"The Men’s Hair Book" by Rogelio Samson

• The key point to obtaining great-looking hair is to abide by your hair-mangement equation at all times, aiming to see your hair management as a system that follows an order and that has actions implemented throughout so as to give you a customized solution for your hair.
• Like all things in life, if you want to truly succeed in something, you need to put an effort into it and learn all there is to it.
• Your hair-management equation is a mere sum of 3 aspects: hair profiling, hair grooming, and hair care, for which the total equates great-looking, convenient hair.
• Hair grooming is composed of 3 stages that are implemented every day: cleaning, conditioning and styling.
• The hair-profiling elements are your hair type, hair lengths, curl factor, and norwood stage.
• MPB (Male Pattern Baldness) is a form of balding that is progressive, and it is categorized in 7 stages via the Hamilton-Norwood scale. The balding inflicted by MPB is irreversible and can hit a male at any age and of any background, although there is a strong genetic component to it.
• There are 4 hair shapes available that a male can grow atop his head: straight, wavy, curly, and kinky. These shapes are what I term “types”, and the difference between each of these 4 types is merely to do with how each type curls as it grows from the follicle.
• Extended length is the length of your hair when it is in a fully-flattened state.
• Visible length is the length of your hair when it is in its natural non-flattened state.
• These are the categories of hair length:
• near-shaved: This length category ranges from freshly shaved to 0.125 inches of extended length (or a #1 in a hair clipper).
• short: This extended length category ranges from 0.125 inches to 2 inches of extended length.
• medium: This extended length category ranges from 2 inches to 6 inches of extended length.
• long: This extended length category goes from 6 inches of extended length and beyond.
• Out of the 3 hair-length elements, the one that you should know at all times is your extended length category.
• Every male will sooner or later start to bald.
• MPB is characterized by progressive receding of the frontal hairline with concomitant loss of hair density all over the scalp.
• To carry out the identifying of your current Norwood stage, take pictures of the front, side, and top of your head, and then compare those pictures to the pictures of you when you were going through puberty. Try to notice any differences in your hairline and overall density, and then put yourself into a Norwood stage.
• Your hair grooming is composed of 3 sequential stages: cleaning, conditioning, and styling.
• Remember that you want the shampoo to do most of its work on the scalp, not along the full length of the hair strands.
• Shampoos are powerful cleaning agents, so bear that in mind when using them as improperly-used shampoo will dry out your moisturized and sebuminised mane in an instant.
• You do not want the shampoo to be doing much of its job close to the ends of your hair; instead, you want the shampoo to clean your scalp and remove any excessive sebum accumulation on the segment of the shaft closest to the scalp.
• The optimal shampooing frequency to use is highly individual and will vary from one male to another, although just about all men benefit from shampooing anywhere from “every other day” to “once a week”, and it is within this range that you have to find out your optimal frequency.
• I want you to start skipping the shampooing every other day, or what I call 1 on/1 off, with “on” being your shopping day and “off” being your non-shampooing day. This is your starting point. From there onwards, you will start adding an extra “off” day every 2 weeks until you find out your optimal shampooing frequency.
• It will be once you satisfy these 5 indicators that you will have found out your optimal shampooing frequency:
• your hair looks fuller
• your hair will start to look less dry
• your hair will feel smoother upon running your fingers through it
• your scalp doesn’t have an overaccumulation of sebum
• your hair looks defined
• The sebum coating method consists of using your fingers to spread the scalp sebum across the whole length of the hair strands so as to manually aid your locks getting coated with this precious endogenous oil. This submission method is performed on the days that you do not shampoo as these are the days when your secreted sebum is not removed by the shampoo.
• By doing the sebum coating method, you will be keeping your hair conditioned and dirt free on your “off” days.
• To do the sebum coating method, you need to completely soak your hair in water as if you were going to shampoo and then run your fingers gently through several hair locks at a time, with the finger-running motion starting from the base of the grabbed locks (scalp) and running to the very end of their length (tip). You run your fingers through the set of grabbed locks as water runs on it, and you only run your fingers through each set of locks once. The most efficient way to run your fingers is to pinch the thumb, index and middle fingers against the base of the locks and then move the fingers smoothly through the locks’ length all the way to the tip.
• When it comes to hair length, for every incremental length category that you grow your hair to, you should reduce your shampooing frequency by adding 1 extra “off” day, whatever your already established shampooing frequency may be. And the reverse goes for cutting your hair and going down in length category: you will increase your shampooing frequency by removing 1 “off” day per length category gone down to.
• The reason behind decreasing your shopping frequency as your hair grows is because the longer your hair is, the harder it is for your hair strands to get coated with sebum.
• Once your hair grows to a medium length and beyond, you need to pay special attention to how your hair is coated with sebum as optimal sebum coating is key to maintaining a great-looking mane.
• If you’re worried about hair thinning, then I recommend you to see a dermatologist and get on minoxidil if you are suffering from MPB; minoxidil is a substance that has a noticeable effect on MPB, both for regrowing hair and for thickening existing hair strands.
• Using a volumizing shampoo together with minoxidil is quite a commonly-used regimens for the management of MPB.
• In the case of dandruff shampoos, incorporate their use together with your use of a regular shampoo.
• Conditioning is the second stage of your hair-grooming routine, and it performed after you've rinsed the shampoo or implemented the sebum coating method.
• Normal conditioners are predominantly used on your shampooing days following the rinsing of the shampoo, although they can also be used on your non-shampooing days after the sebum coating method.
• You should use a normal conditioner straight after you rinse the shampoo from your hair.
• Do not apply the conditioner to the segment of the hair strands close to the scalp or on the scalp itself (i.e. the reverse of the shampoo application).
• To use a leave-in conditioner, the same application rule goes as with normal conditioners: do not get the leave-in anywhere near the scalp, only apply from mid length to the tip of the hair. Put some in your fingers and work your way through your locks to coat the hair with a film of leave-in conditioner, then proceeding to style your mane.
• Normal conditioners are a must on your shampooing days. On your non-shampooing days, you can strictly soak your hair in water, do the sebum coating method and then get out of the shower to style your mane, skipping the conditioner.
• Leave-in conditioners can be used every day, and they are very easy to remove the next time that you clean your hair with a shampoo of the sebum coating method.
• You may find that only using a leave-in conditioner as your de facto hairstyling product is the best way forward to sport great-looking hair.
• Styling your hair is the third stage and final main action of your hair-grooming routine, and it involves the following secondary actions.
• To put it bluntly, to achieve your best hair, you must have the first 2 hair-grooming stages optimized before beginning to think about hairstyling agents and hairstyles to put your mane into.
• All hairstyling agents are applied when your hair is damp, not wet or dry.
• Never apply a hair styling agent to your mane when the hair has fully and isn't’ damp; either apply the agent after you shower and the hair is damp, or quickly dampen your locks with water before applying your chosen hairstyling agent.
• To style your mane, you must use your fingers, a wide-tooth comb, or a conventional ab.
• With regards to applying your chosen hairstyling agent, coat your fingers with the agent and then run your fingers through your damp hair as you put your hair into your chosen hairstyle, trying to get most of the hairstyling agent on the segment of the hair strands from mid-shaft to the tip (as you’d do with conditioners).
• To optimally towel-dry, gently pass the towel over your mane as if your were literally caressing your scalp and hair, squeezing the hair with the towel in your hand t let the excess water drip. Do not vigorously rub the towel against your scalp because this will lead to the tangling of your mane and will make your hair frizz rapidly.
• Excessive heat, especially as given out by hair dryers, can damage your hair over the long term particularly if your hair care is subpar.
• On your non-shampooing days, start by using the sebum coating method, which does the cleaning and conditioning actions, then moving to the styling stage to be implemented with a leave-in conditioner and your chosen hairstyling agent.
• Shampooing day: shampoo, normal conditioner, style
• Non-shampooing day: sebum coating method, leave-in conditioner, style
• Your daily hair care will be centered around preventing and addressing the following 3 issues: dry hair, tangled hair, hair loss.
• Battling this bad boy [dry hair] is your main goal when it comes to hair care.
• Shedding is a natural scalp process in which a given hair strand detaches itself from the scalp while the rest of hair strands in the scalp continue to grow.
• If MPB runs in your family and you are over the age of 18, start taking photos of your hairline. Take pictures every 3 months of the front, top, side, and back of your head. Compare the pictures that you have taken over time: any receding at the temples and lowered hair density that is noticed is a sign of MPB.
• If you have noticed hairline recession, see a dermatologist as soon as possible.
• Hairstyles down in photo shoots for magazines are many times performed with wigs, are airbrushed and are also photoshopped.
• A haircut refers to the specific act of trimming or cutting the hair so that it is given a shape.
• A hairstyle refers to the modification and manipulation of the hair without cutting it so that it looks in a certain form or shape.
• Straight hair is the least difficult of all hair types to style.
• Ideally, you want to have 3 haircuts in mind and discuss with the barber which one of the 3 would suit you best.
• Be 100% sure of what haircut you want.
• For us dudes, barbers tend to be a better option than hairdressers when it comes to convenience.
• Build a relationship with your barber or hairdressers. This is because you want him to know your hair and your circumstances, which will allow him to offer you the best service possible.
• Hair grows at 0.5 inches of extended length per month.
• Before finding your shampooing frequency and making use of your conditioning and hairstyling agents, you will go on a 7-day mission to know your natural hair. Your goal this week is to pay attention to how your hair reacts so that you can see for yourself how it dries on its own from damp to fully dried and how your locks look naturally.
• Always remember: you must clean, condition, and style your hair regardless of the day it is.
• Critical stages in one’s life in which hair can change its hair type or texture include puberty, entering seniorhood, extreme distress, going through cancer treatment and taking some very-specific medications that are used for serious illness.
• At near-shaved lengths, you can get away with not being as disciplined with your hair grooming and hair care.
• It only takes a male to know how to improve something to become motivated to take charge and improve that something.
• Women love confidence, full stop.
• I am balding, what do I do? Two things: embrace it and do something about it.
• If you are a Norwood III or less, you can still pretty much spot any of the short and medium-length hairstyles available to non-balding folks.
• If you are a Norwood IV or above, go for a short-length trim or buzz, or shave it all together.
• Aside from the hair, work on your self-confidence.
• Do remember that currently (as of 2013) there are no options available that will yield permanent and irreversible anti-balding results outside of a hair transplant, and the latter doesn’t guarantee said permanent results either.
• Minoxidil and finasteride only fight MPB for as long as the medications are used; if you stop pushing them, you will go back to balding, and you will lose any hair that had grown back.
• If your current hair has been cared for badl or has been straightened, relaxed or dyed, then using a deep conditioner to jump-start your mane-awesomeness journey is advised if you want to keep your current hair; having said that, for best results, I recommend you to instead start your peculiar journey to great-looking, convenient locks with a fresh and virgin batch of hair.
• Tie your hair at night into a ponytail or bun if your hair is long enough. Buy yourself a satin or silk pillowcase to minimize head friction.
• Convenience is just as crucial as obtaining the great looks of your hair because hair grooming must be done every day, which means that there is no way you'll be able to otherwise groom your hair with an inconvenient routine or hair-management system.