own hair.  Reason being I dislike others touching my hair.  I believe that resorting to hair treatments to make hair beautiful is not the most important but having a healthy scalp is!  If your scalp is healthy, it is not even necessary to treat your hair, as long as you don’t do anything to damage it. 

To maintain a healthy scalp, how you wash your hair is very important, exercise extreme caution especially in the brand of shampoo you use.  I have a healthy scalp all along, only when I’m in a bad mood or in huge stress will I suffer from thinning hair and hair loss.  My mood affects my scalp condition easily but each time it happens, I will change my shampoo brand immediately to adjust.  

I’d like to remind everyone again, if you wish to have long and healthy hair, it is VERY VERY important to wash your hair correctly!  Unless you have very oily hair and scalp, it is not necessary to wash daily.  Wash on alternate days is enough, but wash if you perspire a lot.  If you have dry scalp and hair that is seldom dirty and smelly, wash once every 3 days is fine.  

CORRECT WAY OF WASHING HAIR

Step 1:  Massage scalp with finger pads (not the nails)

The whole scalp must be covered with shampoo foam.  It is important to use your finger pads to rub every single part of the scalp to ensure it is completely clean.  

Step 2:  Wash twice

Remember to comb your hair before washing to prevent tangles.  For instance, if your hair is tied up the whole day, you must comb it out before washing.  Wash your hair twice – first wash the scalp then the hair.  If you have oily hair, wash with two different shampoos – first use a scalp care shampoo for gentle cleansing, then use a shampoo containing a milk ingredient or amino acid to wash the hair strands.  Gently rub hair strands and using fingers, smooth them out.  I advise everyone not to bend forward to wash your hair, because when doing so, you have to keep lifting your head to see and this action easily cause wrinkles on the forehead.  I always wash my hair standing up before having my shower.  

Personally, I use Kiehl’s Amino Acid Shampoo.  It suits my hair texture perfectly, although it doesn’t seem to be a popular choice for everyone.  I once recommended it to friends but had received some negative reviews.  Understandably, everyone’s hair texture is different, subjected to differing shampoo preferences.  However if your hair texture is similar to mine – long and straight, you may like to try this shampoo, I find it great!

How many hair brushes do you have? 

It is also VERY VERY important to brush your hair.  A hair-stylist once told me “The number of times you brush your hair must exceed your age, if you’re 18 years old, you must brush at least 18 times.  The older you are, the greater number of times you must massage your scalp.”  I take it upon myself to brush my hair at least 40 times during each combing session.  I have many brushes and combs for different purposes.  First, when my hair is wet, I will run through it with a wide-tooth comb (any brand is fine).

CORRECT WAY OF BRUSHING HAIR AFTER WASH

Step 1:  Use a wide-tooth comb to part wet hair into 3 portions – left, right and back. 

Handle one portion at a time. 

Step 2:  Hold a portion of hair with one hand like a ponytail.  Gently comb the hair ends. 

Step 3:  From the hair end, slowly comb upwards, reaching the scalp last. 

Step 4:  After completing the above steps, I will blow-dry my hair.  When my scalp is drying, I will brush the scalp with a large brush used for massaging.  It is not necessary to comb the entire hair again.  This brush helps to relax the scalp.  Currently using the Italian Janeke brand, the points of the brush teeth are round, perfect for massaging the scalp.  

Step 5:  After brushing scalp, I will comb my hair strands with another large brush.  Remember to always comb upwards from the ends.  Make sure hair is tangle free before combing from the head.  Never de-tangle hair with force.  Hold hair above tangle and gently use comb to loosen it. 

In addition to wide-tooth comb and large massage brush, I use a sharp tail comb to part my hair properly.  Also, when wearing my hair in a ponytail, I will wet my hair ends a bit and comb it to make the ponytail neater. 

When I’m out, I will carry an anti-static brush from the Janeke brand.  This is useful during winter and times when the weather is cool and dry.  There is also a type of mane comb called boar’s bristle which I do not recommend.  It can only brush the hair surface and it is not user-friendly for long-haired ladies!  

Have a Suitable Hairstyle, Be in a Great Mood Everyday!

Keep in mind that Asian hair texture is totally different from Westerner’s.  At the hair salon, we cannot ask for Winona Ryder or Meg Ryan’s hair styles.  It is impossible for our hair texture to replicate the same style!  My advice is to bring along a photo of the hair style you wish to have, ask the stylist if it is possible to get it done perfectly.  If it is not possible or the success rate is low, please just have your hair washed and leave immediately.  The result will be disastrous if you insist on getting the style!  

Personally, when getting ready for shows, I insist on nothing to be done to my hair, be it waxing, scraping, perm, colouring or curling all of which will do damages to the hair.  Unless it is an important party or huge awards event, I will settle for hair conditioning styling gel at most – it is the sticky type prepared by hair salons.