We could learn a thing or two from the Korean sisters on how they maintain their skin and have such lovely shiny bouncy hair too. Korean girls and women, the world over, are known to be very strict with their skincare and hair care regime, and it also seems to work in their favor and do good for them as well. So here are a couple of tips that the Korean women use, which we share with you in this post. Please read on and be well-informed.
Stay away from 2-in-1 shampoos
We have plenty of 2-in-1 shampoos in the market here, which claim to do the best and work for the hair like magic. But when we look at the Korean girls, they do not use such shampoos. Instead, they ensure that they use two separate regimes for their hair and for their scalp. According to Koreans, 2-in-1 shampoos do not work. They do not clean the hair and the scalp effectively. This is why, they have a shampoo and a conditioner, separately used. While using a 2-in-1 shampoo is a time saver, in the long run, it would not be healthy for the hair. They cause build up to happen on the scalp, which is exactly what we do not want. Therefore, we shall now get wiser and use shampoos and conditioners separately, just like the Korean women do.
A hair mask should be used regularly
In Korea, it seems that there is a mask for everything – skin to hair and more. This is the basis of Korean beauty, and that is why the women have such beautiful long and shiny hair. A hair mask is a must to use, at least once a week. It helps keep the hair healthy and the treatment ingredients in each hair mask would be powerful dosages to use for the hair. What they do is to first shampoo their hair and then rinse it thoroughly, and then they go onto using a hair conditioner for the hair to deep condition and soften. Towards the end, the hair mask is applied for around five minutes and massaged into the hair, and not the scalp. Then the hair is left for a minute and after that, it is washed away.
They use hair essence
If you look into the hair care regime of Korean women, just like the skincare regime, Korean girls and women use an essence for their hair- the hair essence. What is a hair essence? A hair essence unlike a serum or a conditioner is lightweight and watery mists which help keep the hair moisturized and does not weight the hair down. It all depends on the hair texture and type that you have, which makes it easy for you to choose the type of hair essence you need for your hair. They work wonderfully and work like magic in treating your hair, which is lifeless and dull. Your hair gets manageable and it would bounce and shine as well. More moisture in the hair means the hair would be full of life and healthy to look at too. You can use the hair essence like the Korean girls, spraying it mid day on the hair as well.
Heat protectants should be used for hair protection
Styling tools can take out a lot of moisture from the hair and mess with the hair texture and quality at the end of the day. What the Korean women do is to play smart here by using heat protectants. This is an important step to do before you allow the styling tools to touch your hair because it creates a kind of a protective layer on the hair before the high temperatures touch it. What you need to do is to apply a little of the heat protectant on the hair, before you blow dry the hair or before using a straightening iron or a curling iron. This helps keep the hair protected from the high heat and also allows the moisture to retain. In the bargain, your hair would be healthy and shiny for a long time to come.
Get a scalp massage done frequently
Who does not love a little papering now and then? We all do! This is why, getting a pampering scalp massage is a must. It helps with blood circulation and also to alleviate any form of stress as well. Moreover massages on the scalp have proven to be very beneficial for the hair and the scalp at large. With an increase in blood circulation, the hair follicles are fed and nourished well, and this helps with better hair growth too. However, while massaging the scalp, just be as gentle as possible so as not to pull and tug the hair. This can cause unwanted hair breakage and hair fall in the long run, which you don’t want at any cost.
Once a while do scalp treatments
You have to check what treatments would best suit your scalp. There are different treatments of the scalp for different needs. One of the most common treatments for the scalp would be a clarifying one. A clarifying head and scalp treatment is a must so that the hair follicles which are clogged are cleared off. If the hair follicles are not cleared off, the hair quantity and quality would thin out in the long run. Hair thinning is what we do not wish for anyone, and this is why to avoid thinning we must do hair scalp treatments once a while. If you are unsure as to which hair scalp treatment you need, it would be wise to check with a hair technician and know the same. They would do an analysis and a consultation with you and tell you what would suit your scalp. You then can make your decision accordingly. But do get a scalp treatment if you want your hair as beautiful as the korean girls and women.
Daily care which you can do at home
Use an oil cleanser to cleanse your scalp
Shampoo does cleanse your scalp, but in Korea, most women use what is known as a scaler or a scalp cleanser. It is a gel type product or an oil which is applied to the scalp just before the shampooing is done. This can be thought off as an oil cleansing routine just before shampooing, an added step to getting naturally and very beautiful hair. Th working of a scaler or a scalp cleanser is just as good as an oil cleanser. What it does is to clean the scalp and get rid of the dirt and oil, the dead skin cells and any product build-up on the hair. Korean hair experts opine that using a scalp cleanser just before you shampoo your hair would help increase the longevity of the hair, the health of the hair would be better than before, breakage and frizz would be lesser with the hair, and the oil cleansing helps clean the scalp efficiently and encourage hair growth too. This makes sense, doesnt it? If you are moving out and about a lot, you would get sweaty and the scalp would turn into a hot mess at the end of the day; sometimes midday too. So an oil cleansing is a must before you shampoo your hair.
Shampoo and condition normally
You have to understand that a 2-in-1 shampoo would only clean to a certain extent but it would not have the time to remove all the dirt, grime, product build up etc in the hair. This is why, we must follow the routine of using a shampoo and a hair conditioner separately. First get the oil cleansing done as mentioned above and wait for a couple of minutes. Then massage the scalp and wet the hair in the shower. Take your favorite shampoo and then lather the hair well. Wash off the hair until the water runs clear. Now use a conditioner to deep condition the hair and the roots of the hair. Wait for a minute or two while you cleanse your hair and condition it further. Wash the hair well and now apply a hair mask. The next step would tell you what to do.
A hair mask for the strands is a must to use
After you have taken a good hair shower and conditioned your hair well, it is time to pay attention to the strands of the hair too. This is why, leaving the scalp and the roots of the hair, a reputed hair mask should be used. Take a coin sized amount of the hair mask on your palms and gently emulsify the hair strands. The emulsification should be done for at least five minutes, and then the hair should be left with a shower cap on for another five minutes. This will help the hair strands absorb all the goodness of the hair mask or the hair sheet (if you will). Once the five minutes are over, it is time for you to gently wash the hair with cold water or lukewarm water, and then towel dry the hair. This removes all the frizz and the tangles of the hair, and the hair bounces to life with a shine and glow.
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Use a serum and moisturizer
The final step would be the styling step, which would now complete your hair care routine. You can use an essence or a serum or a hair moisturizer if you please. If you have just finished washing your hair off the hair mask you applied, your hair would still be soaking wet. Do not dry your hair yet, but leave it to the dampness needed for the moisture to set in and retain. Lock in the water in your hair while you style it with the serum or the spray or the leave in conditioner. Once the step of applying the serum is done, you can now apply the essence mist; just spray it on the hair and then run your fingers through it. This ensures that all the hair strands are coated. This also ensures that all the frizz and the loose baby hairs that fly around are kept neat in place. Wait for the hair to dry out naturally, and run your fingers through the hair, before you comb your hair.
More tips
Hair oil is a must, just like you would use oil for the skin to keep the skin plump and nice. You can use coconut oil, olive or almond or even argan oil for your hair. What the hair oil does is to create a seal over the hair and stops the frizz from happening. This can be done before shampooing. You can also take a small amount and apply after the cleaning of the hair and the scalp, and the use of serum too. In doing so, the hair would stay shiny and hydrated all week long. Once your done applying the oil, you can turban wrap the hair with a dry microfiber towel for half an hour and then move on for the day.
Not just one comb or brush
Most korean women and girls would have more than one hair brush or comb in their homes, and for a very good reason that too. Each comb is made for different reasons, and that is why using them differently helps keep the hair stronger, longer and bouncier always. You should check with your hairstylist to know which set of combs you should best have for daily use.
Use a DIY pack for the hair
We have heard of the goodness of DIY packs for skin, amongst the korean women. Just the same with skin, they also have DIY packs for the hair as well. They use the white of an egg for scalp oil control. What they do is to simply remove the yolk of an egg and beat the white to a froth. The froth is then used on the scalp and the hair and kept for ten minutes to fifteen. Once the wait time is over, the hair is then washed out with cold water thoroughly. This helps cleanse the hair follicles well and keeps the scalp clean and non-greasy too.
Eat right to have better hair
Just as you would eat right for your skin, the same way you need to eat right for your hair too. No two ways about it. Your hair, just like your skin would need the right amount of nutrition. What you need to have are what the korean women and girls have for their lovely hair- plenty of quinoa. Quinoa has a lot of protein in it, and protein as we know is the building block of hair. Sesame too is added to their diets because they believe that sesame helps prevent any form of hair loss. The korean women and girls have a lot of vitamin C, oranges especially which helps bring down dandruff. Green tea is drunk in abundance, because of the antioxidants it has in it and which helps with anti ageing on the scalp too.
You need to treat your hair and your scalp differently
We cannot emphasize on this enough, that you hair and your scalp need different ways of treatment. Just because your scalp is oily it does not mean that your hair is as well. The hair is dry because of various reasons, some of it which can be blamed on coloring, using styling products, the harmful UV rays of the sun, perming and straightening too. This is why, it is important for you to check the hair and the scalp differently with the help of an expert and then decide what to do. In most cases, the shampoo you use for your hair would be different than that of what you would use for your scalp.
Try using carbonated water for your scalp
For your scalp, do what the korean women do. They use carbonated water to wash their scalp with. This helps unclog the pores and bring a balance of pH levels to the scalp. If the scalp is very dry, carbonated water can help wash the dryness away. You can pour the carbonated water in a bottle and fit the bottle with a nozzle and spray it on the scalp section. Or you could simply wash the scalp with a bottle of carbonated water, the choice is yours.
We now come to an end on the many hair raising secrets of the korean women and girls. They sound pretty fascinating to try and they are very easy as well. Do write in and let us know if you have used any of these secrets in the past, and how it has benefited your hair too. We are eager to hear from you!