Teri’s Tips: Health: Silky Hair
As I get older, my hair is more coarse, especially the gray hair!
If you look at a hair under a microscope, you see that each hair shaft is covered with what looks like little shingles or scales. This is called the cuticle. This outer protective cuticle can be damaged by chemicals, hair coloring, blow-drying, wind, sun, etc. When the cuticle is damaged, the protective scales are lifted or even peeled away. This is what can make hair appear coarse. When the cuticle is laying down smoothly, hair will by shinier, silkier, and look more healthy.
It’s always good to use conditioner, which helps to smooth down the cuticle. But one thing I found in addition to conditioner, is to do a final rinse in cold water. Washing hair in hot water lifts those little shingles up. Cold water shrinks the swelling and helps the shingles (the cuticle) to lay down flat. I never shampoo in very hot water. I only use warm enough water to make sure my hair gets clean. Then I rinse in ice cold water… as cold as I can stand it. I try not to get my body in the cold water. And it isn’t easy! But I can really see the difference when I rinse in cold water.
