Wonder if you are washing your hair the right way? Washing hair isn’t a hard process – you just wet, shampoo, rinse¹ your hair, apply conditioner or hair mask and then again rinse, and that’s it. Nothing complicated, but washing your hair properly can seriously make a difference. Here’s the ultimate hair washing guide to follow:

想知道如何正确地清洗头发吗？洗发本身并没什么难的——你只需打湿头发、抹上洗发水、冲洗干净、再使用护发素或发膜、最后洗净即可。但是，有了合适的方法确实会让你事半功倍。以下就为你列出清洗头发的终极指南：

1. Begin with a hot rinse

1. 先用热水冲洗

You probably know the rule – don’t wash your hair with hot water. Well, it’s true, partially². I always thought that hot water is absolutely bad for my hair health until I met a beauty expert who shared the secret of hot rinse with me. When you wet your hair with a hot water (but not very hot, of course!), it helps to open up the pores and the cuticle³, and remove any dirt more effectively. This, in turn, helps your conditioner or hair mask absorb better.

你也许听说过这么个法则——不要用热水洗头。我只能说，这句话部分正确。从前，我也一直认为热水绝对会损伤发质，直到我遇到一位美容专家，他给我分享了冲洗头发的秘诀。当你用热水打湿头发的时候（当然啦，肯定不能太烫），你的毛孔和角质层会被打开，有助于更有效地洗去污垢，进而帮助护发素或发膜更好地吸收。

2. Wash the scalp

2. 清洗头皮

The popular way to apply shampoo is all over the hair and scalp. This popular way is actually a wrong way. Apply your shampoo to the scalp only, massage⁴ it gently and rinse it with warm water. If your hair is too dirty and oily, then after you apply your shampoo to your scalp, lather⁵ it in your hands and gently move it over the strands⁶. There’s no need to shampoo your hair twice or use a lot of product.

用洗发水最常见的方法是将其覆盖所有的头发和整个头皮，而事实上，这是错的。正确的做法是：把洗发水仅仅用在头皮上，轻轻按摩，接着用温水洗净。如果头发过脏或过油的话，在用洗发水洗完头皮之后，把洗发水在手上揉搓起泡，沿着发丝向下涂抹。用两遍洗发水或是用太多都是没有必要的。

Although most shampoo brand’s instructions recommend us to shampoo hair twice before using a conditioner or a hair mask, I think it’s just a trick to make us use the product faster and spend money on a new one. Handful of shampoo is enough to wash a very dirty or greasy⁷ hair, so don’t overdo⁸ it. Over-shampooing strips away the natural oils from the scalp and causes dryness, dandruff and irritation⁹.

虽然在大多数品牌洗发水的产品使用说明上，都推荐我们用两遍洗发水后再使用护发素或者发膜，但我认为这只不过是诱导我们更快地用完他们的产品，然后再赶紧买新的。掌心大小的洗发水就足够洗净非常脏而油腻的头发了，所以不必过度地清洗。过度清洗会带走头皮中自带的油脂而导致头发过干，还会导致头屑和静电。

3. Don’t apply your conditioner to the scalp

3. 护发素不要接触头皮

Whether you have oily or dry hair, never apply your hair conditioner to the scalp. Not only do you waste the product, you make your hair look greasy, which means you’ll want to wash your hair again the next day. As you probably know, washing your hair each day is bad for your hair health, so use your conditioner from the mid-length to the tips and rinse it with warm water.

不论你是油性或干性发质，都不要让护发素接触头皮。这样不仅浪费了你的护发素，还会使头发看起来很油腻。这样一来，第二天你就又想洗头了。你也许已经知道，每天洗头是会损伤发质的，所以正确做法是在从头发的中部到发尾部分使用护发素，最后用温水洗净。

4. Add shine to your locks with a cold rinse

4. 用冷水冲洗，提亮秀发

This step is for the bravest women, probably. Really, I couldn’t imagine rinsing¹⁰ my hair with cold water. Once I tried, I saw the difference, and now I always finish my hair washing with a cold rinse to add luster¹¹ to my locks. I can’t rinse my hair with a very cold water (maybe because I prefer hot showers over cold ones) but a slightly cold water works well for me. Give a cold rinse a try and let me know how it works for you.

这一步也许是为勇敢的女性们准备的。说实话，我起先根本不敢想象自己用冷水冲洗头发。而当我试过一次以后，就发现发质大有改观，现在我一直在最后用冷水冲洗以提亮秀发。我受不了用太冷的水（也许是因为我更喜欢洗热水澡吧），但是略微有点冷的水对我来说就有很好的效果。试一下冷水冲洗吧，然后告诉我这有多有效。

5. Use your conditioner first

5. 先使用护发素

This rule isn’t for every woman. If you have trouble washing your hair or you have a very long hair, try conditioning your hair before using your regular shampoo. This way, you prevent any hair damage and wash your long hair faster. If you don’t have conditioner, you can use a small amount of your hair mask – just don’t leave it for 20 minutes.

这一条并不适用于所有女性。如果你洗起头来有困难或者头发特别长，可以试试在用洗发水前先抹一遍护发素。这样可以防止对头发的损伤，也会使洗头这个过程更快。如果没有护发素的话，也可以用少许发膜，只要别让它在头发上停留二十分钟就行了。

I know, it sounds complicated, but once you turn this hair washing guide into a habit, you won’t notice how you make your hair healthy and shiny. So, ladies, let’s be honest, which of you do wash your hair the right way? Do you find these hints helpful? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

我知道这些听起来有些复杂，但当你习惯了这些洗发指南，就会发现意想不到的效果。女士们，说实话，你们当中有多少人的洗发方式全都正确呢？是不是觉得这些小贴士很有用？那就赶快分享起来吧！