Rachel Rivera [00:00:02]:
I always recommend to stay away from any kind of hard hold hairspray, especially if you are not washing your hair every day or even like a hard pasty, like a really hard crunchy gel. Because what happens is that it sits in the hair. And then when you’re naturally, when you’re brushing through your hair, if that hold is really hard, you will rip out some hair as you are brushing again. Those things, if you’re going to use them, you want to make sure that you are washing at the end of your night before you turn into bed. Wash out that hair. And it’s a lot more than just rinsing. You need to really take all of that stuff out because you can brush the hair and you can actually pull and tear hair.
Kevin Rolston [00:00:54]:
Welcome to HairPod, the podcast where you get to hear real people talk about their hair journeys. I’m your host, Kevin Ralston, and each week I get to interview people from different walks of life whose lives have been touched by hair loss in some form or fashion. Many of our guests have experienced hair loss themselves and found a way to get their confidence and their hair back. If you’ve got a hair system or you’re just trying to take better care of your natural hair, you’ve probably asked yourself, am I doing this right? Well, today’s episode is all about care. Not just styling and shampooing, but understanding what your hair actually needs, whether it’s growing from your scalp or not. I’m back with my stylist, Rachel Rivera from HairClub to break down what it really takes to maintain great hair health. We’re talking about the difference between caring for a hair system and natural hair, what ingredients to look out for in your shampoos and conditioners, and yes, even whether using the hard hold hair gel might be doing more damage than good. From dry scalp to heat damage to the myths behind biotin and fancy hair commercials, we are cutting through the noise.
Kevin Rolston [00:02:03]:
Whether you’re rocking a system like me or just trying to keep your hair happy and healthy, Rachel’s got the answers. The first thing I would like to.
Kevin Rolston [00:02:17]:
Know, because I have a hair system from HairClub. How does that differ when you’re doing someone with a hair system compared to someone that has a full head of natural hair? If the hair system is on, is it radically different in how you treat and style the hair?
Rachel Rivera [00:02:34]:
How you treat and style the hair would pretty much be as if you are, you know, washing and styling and doing your own hair. However, the difference is, is that you know when it comes to a head of hair in your systems. What you’re having to do is you’re having to put a little extra moisture into the hair that we’ve added on and blend it in with your own hair. We have to understand that the hair is not growing from your scalp, so it is lacking the nutrients that your hair would normally have, as if you were growing it out. So what we do is we create an entire line of shampoos and conditioners that will give you that extra touch of conditioning in the hair that the hair needs.
Kevin Rolston [00:03:10]:
Okay. So HairClub is taking that into consideration and what you’re using. And the question I have for somebody that’s not up to a hair system level like what I’m doing, speak to shampoos and conditioners because I know some are probably better for you than others. Some may strip away too many oils and affect that. Are there certain things that you should watch out for if you’re a person right now that you’re not looking to a hair system like what I have, but you want to have optimal hair health and you’re worried about your scalp and how you might be treating it. What are some of the things, maybe it might be shampoos or other things that is making your scalp not friendly to hair growth.
Rachel Rivera [00:03:46]:
One of the biggest things that you’ll find, and unfortunately, and I hate to throw out lines, but a lot of your store bought brands, when it comes to shampoos and conditioners, especially with shampoos, have a lot of. It’s an ingredient called sodium lauryl sulfate. What those do is that actually strips the hair of any kind of conditioning that your scalp needs to give the hair the nutrition and the moisture that your hair needs in order to grow properly. A lot of the times what it’s doing is it’s stripping your hair. And unfortunately a lot of the conditioners that you find out there, you know, everything is made up of molecules. So the molecules in conditioners are sitting big, which means that when it goes onto your hair and you’re moisturizing the hair, it will literally rinse right out. So not only are you stripping your hair away, but you’re also not conditioning it the proper way. Unfortunately, a lot of these store bought shampoos and conditioners all have the same thing.
Kevin Rolston [00:04:43]:
You threw out a really fancy word right there. What is that you need to avoid again?
Rachel Rivera [00:04:48]:
Sodium lauryl sulfate. It is actually a stripping agent that comes in most shampoos and what it does is it also gives you that feeling of the bubbles in the hair when you’re washing the hair makes the hair feel real clean.
Kevin Rolston [00:05:03]:
I was Talking to a Dr. Koppelman here some episodes ago on the HairPod, and he had talked about biotin, which I’ve even heard in some hair shampoo commercials. They’re like, ooh, it’s got biotin. Like, this is, you know, great. And he really said that was kind of a BS thing, that it wasn’t a factor for good hair growth in the marketing of some of these things. Can you tell me other things that you should avoid or what are some things that they may try to sell you? Because a lot of us are novices. We don’t know if they put in a commercial and they emphasize a word like biotin. You’re like, well, I guess it’s gotta be good because they’re emphasizing it.
Kevin Rolston [00:05:38]:
But really, it’s kind of a marketing scam. Are there other things? What can you educate us on when it comes to shampoos and conditioners? Any other things we should be aware of?
Rachel Rivera [00:05:46]:
Well, I was going to say biotin in order for it to work properly. And even then I want. I’m going to back that with a lot of it being BS because what happens is that people look for hair and skin and nail growth and of course, those are great. But when you’re finding it in a shampoo, it’s really not going to do anything. Again, those are all done at a surface level. When it comes to hair health, really, there’s nothing better than vitamins that you would take internal. I really. And, you know, I’m a big proponent of Nutrafol.
Rachel Rivera [00:06:17]:
I like Nutrafol. I think it works great. Those are vitamins that take care of the hair from the inside out. Really, when it comes to shampoos and conditioners, anything that I love, Nioxin. Those are things that will help keep the hair, grow the hair, keep the hair nice and soft. Clean that scalp, anything that you need. Those are really your most important things. I have a list of shampoos and conditioners that if you know your own hair, your own growing hair, there’s tons of shampoos that I know that are amazing for you.
Kevin Rolston [00:06:50]:
Where do you get these shampoos? And do you have any brand names? And what are some things that I should look for? I mean, I’ve heard people using horse shampoo.
Rachel Rivera [00:06:58]:
Like Mane and Tail?
Kevin Rolston [00:07:00]:
Yeah, like Mane and Tail.
Kevin Rolston [00:07:02]:
Is that something?
Kevin Rolston [00:07:02]:
If you’re using that right now, are you using a good shampoo for good hair health?
Rachel Rivera [00:07:07]:
I don’t think that I can put that seal of approval on Mane and Tail. I don’t know. I’ve never personally used it. I have no idea. I like a lot of so when you can get a lot of professional hairlines pretty much at the store, any kind of salon that you go to, aside from, I know that hair club, we have our own branded line that I use as well on my own hair. But you know, your Redkens, your biologist. I absolutely love Biolage. It is one of my personal favorites.
Rachel Rivera [00:07:38]:
They will literally cover everything from breakage and stressed and colored hair to your regular wavy curly hair that just is lacking moisture. Different hair brands for different types of hair as well. I know Mizani is also a line that’s made for textured hair. Any woman with curls, any man with curls, anyone looking for that extra moisture in the hair. There are different types of brands for pretty much anything that you’re looking for. But when I always go to a brand, I’m always going to give you the professional line. And those can be purchased again at any salon, anywhere you’re looking for. Sometimes you can even find them at CVS and Walgreens.
Rachel Rivera [00:08:21]:
It depends on who has them.
Kevin Rolston [00:08:23]:
Is this a true statement? The more you spend on a shampoo or conditioner, the better it’s always going to be.
Rachel Rivera [00:08:29]:
I don’t know if I would necessarily say that. I do believe you are going to pay more money for a really good shampoo. I don’t want to put that statement on there that all of it is going to be great for you. I do believe in professional lines. I think that they have a good backing and they’re backed by science and a lot of these have been proven to work.
Kevin Rolston [00:08:53]:
When it comes to shampoos and conditioners, the key is knowing what your hair actually needs, whether you have a hair system or not. With a hair system, you’re still washing and caring for your hair as if it’s your own. But you have to be a little bit more thoughtful about moisture and avoiding harsh ingredients that can wear the system down. If you’re rocking your natural hair, the same thing applies. Knowing what shampoo and conditioner to buy and what to avoid can make all the difference. And the same goes for styling. Just because you bought a product that holds your hair in place, it doesn’t. It doesn’t mean it’s doing your hair or your system any favors.
Kevin Rolston [00:09:29]:
So what should you be avoiding when it comes to gels, sprays and pastes? Rachel breaks it down.
Rachel Rivera [00:09:39]:
I always recommend to stay away from any kind of hard hold hairspray, especially if you Are not washing your hair every day.
Kevin Rolston [00:09:48]:
Okay.
Rachel Rivera [00:09:49]:
Or even like a hard, pasty, like a really hard crack, crunchy gel. Because what happens is that it sits in the hair. And then when you’re naturally, when you’re brushing through your hair, if that hold is really hard, you will rip out some hair as you are brushing again. Those things, if you’re going to use them, you want to make sure that you are washing at the end of your night before you turn into bed, wash out that hair. And it’s a lot more than just rinsing. You need to really take all of that stuff out because you can brush the hair and you can actually brush, pull and tear hair.
Kevin Rolston [00:10:21]:
What should determine how frequently you wash your hair?
Rachel Rivera [00:10:24]:
If your hair is very, very oily, to the point where at the end of your day you look like you haven’t washed your hair in a few days. You do want to wash your hair every day. I do not. Personally, I probably wash my hair about every three days. My hair is not super oily. I also don’t tell people that I want to want them to wash their hair every day. I’m usually the advocate for every two or three days, wash the hair, make sure it’s fresh and clean. Some people can go up to a week and not have to wash their hair, depending on the moisture of their scalp.
Rachel Rivera [00:10:56]:
Scalp is very, very different. But if you get to that point where you’re kind of oily every day and the end of the day you kind of. It doesn’t look its best and it’s got that greasy feel, just go ahead and give it a quick wash.
Kevin Rolston [00:11:08]:
Okay. On the reverse side of it, you know, there’s some people that have really dry skin. Maybe they have dandruff. Maybe even somebody has a condition like psoriasis. Do either of those two things, does that contribute to people’s hair loss?
Rachel Rivera [00:11:21]:
I think in a point where it will get severe and it is untreated, I believe so, yeah. I think that any kind of scalp condition that is not treated or taken care of can get to a point where it is so bad that it will hinder any kind of hair growth.
Kevin Rolston [00:11:37]:
And how would you treat something like that? Because I know you could go into a regular grocery store and buy a head and shoulders or something like that. But is. Is that going to contain chemicals, Are going to be bad for maintaining my hair? And will it promote hair loss? Are there things I should stay away from? And then how do I get it treated if I have that?
Rachel Rivera [00:11:55]:
You always want to make sure My biggest thing is if you start with it with a shampoo. First of all, head and shoulders, again, would not be my go to any kind of like Neutrogena tea gel, anything that is intended for scalp health. Anything with tea tree. Those are kind of the things that you want to focus on first. If you feel like with shampoo and conditioner alone, or maybe even those treatments that you’re buying are not working for you, that’s something that definitely I would be reaching out to a dermatologist for. Get to the source. You want to get to the source of anything that is going on with your scalp because anything that throws the scalp off will have an effect on hair growth.
Kevin Rolston [00:12:35]:
You mentioned a tea tree oil. Are there other things aside from a shampoo, a conditioner that you could recommend? They would promote a good scalp that is ready to grow hair. What kind of things would you treat naturally? Are there any kind of oils, minerals, things like that that you could use?
Rachel Rivera [00:12:54]:
Nothing really. I always want to say that scalp health, when you wash it, if you feel like you need again, I love argan oil. I think it’s one of the great things. If you feel like you’re a little bit drier, you put a little moisture in there as well. One of the biggest things I like to tell people is just make sure that the scalp is clean and breathable. That’s really one of the biggest things. Scalp health starts with you just washing the hair. Anything extra that you may need.
Rachel Rivera [00:13:22]:
Again, because you know, I’m not a doctor, those are things that I can personally recommend. Anything that might use, like a T gel or anything that is made for any kind of dandruff or scalp conditions that you have. But really, that source you always want to go to a dermatologist for, especially if it is bothering you, those are some of the biggest things.
Kevin Rolston [00:13:45]:
Keeping your scalp clean, balanced and breathable is a big part of supporting your health. Whether you’re trying to grow hair, hold on to the hair you’ve got, or caring for scalp beneath your hair system. If you’re dealing with conditions like dandruff or psoriasis, sometimes the best thing you can do is skip the guesswork and talk to a professional. But scalp care is just one piece of the puzzle. Styling your hair can have just as big of an impact on your hair’s length and strength. No matter how you style your hair, you could be causing damage without even knowing it. So how do you get that salon look without burning your strands or your system?
Rachel Rivera [00:14:26]:
So when it comes to I like the thing with the heat, because tremendous heat and pulling on the hair can also cause damage. You want to make sure that when you are doing your hair. If my hair is curly and I’m blow drying and straight again, that also comes in the factor where I’m not washing my hair every day. You don’t want to use excessive heat on the hair. Excessive heat on the hair, yes, you can heat style. I’m not on here saying that you can’t curl your hair, you can’t flat iron your hair. But what happens with time is the more you put heat on the hair, the more pressure you put on the hair is always going to be detrimental to any kind of growth. The ball cap thing, I heard a long time ago, I don’t think that that does anything to the hair.
Rachel Rivera [00:15:09]:
Put that hat on, you’re fine. Color as well, when you are taking color out. Color is also one of the biggest things that if you are misusing color, if you are at home and doing color and bleaching your hair, those are also detriments. I’ve seen people literally with chunks of hair coming out from over, processing hair, over processing hair, over relaxing. Any kind of heavy pulling, tight braids, cornrows, anything with excessive tension will also pull your hair out. Those are things that you want to stay away from.
Kevin Rolston [00:15:45]:
Wow. Now, when you blow dry your hair, is it better to use the cold function? Does it matter what you know? Because I, I know with those hair dryers, if you do have it on the hotter, is that enough that it’s going to be causing damage or how extreme does it have to be before the heat of your hair dryer starts causing damage?
Rachel Rivera [00:16:03]:
I usually do a medium heat. Oh, you use cool function.
Kevin Rolston [00:16:06]:
I do. Because I, I didn’t know. I’m like. Well, I’ve heard the heat could damage it. So I just keep it on cool. Some days when it’s a chilly day, you’re kind of freezing, blow drying your hair. So that’s kind of an issue.
Rachel Rivera [00:16:17]:
But no, you can use medium heat. As long as it’s not excessively hot. Every blow dryer will have a cooling function. It will have your extremely hot and it will have your middle of the road. Now when I’m, you know, when I’m doing a shampoo style and somebody’s hair is curlier, I do have a tendency to put on the heat. But what I do is that the motion that I’m using with my round brush to straighten the hair is done in a nice solid, straight tension motion so that I’m not over pulling the hair. And I’m also not letting the heat sit there and concentrate on the hair to the point of of it causing any kind of breakage. But right around there, I would do like the middle of the road when I blow dry my hair.
Rachel Rivera [00:16:59]:
I do a medium heat with a blow dryer and my round brush. Medium heat is kind of the best way to go.
Kevin Rolston [00:17:05]:
Is there a certain kind of brush that you would recommend? Are there brushes that you could be getting that are actually damaging your hair?
Rachel Rivera [00:17:12]:
I think a lot of the brushes across the board are pretty good. I don’t want to say that there’s one that’s worse than others. You’re always going to find different hair brushes, round brushes for different textures of hair. You have your boar bristles that are intended for your curlier hairs. Those give the most tension and straightening. I use a regular round brush with a ceramic middle and nice loose little teeth so that my hair glides. You want to avoid, if you’re doing any kind of blow drying, especially for women, you want to avoid any kind of brush that has those little tips on them because the tips can get stuck. They can also get burned as you’re.
Kevin Rolston [00:17:50]:
Blow drying your hair.
Rachel Rivera [00:17:51]:
So you do want to stay away from those with brushing, it’s fine. But when it comes to a blow dryer, you want to stay away from any of those tips.
Kevin Rolston [00:17:58]:
I’ve seen my wife has done this with a round brush. She brings it all the way up to her scalp and then she’s pulling on it as she’s blow drying. And to me, I would think that would be really tearing out your hair. Do you have to be careful? Is there a certain level of strength or how hard you should go at a technique like that? Because I would imagine that for some women that is actually taking out a lot of their hair.
Rachel Rivera [00:18:21]:
It depends when you’re doing the blow drying. I try not to over pull. And what happens is that unfortunately, like when you go to, there’s tons of salons, but when you go to salons where there’s a lot of women that have that super, super curly hair, they are pulling the hair. And honestly, in my belief in doing hair as long as I have, I just don’t see that that ever being any kind of good for you. My tension is always nice and strong, but I’m not going to over pull. I feel like everybody kind of has their own way of like, until you feel the pain, you shouldn’t have to feel pain in a blow dry. The tension should be good it should be nice, but you also don’t want to over pull.
Kevin Rolston [00:19:06]:
So whether you’re working working with your natural hair or wearing a hair system like I do, the journey from shampoo to style isn’t really all that different. We talked about what to look for and what to avoid in your products, how to keep your scalp healthy, and why things like heat styling and tight tension can cause more harm than good if you’re not careful. At the end of the day, it’s not about chasing trends or copying somebody else’s routine. It’s about learning what you need. Your hair, your scalp, your system. They’re all unique and the better you understand them, the better you’ll care for them. Big thanks to Rachel Rivera as always, keeping it real and giving us the tools to treat our hair with a little more knowledge and a lot more care. For more inspirational stories and words of wisdom from people like Rachel, make sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast app.
Kevin Rolston [00:19:56]:
Thanks for listening to another episode of HairPod. Check us out at HairClub on Instagram or search HairPod on Facebook to continue the conversation. If you know someone who could benefit from hearing this episode, we would love it if you would share it with them. If you’re enjoying the show, consider leaving us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. We also have a website. Check it out by going to podcast.hairclub.com we’re here to build people up and share real stories so people experiencing hair loss feel a little bit less alone. And when you share, review and subscribe, it helps us do just that. So thank you.
Kevin Rolston [00:20:34]:
Until next time.
