Hair washing is the cosmetic act of keeping

hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and ...

clean by washing it. To remove

sebum A sebaceous gland or oil gland is a microscopic exocrine gland in the skin that opens into a hair follicle to secrete an oily or waxy matter, called sebum, which lubricates the hair and skin of mammals. In humans, sebaceous glands occur ...

from hair, some apply a

surfactant Surfactants are chemical compounds that decrease the surface tension or interfacial tension between two liquids, a liquid and a gas, or a liquid and a solid. The word ''surfactant'' is a Blend word, blend of "surface-active agent", coined in ...

, usually

shampoo Shampoo () is a hair care product, typically in the form of a viscous liquid, that is formulated to be used for cleaning (scalp) hair. Less commonly, it is available in solid bar format. (" Dry shampoo" is a separate product.) Shampoo is use ...

(sometimes

soap Soap is a salt (chemistry), salt of a fatty acid (sometimes other carboxylic acids) used for cleaning and lubricating products as well as other applications. In a domestic setting, soaps, specifically "toilet soaps", are surfactants usually u ...

) to their hair and lather the surfactant with water. The surfactant is rinsed out with water along with the dirt that it bonds to. Furthermore, there are

dry shampoo Dry shampoo, otherwise known as hybrid shampoo, is a type of shampoo which reduces hair greasiness without the need for water. It is in powder form and is typically administered from an aerosol can. Dry shampoo is often based on corn starch or ri ...

s; powders that remove

from hair by soaking it up prior to being combed out. People often use dry shampoo if they would like to postpone their hair wash or simply to save time. Hair wash and dry shampoo keep the hair healthy, add volume to the hair, remove dirt and odors, and remove oils from the scalp.

Hairdressing

Most hairdressers in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, US and

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

and

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

, offer a hair wash as a service before or after a haircut. This is usually done to make the hair more manageable for the

hairdresser A hairdresser is a person whose occupation is to cut or style hair in order to change or maintain a person's image. This is achieved using a combination of hair coloring, haircutting, and hair texturing techniques. A hairdresser may also be re ...

performing the haircut. After a haircut, it can remove loose strands of hair. It is also a relaxing practice, and many clients enjoy a hair wash as part of a haircut. Hairdressers use specialized basins to perform a hair wash; these can be either forward or backward style. In the backward version (the more common), the client sits in a chair, and leans their head back into a sink, with the hairdresser standing behind them. In the forward version, the client leans forward over a sink, and the hairdresser stands over them to wash their hair. In some parts of the world, such as China, it is not uncommon to see what is referred to as an 'upright' shampoo. In this style, the client sits in a chair, while a hairdresser applies shampoo to their hair and adds water. They then rinse off into a basin.

Clarifying Shampoo

Regular

shampoos Shampoo () is a hair care product, typically in the form of a Viscosity, viscous liquid, that is formulated to be used for cleaning (scalp) hair. Less commonly, it is available in solid bar format. ("Dry shampoo" is a separate product.) Shamp ...

, like

Pantene Pantene () is an American brand of hair care products now owned by Procter & Gamble. The product line originated in Europe in 1945 by Hoffmann-La Roche of Switzerland, which based the name on panthenol. It started to be introduced in the United ...

, Dove, and

Kérastase Kérastase () is a French luxury hair and scalp care line that distributes products internationally. Kérastase is part of the L'Oréal Professional Products Division. History Kérastase was founded in 1964 by scientists at L’Oreal Advance ...

, are designed for daily use and are gentler on the scalp and hair. However, they may not clean as thoroughly as clarifying shampoos, which contain stronger surfactants to remove buildup, oils, and residue. Clarifying shampoos are intended for occasional use as a treatment, rather than for every wash.{{Cite web , last=Malzahn , first=Catharine , date=2025-04-02 , title=Here Are the Signs to Start Using Clarifying Shampoo , url=https://www.glamour.com/story/what-is-clarifying-shampoo , access-date=2025-04-30 , website=Glamour , language=en-US

References

External links

Back hair wash unit in operation
Hairdressing Hygiene

Hairdressing

Clarifying Shampoo

See also

References

External links