Article: Elsa Kruger from SHAPE
Image: Sarie Magazine

1:When washing hair, take more time washing your scalp than the ends, as the scalp can get really oily and accumulate dead skin cells.

2: Conditioners that claim to deeply penetrate work only if there's enough time and heat for them to be absorbed into the hair shaft. Most women who apply a conditioner in the shower never leave it on for longer than 1 or 2 minutes. If you have damaged hair, an in-depth treatment lasting at least half an hour is called for.

3:Too much conditioner, or conditioner that isn't rinsed out thoroughly, can make hair limp. Use conditioner only where needed, not necessarily all over or near the roots and scalp.

4:Always rinse thoroughly. Leaving traces of detergent cleansing agents can make hair sticky and flat, and irritate the scalp.

5: The longer you leave an anti-dandruff shampoo on your hair, the more effective it'll be.

6:Apply shampoo and conditioner by spreading first on your hands and then smoothing it over your head. Placing one big dollop in the middle and then working it through the hair wastes product and roughs up the hair more than necessary.

7:When in doubt, use products designed for your hair type. Coarse, dry hair has very different needs to fine, healthy hair.

8: Hair is easier to style and control when it is damp, but not wet. It's less damaging to blow-dry with a styling brush when it is slightly dry; wet hair is more vulnerable to damage.

9:Always dry the root area first. This will provide the most fullness and control the basic shape of the style you're trying to achieve.

10:Never use a curling iron on wet or damp hair. The heat from a curling iron can easily exceed the boiling point of water and the water content inside the hair shaft may boil if you apply a hot curling iron to it, causing serious breakage and damage.

11:When blow-drying your hair, concentrate on the roots first. Drying the roots up and away from the direction you want will achieve fullness and create the foundation for the rest of the hairstyle. Once the roots are done, you can smooth or curl the rest of the hair.

12:If you have the time, alternate using hot air and cool air while blow-drying. Heat forms the curl or smoothness; and the cool air helps keep it in place.

13:Daily hair loss is quite natural. Normally, hair loss happens most drastically in autumn – this season is ideal for beginning a treatment to combat it, helping hair to grow stronger.

14:-To help prevent hairspray from flaking off, apply at least 15 centimetres away from the hair.

15:To prevent split ends, apply a dab of conditioner to the ends before using a hairdryer, curling iron or heated rollers. (Avoid using the latter two too often.)

16:Never do a perm, colour, or highlights on the same day. Always leave a three-week gap between each.

Do you have any hair tricks to share? Add them to the comment box below.