Wow, you must agree that when it comes to hair care, the market is filled with different types of shampoos, and it can be overwhelming to choose the right one.

Even here at Haste Urban Hair Spa, new brands are available to resolve hair concerns like lack of shine, volume, or texture. Still, while each formula benefits hair health and styling, you find quality shampoos that keep hair and scalp looking good.

These hair products keep your hair cleaner and hydrated for longer, but how do you choose one that works best for you?

As one of the best scalp therapy salons in Medford, MA, we are here to help you understand the different types of shampoos, how they work, and which one you should choose.

Types of Shampoos

1. Anti-Breakage Shampoo

When you have split ends or excessive hair shedding, we recommend you use an anti-breakage shampoo. The same applies if you have dyed, permed, relaxed, or bleached your hair.

These shampoos have a special formula that can include:

• Biotin
• Keratin
• Argan Oil
• Panthenol, also known as Vitamin B5
• Ceramides
• Niacinamide

These ingredients strengthen hair strands, reducing breakage while improving hair resilience during washing and styling. They also moisturize, repair surface damage, and minimize frizzing and tangling.

2. Anti-Frizz Shampoo

At our hair wellness spa, we recommend using an anti-frizz shampoo regularly to deal with your frizzy hair. Some causes of frizzy hair:

• If you have dry hair, it craves for added hydration
• You use hair products that contain sulfates
• Your hair goes through excessive friction against clothing
• You have a damaged hair cuticle, and it becomes a challenge for it to absorb and retain moisture

Another problem is humid climates activate frizz, and if your hair is thirsty, it drinks up all the available moisture to compensate for the lack of it.

To combat frizzy hair, use a silicone—and sulfate-free shampoo to nourish your hair from the inside out. This will help preserve and protect your natural hair texture from the environment.

3. Clarifying Shampoo

When you visit us for a professional scalp analysis, and we determine your hair is greasy or your scalp feels itchy, we recommend a clarifying shampoo. The same applies if your curls look limp or your product is no longer working.

When we do a scalp treatment, we sometimes use a clarifying shampoo to help remove buildup from your hair. Think of it as a reset button for your scalp and strands, giving them a deep clean.

Unlike your regular shampoo, these hair care products contain more potent cleansing agents like:

• Sodium lauryl sulfate
• Ammonium-sodium laureth sulfate
• Acidic ingredients (like acetic acid from vinegar or citrus extracts)

These ingredients help to remove heavy residue. Still, how often you should use them at home depends on the following:

• Oily scalp or product-heavy routine: once a week
• Dry, curly, or color-treated hair: once every 2–4 weeks
• Swimmers or athletes: 1–2 times per week

4. Color-Treated Shampoo

Whether you visit us for balayage or any other color treatment, we recommend using a color-treated shampoo. These shampoos have a special formula to protect your chemically treated or colored hair.

These shampoos are sulfate-free, have a low pH formula, and contain moisturizing ingredients. Pair your shampoo with a color-protecting conditioner and rinse your hair with cool water.

Read our detailed article here for a more detailed explanation of what color-treated shampoo to choose. There are different types available.

5. Curl-Defining Shampoo

A curl-defining shampoo is excellent for wavy (2A-2C), curly (3A-3C), or coily (4A-4C) hair. With the shampoo, you can enhance, hydrate, and shape your natural curls to reduce frizz and keep it hydrated.

Instead of only cleaning your hair, it helps to bring out your natural curl pattern, giving it a more defined look. When used at home, we recommend you do the following:

• Use lukewarm water, as it helps prevent dryness and frizz.
• Pair your shampoo with a curl-defining conditioner, or use a curl cream.
• Use a wide-tooth comb or your fingers to detangle your hair while the conditioner is in.
• Leave your curls to dry, or use a diffuser attachment to blow dry your hair.

6. Dandruff Shampoo

At Haste, we have the best scalp treatment for dandruff and flakes, but you can also invest in a dandruff shampoo to use at home between your treatments.

The formulation treats and prevents dandruff. It contains active ingredients to target the Malassezia fungus and help with scalp inflammation. The shampoo removes the flakes, controls fungal growth, soothes the scalp, and helps reduce itchiness.

Still, when it comes to choosing one, you must consider a few things:

7. Detox Shampoo

Okay, is the detox shampoo not the same as a clarifying one? While they might have the same purpose, a detox shampoo removes impurities from your hair and scalp.

When you visit us for a scalp detox in Massachusetts, we will use a detox shampoo to help purify your scalp and clear it from oil, dandruff flakes, and styling product buildup. The shampoo also helps unclog hair follicles and remove toxins and pollutants.

Furthermore, you should use a detox shampoo as follow if you have the following scalp concerns and hair:

• Oily scalps or heavy product users: 1–2 times per week
• Dry or curly hair: Every 2–4 weeks
• Before a treatment or hair coloring session: Once right before

Another important note is not to overuse these types of shampoos, as they can dry out the hair. Instead, follow them up with a hydrating conditioner or a deep mask.

8. Dry Shampoo

If you do not wash your hair daily, you can use dry shampoo in between washes to help absorb excess oil and refresh your hair. Dry shampoo comes in two forms: aerosol spray and powder. Both work the same way, as they have oil-absorbing ingredients.

These shampoos are best if you have oily roots, as you cannot wash your hair daily, and they help add volume and texture if you have fine hair. Still, it is worth noting that they do not clean your hair and will not remove product buildup to sweat.

You should not replace it with your regular shampoo, as overusing it can lead to clogged follicles, scalp buildup, and irritation.

9. Hydrating Shampoo

We recommend hydrating shampoo if you have dry, brittle, frizzy, curly, wavy, coily, color-treated, or chemically processed hair. The shampoo will moisturize your dry hair and also wash away buildup.

These types of shampoos will:

• Cleanse your hair without stripping natural oils
• Replenish the moisture and soften the texture
• Improves elasticity to help reduce breakage
• It prepares your hair for conditioning and other treatments

Hydrating shampoo pulls more moisture into the hair shaft than a moisturizing shampoo. Use it with your leave-in conditioner, hair mask, oil, and heat protectant.

10. Moisturizing Shampoo

Invest in a moisturizing shampoo to lock in moisture, make your hair more manageable, or soften it. It is ideal for dry, frizzy, heat-damaged, or color-treated hair—the shampoo locks in moisture to retain it. You can combine it with a moisturizing conditioner, leave-in cream, serum, hair oils, or masks for ultimate softness.

11. Scalp Care Shampoo

Now, in the scalp care range, you can find different types of shampoos to cleanse, soothe, and balance your scalp instead of focusing on your hair. Here at our hair and scalp spa, we believe that healthy hair starts at the root.

These shampoos help remove buildup from oil, sweat, and products, exfoliate dead skin cells, and calm itchiness, irritation, and flakiness. They will balance oil production while stimulating the blood flow to encourage healthier hair growth and treat different scalp conditions.

When you visit us for a scalp exfoliating treatment, we will use a scalp care shampoo specific to your condition.

12. Regular Shampoo

Now, regular shampoo will not address specific concerns like breakage or dandruff and is more for general-purpose use. So, if you have a healthy scalp and hair, these shampoos will provide you with a reliable clean. They are best for normal hair and scalps that are not too oily or dry, do not use heavy styling products, and do not deal with hair or scalp issues.

13. Volumizing Shampoo

Lastly, you get the volumizing shampoo to add lift, fullness, and body to your flat, fine, or limp hair. The shampoo will remove heavy residue and oils that can weigh your hair down. If you have fine or thin hair, you can use shampoo to prep it before styling or blow-drying to prevent the roots from falling flat later in the day.

What Type of Shampoo Should You Choose

Oily Scalp

• Avoid using a shampoo that hydrates, moisturizes, or smooths it if you have curly hair.
• We recommend looking for labels that mention balancing, strengthening, and volumizing, as these help remove excess oil.
• We recommend using a clarifying shampoo for an oily scalp but not overuse it.
• Take your time working the shampoo into the scalp, rinse well, and avoid using conditioner.

Dry Scalp

• Avoid fortifying, volumizing, and strengthening shampoos, as they can strip your scalp of needed moisture.
• If you have a dry scalp that does not itch or flake, we recommend looking for a shampoo that promotes hydration, moisture, and smoothing.
• Do not use sulfate-content shampoos, as they will dry out your hair more.

Healthy Scalp

If you do not have an oily or dry scalp, we recommend choosing your shampoo based on your hair type and the results you want to achieve.

Invest in moisturizing shampoos for curly, thick, and coarse hair lacking moisture. You can use a volumizing shampoo if you have fine hair or an anti-breakage one if your hair is damaged. But a regular shampoo is the best option if you need something in the middle of the road.

A curly hair shampoo can add moisture and prevent frizz without weighing down the locks.

Wrap-Up: Different Types of Shampoos

Your hair is essential to your well-being and how you feel about yourself. Being mindful of the hair products you choose can enhance its appearance and health. While different types of shampoos are available, we know they can be overwhelming, but we hope the above will help you select the correct one.

Still, if you are unsure about what type of shampoo to choose, why not visit us for a consultation to determine what will work best for you? Book your appointment for the best self-care hair treatment in Boston today to ensure your hair and scalp remains healthy.

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