Make your hair routine easier to repeat.
Keep what helps and set extras aside.

Begin with shampoo and conditioner

• Use shampoo to clean the scalp, then rinse it out. Follow with rinse-out conditioner on the lengths and rinse again.
• Keep a wash schedule if it helps you plan. Adjust it when your scalp gets oily or dirty sooner, rather than stretching it to match someone else’s routine.
• Add a leave-in or styler for a specific job, such as rough ends or curls you want to hold. Keep any prescribed scalp treatment on its own schedule.

Choose drying you have time for

Air-drying leaves your hands free, but roots and inner lengths may take a while to dry. Choose it when you can leave the hair loose until dry. On busy mornings, skip elaborate finishing or move wash day to a less rushed time.

You’re unsure which bottles to use

• Group what you own into shampoo, conditioner, leave-ins and stylers. Put products for the same job beside each other so duplicates are easy to spot.
• Choose one familiar shampoo and conditioner for your next wash. Keep an optional product if you can say what you want it to do, such as hold curls or soften rough ends.
• Set the other cosmetic extras aside without throwing them away. Put your chosen bottles, comb and towel within reach before washing.

You change everything and lose track

• Choose one problem to work on. For tangled ends, first check whether conditioner reaches the underneath as well as the outer surface before buying another bottle.
• At the next wash, change just that placement while keeping the products and other steps familiar. Check whether the ends comb through more easily and feel comfortable once dry.
• A short note can help you remember what you tried. If a product stings or burns, rinse it off and stop using it rather than completing a trial.

Your roots get oily while the ends feel dry

• Clean the scalp with shampoo, using your finger pads and reaching the back as well as the front. Let the rinse run down the lengths without rubbing them together.
• Concentrate conditioner on rough lengths and ends, keeping easily flattened roots clear. Curlier sections can need it farther up the lengths.
• Adjust washing and conditioner placement separately. Care for oily hair covers greasy roots, while care for dry hair covers rough lengths and heavy-feeling products.

Detangling takes most of wash day

• Separate the hair into sections small enough to hold comfortably. Support one above the knot. With your other hand, loosen the tips before starting a little higher. Each comb stroke travels down toward the ends.
• Work curls or coils damp with conditioner for slip. Let freshly washed straight or loosely wavy hair partly dry first. Put the comb down before using both hands on a snag.
• Stop if the knot tightens or pulling hurts. Take a break and try a smaller section. Ask a stylist about a tight mat that will not loosen gently.

Keep a shampoo that cleans comfortably

• Start with a shampoo you already use without irritation. Give it a thorough rinse before deciding it leaves residue.
• If you are choosing between two you own, compare how your scalp feels after washing and how soon oil or dirt makes another wash necessary.
• Your consultation can help choose between them using your scalp needs, wash frequency and experience with each bottle.

Keep conditioner where it helps

• Spread rinse-out conditioner through the lengths that catch, including the underside of each section. Allow any waiting time on the bottle, then rinse it out.
• If the ends still feel rough once dry, try a small amount of leave-in conditioner there. Check whether it goes on wet, damp or dry hair. Skip it if the lengths already feel comfortable.
• If dried hair feels coated or flat, try less of that extra layer next time before replacing several products.

Use a styler when you want more hold

• Choose one gel or mousse if you want waves or curls to hold their shape. Use its hold and finish description to choose. The dictionary explains styling polymers.
• Check the amount and whether it goes on wet, damp or dry hair. Spread it through the areas you want to style, then let the hair dry before judging the result.
• If you prefer the finish without a styler, leave it out. A separate styling product can stay an occasional choice rather than part of every wash.

Reach the scalp without tangling the lengths

Wet the scalp and hair, then work ordinary shampoo over the front, sides, crown and nape with finger pads. Keep the lengths loose. This home-shower method separates wetting, shampooing and rinsing. Follow your shampoo’s amount and any contact time.

Cover the underneath as well as the ends

After rinsing out shampoo, bring wet lengths forward in small sections. Smooth rinse-out conditioner through the areas that catch and gently turn each section to reach underneath. Use the method with a conditioner that permits wet hand application to lengths and ends.

Use the separate basin method if it suits you

This method needs a deep basin, a handheld sprayer and a comfortable forward lean. It shows ordinary shampoo and conditioner rinsing. In your usual shower, rinse each product before the next. Smooth conditioned hair does not need to feel squeaky.

Apply protection before blow-drying

If you choose blow-drying, this method shows a pump heat-protectant spray on damp, detangled loose hair. Choose one made for that use. Flat or curling irons need their own preparation, with any dampness fully dried before the tool touches hair.