SHOW YOUR HAIR YOU CARE

Something as straightforward as washing and drying your own hair really shouldn’t require a tutorial but you’d be surprised how many guys get it wrong. Really wrong. We’ve rehashed the basics with this simple 3-step guide, explaining the best and safest ways to go about caring for your barnet.

WASHING

Begin by checking the temperature of the water. A cold shower might get your circulation going first thing in the morning, but it’s not going to be very effective at dissolving the dirt in your hair. Get it too hot, though, and you run the risk of burning your scalp.
Once you’ve found a comfortable lukewarm temperature, empty no more than one 10p-sized dollop of shampoo. Using more product than necessary won’t get your hair any cleaner, it will just create a bigger lather, which will be harder to rinse out.
Lots of guys don’t rinse their hair properly, leaving a build-up of shampoo and excess sebum, which leaves them with lank and flat locks. The best way to make sure you’re rinsing properly is to spend a good thirty seconds working the product out with your fingers. It’s much more effective that just sticking your head under the shower or dunking your head back in the dirty bathwater.
A lot of guys don’t follow shampoo with a conditioner. But you’re not most guys. A good conditioner will smooth hair cuticles for a soft and shiny finish. Empty 10p’s worth of conditioner into the palm of your hands and rub them together - never apply it directly onto the hair or scalp. Massage the product right through to the tips of the hair, where damage is most likely to have occurred. Unlike shampoo, conditioners should be left in for a minute or two before rinsing thoroughly.

DRYING

The best way to finish a good wash is to pat the hair down with a towel and then leave it to air dry naturally. This isn’t always convenient when you’re in a rush or if you’ve got particularly long hair. And while a hair dryer might sound like a quick and easy way of going about the job, the intense heat can damage hair, leaving it brittle and parched.

To avoid abusing your hair, take these four simple blow drying tips on board:

Always begin by towel drying your hair for a couple of seconds so it’s not soaking wet.
Hold the hair dryer a good six inches away from your hair and move it back and forth to avoid over-drying or burning.
Avoid the temptation to set the dryer on full blast as this is a surefire way to cause damage and scorch your scalp.
There are lots of good products out there that will help protect your hair from thermal damage but, depending on your style, you might want to apply a styling product to wet hair before blow drying.

STYLING

Styling depends entirely on the texture and cut of your hair. Since it would be impossible to list the different techniques for styling every single kind of hair, it’s best to start by finding the right product for your hair type.

But where to begin? Today you can find pastes, crèmes, gels, waxes, pomades and even mousses. We define the different styling solutions available to the modern man:

Wax: perfect for the ubiquitous ‘short, back and sides’ as it adds shine, texture and gives moderate hold. Avoid if you’ve got fine or long tresses as wax can weigh hair down. Remember to warm the product up in the palms of your hands before application.

Gel: ideal for sculpting hair into ‘extreme’ shapes. Many gels come in a ‘wet look’ formula and can provide long-lasting hold and shine. Avoid if you’ve got thin hair, as it will make your scalp more noticeable.

Paste: great for texture. Pastes are pliable and often ‘reworkable’, allowing you to restyle your hair throughout the day without the need for more product.

Hairspray: like liquid elastic, hairspray is great for volume and hold. Beware that overloading your hair with the stuff can leave you with residue that might be mistaken for dandruff!

Crème: ideal for frizzy or coarse hair that’s been damaged by blow drying, a crème will make hair appear glossier and slicker.

Clay: a super-thick product, best used for adding texture. Much like sculpture clay, you can use this product to ‘mould’ your hair into the desired shape.

Pomade: very similar to a wax except that it contains oils for added shine. When applied to wet hair it can leave a long-lasting gloss.