Dermatologist's Top Hair Care Tips

As dermatologists we specialize not only in skin but also hair and nails. I get lots of questions about hair so wanted to share some hair care tips. Keep in mind that just like with skin care, everyone’s hair can be different and you need to find what works best for your hair type.

First, when it comes to shampooing your hair there is not necessarily a right answer as to how often but there is a right way to do it. When washing your hair it is important to apply shampoo on the scalp, at the roots of the hair.

For most people washing every 2-3 days is likely good but you’ll want to consider more frequent washing if you have oily hair (scalp) and less often if dry or damaged.

As for conditioner, it should be applied to the hair strands and ends. Regular use of conditioner can be helpful, especially if you have longer hair.

I generally suggest letting hair air dry as opposed to blow drying when possible due to potential damage from heat. This is especially true for curly hair.. There was a study done that assessed changes in the structure, morphology, moisture content, and color of hair after repeated shampooing and drying with various methods. Using a hair dryer was shown to cause more surface damage than natural drying in most cases, however, using at a cooler temperature at a distance of 15 cm with constant motion can cause less damage. Long story short, there is perhaps an optimal way to dry with a hair dryer but it is easy to overdo it and damage the hair.

This leads into the next tip which is to avoid using too much heat on your hair. It is especially important to avoid using hot tools (e.g. curling or straightening irons) directly on wet hair. If you use hot tools be sure to check the heat settings as they do not need to be on the highest setting to work.

Final tip is to not go to sleep with wet hair. Wet hair is weaker so it is important to be more gentle with it. The movement of your head / hair against the pillow puts tension on the hair and when wet it is more prone to breakage.