The Simple Shampoo Hack That Can Make All The Difference

It's hard to believe that something you've been doing your whole life could be wrong, but most people are making mistakes washing their hair. It can be incredibly frustrating when you try hard to attain the best results and buy the newest shampoos on the market, only to never actually get the results that you're paying for. 

A vital component is selecting the right shampoo. "After doing hair for 15 years, I find most people still have a hard time with this very fundamental task," says celebrity hairstylist Neil Grupp (via Today). "Do a ponytail test and see if the diameter of the pony is smaller than a quarter. That means you have fine hair. And a quarter or more means you have medium to thick hair. Fine hair has 50% less protein than medium or thick hair, which means it's weak and needs to be strengthened." If you have thick or even medium hair, choose a shampoo that moisturizes.

Other shampooing mistakes include using too much shampoo and not rinsing your hair enough. Yet, there is one other mistake that isn't as widely known.

Think about what you do when you get in the shower. Odds are that you get your hair a bit wet, slather on a mound of shampoo, and then scrub. That's wrong, according to Huda Beauty. Instead, stand under the shower and let the water hit your hair while you ease the water down your strands, and do this for at least 30 seconds. This allows you to remove the product build-up you've acquired since the last wash as well as rinsing off environmental agents, like dust, pollen, and smoke. The key is to remove the debris before you apply the shampoo.

Before you squirt a dollop of shampoo into your hand and smush it quickly into your hair, rub the shampoo between your hands and work it into a lather before applying, which helps it emulsify (via Newsweek). This will avoid another mistake of not distributing shampoo evenly, and ensures that all of your locks get sufficient shampoo.

Once you've rinsed your hair with water, rubbed the shampoo between your hands, and applied it evenly, there is something else you should do, according to celebrity hairstylist George Northwood. "I say go for two shampoos, it will definitely make it cleaner than you can with one," Northwood tells Good Housekeeping. "It will make it feel thicker, and more voluminous — all the signs of healthy hair. It also creates a better surface for the products to work and be absorbed." After you wash twice, add a nourishing conditioner.

"If you're a daily washer then there's no need to double cleanse (aka shampoo twice)," says trichologist Anabel Kingsley (via Glamour). With that in mind, she advises shampooing your hair two times in a row specifically when you've been using several hair products, if you have fine hair, or wash your hair only a few times a week.