Shampooing, Conditioning and Scalp Care
What this domain tests
The purpose of each product type, how surfactants and conditioners work, correct water temperature and massage technique, and the judgement to select and adapt a shampoo routine to the scalp in front of you.
Products and chemistry
- Anionic surfactants (e.g. SLES) do the main cleaning; amphoteric (e.g. cocamidopropyl betaine) soften the formula; non-ionic agents thicken and stabilise; cationic quats and silicones condition by attaching to the negatively charged hair surface.
- Conditioning types: surface (smooths cuticle), moisturising (humectants draw in water), protein (temporarily patches damage). Heavier conditioners belong on mid-lengths and ends, not on a fine, oily scalp.
- Water should be lukewarm; hot water strips colour and stimulates sebum.
Massage and scalp care
Use the pads of the fingers, never the nails: effleurage (gliding), petrissage (kneading) and friction (small circular movements), working from the hairline to the crown and back. Contraindications: broken skin, contagious scalp conditions such as lice or ringworm, acute eczema or psoriasis, recent chemical service, unexplained hair loss.
Worked example
A client has an oily scalp, fine hair and a recent colour. Choose a mild balancing shampoo with few conditioning agents, shampoo twice (first pass removes sebum, second gives useful lather), condition mid-lengths and ends only, and rinse for at least 30 seconds longer than feels necessary. If flaking suggests seborrhoeic dermatitis, recommend a medicated shampoo at the manufacturer's contact time of 3–5 minutes, twice weekly, and refer if the scalp is inflamed.
Traps that cost marks
Scratching the scalp with nails; conditioner applied to the roots of fine hair; massage over an undiagnosed scalp condition; under-rinsing; scalding water temperature.