Cleansing Hair with Minimal Hair Loss

One of the issues that can contribute to hair loss is mishandling hair when wet.

Your cuticle is raised when you’re washing your hair and this is when it’s the most fragile.

By the time you’ve put it through shampooing, deep conditioning, leave-in, gel application, and styling every week, you might end up with more hair in your sink than on your head.

Natural hair care tips - cleansing with minimal hair loss

Don’t get me wrong. You will lose some amount of hair every time you wash your hair especially if your hair has been up in a protective style for a while.

Below is an estimate of how much you should expect to lose on wash day after taking out a protective style but it varies from person to person:-

Related Content: How Much Shedding is Too Much on Wash Day?

Anything that’s more than this is a sign you’re putting your hair through the wringer unnecessarily.

It takes some practice to learn how to handle curly hair on wash day and below hair care tips will go a long way in helping you to do so with minimal hair loss:-

7 Tips for Cleansing Hair with Minimal Hair Loss

1. Dampen Hair First to Prevent Hair Loss

Do not apply products to dry hair.

Dampen your hair with water first then squeeze out the excess before you apply shampoo, conditioner, or any other products to start off your regimen.

2. Section Hair to Prevent Hair Loss

Wash your hair in sections. Depending on how much hair you have, you can start with two sections and go up to as many as needed for you to handle.

I always wash my hair in 3 parts. I have a weird patch right on my crown that tangles like crazy and needs to be handled with kid gloves on wash day.

I separate this part and then split the rest of my hair into two sections.

If your hair has a life of its own, you might even consider washing in loose twists only.

3. Detangle Thoroughly to Prevent Hair Loss

Detangle thoroughly before washing and don’t try to detangle again until you have applied your deep conditioner.

In all cases, focus on finger detangling as much as possible.

The only detangling device I’ve ever run through my hair that didn’t pull it out was my giant bone comb and the tangle wrangler.

However, some people have great success with other types of detangling tools.

Related Content: Which is the Best Detangling Brush for Natural Hair?

4. Don’t Wash Every Day

Do not wash your hair every day. That’s just doing too much. Once or twice a week is more than enough.

Personally, I wash my hair once a week every Friday.

I take the time to really detangle, handle it with care and go through all the steps of my regimen without having to worry about getting to bed early because I have work the next day.

5. Reduce Shampoo Usage

Consider using shampoo only when you’re trying to clarify your hair or a gentler shampoo every few weeks.

The shampoo isn’t really necessary every time you want to wash your hair especially natural hair.

6. Use a Microfiber Towel

Blot your hair with an appropriate microfiber towel or old t-shirt when wet. Wrap around your hair and wait for it to soak up the excess water.

Do not rub a regular towel on your hair vigorously. This will make your hair tangle and exacerbate frizz.

7. Don’t Rinse with Hot Water

Don’t rinse your hair with hot water. Hot water will make your hair brittle and dry and will cause tangles.

Rinse your hair with lukewarm water and finish with a blast of cold water.

By practicing the 7 hair care tips above every time you wash your hair, expect to see less and less hair in the sink on wash days.

These hair care tips also help prevent split ends, frayed ends, and breakage.

Have any questions about hair loss on wash days? Ask in the comments section.

Hair Care Tips – Cleansing Hair with Minimal Hair Loss