The “care” of hair is of greater social importance than perhaps is immediately apparent. It is a key component of the so-called “physical attractiveness phenomenon” and is the last aspect of our appearance we attend to in the mirror as we leave for work or play.
Advice on haircare is an increasingly frequent part of the dermatologist/trichologist’s role. Patients with diffuse hair loss, the recovering alopecia areata, and post-chemotherapy patients all rightly expect cosmetic advice as part of holistic management.
In recent decades, haircare products have been transformed from the functional but often unpleasant, to versatile and creative and quality-of-life enhancing. A haircare regimen includes a basic cleansing and conditioning product often with a number of variants to meet consumer needs. These products are generally used separately, and conditioning usage is much less than shampoo. Combination, or 2-in-1, products developed by Procter and Gamble in the late 1980s delivered for the first time cleansing and conditioning benefi ts from a single bottle.
Regimen ranges were classically designed for three hair types: normal, dry, or damaged hair. Subsequent generations of products were created to deliver a desired end-benefit, such as “smooth and sleek,” “perfect curls,” and “color radiant.” A range of styling products to create long-lasting styles has also emerged to complement the cleansing and conditioning products. These can enhance or alter most common aesthetic styling problems. Foremost among these is the control of “volume,” either too little or too much. Managing frizzy hair is important and products for so-called “ethnic” hair are emerging.
