Product Build Up

Most people have heard the old wives tale "that you should change your shampoo from time to time as it "builds up". This is not entirely untrue as some products (those with cheaper ingredients) do often leave a film on the surface of the hair and scalp that can build up over time. Then there is also the obvious over use of styling products!


The first signs of product build up are your hair looking or feeling lifeless, or when you comb or brush it you get a flaky powder along the hair shaft, this is not dandruff, its more likely to be a buildup problem.



Buildup occurs when:



Certain products like non-water soluble waxes are used to style the hair.

2 in 1 shampoos are used continuously.

Certain shampoos cause buildup due to the type of cheaper ingredients they use to give instant combability. These can form a film on the hair or you may have to use a large amount to make your hair feel clean also resulting in buildup.

Hair sprays applied too close and in too strong a concentration to one area e.g. the fringe, leave a flaking powder on the hair after brushing.

If gel is applied in a blob it cannot spread through the rest of the hair causing build-up on that spot. We sometimes find that wetting your hands before getting the gel out of the pot and mixing it can solve this problem.

To cure a build-up problem:



Use a special purifying shampoo to remove previous products.

Change your habits; apply spray further away from the hair approx. 15cm or 6", work gel around your wet hands before putting it through your hair.

Try a water-soluble wax.

Separate your 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner by getting a good old fashioned 2-step process.

Use professional products, as the ingredient quality is where the money is spent not on expensive TV ad campaigns.

As a general rule, use less than you think, resulting only in a shape that won't last as long. Too much will leave the hair sticky or heavy and hard to work with.

When applying any product to hair always pop it onto your hands first then work it around them. This will spread the product so that as you put it into the hair you won't get patches of too much.

A good tip from a hairdressing friend, is to use a dilution of bicarbonate of soda to rinse your hair and remove hair spray build up.

© VirtualHairCare