Shampooing, Scalp Care, and Conditioning
Draping and the analysis
Shampooing starts at the chair, not the bowl: a clean towel over the cape and a neck strip so nothing but the strip touches skin. Do a quick scalp analysis before water - look for abrasions, flakes, redness, lice, or ringworm. Contagious or broken skin means no service and a referral.
Water and product
Use warm, not hot, water and test it before it reaches the client. Emulsify a small amount of shampoo in the palms, apply to the scalp first, and use the pads of the fingers, never the nails. Match product to condition: clarifying for buildup, moisturizing or sulfate-free for dry or color-treated hair, medicated only for the condition on its label and never as a substitute for medical treatment.
Manipulations
The standard sequence is effleurage (gliding), then petrissage (kneading), then tapotement (percussion) if used at all, finishing with effleurage. Shampoo-bowl massage is light and concentrated on scalp and neck; vigorous work belongs to a treatment service and only when there are no contraindications.
Conditioning and finish
Conditioner goes mid-shaft to ends first and scalp last, because the scalp produces its own oil. Surface conditioners coat the cuticle, penetrating conditioners enter the cortex, and protein conditioners temporarily fill damage and can harden hair if overused. Rinse thoroughly, blot rather than rub with a towel, and comb from the ends upward.
Rule of thumb: for hard water or heavy product buildup, one clarifying wash beats three ordinary ones.