Dr. Charles Puza / TikTok
Your old haircare routine isn’t cuttin’ it.
Dr. Charles Puza, a Harvard-educated, board-certified dermatologist based in NYC, is revealing his holy trinity for healthy hair.
In a TikTok last month, he recommended changing up shampoos, blow-drying hair on the cold setting and utilizing hair masks.
1. Stop using the same shampoo every day
As Puza explains, just as your skincare needs change, so does your haircare.
He recommends rotating products to suit the needs of your scalp, a process called hair cycling.
For example, a ketoconazole shampoo can combat Malassezia fungus, a major cause of dandruff. For its part, a selenium and salicylic acid shampoo can decrease visible and invisible dandruff.
As Puza insists, “Even background dandruff is bad for your hair.”
Hair cycling is also endorsed by Healthline Media’s clinical adviser, Dr. Meredith Goodwin.
She told The Post earlier this year, “Because each shampoo/conditioner combination ends up leaving a different coating (or no coating) on the hair shaft that often builds up after consistent use, many people note that changing that shampoo/conditioner combination improves the feel of their hair.”
2. Don’t let your hair air-dry
Puza explains that air-drying is also a no-no. “Stop air-drying your hair, and don’t let it stay wet for too long,” he advised.
He insists that a blow dryer on cold is the healthiest way to dry damp hair.
Brushing wet hair is also frowned upon in haircare, as it can damage strands.
Bronwen Robinson, a senior hair stylist and educator at Suite Caroline in Soho, recently told The Post that wet hair is akin to “wet spaghetti,” meaning that it can easily stretch and break. She recommends getting the knots out with a natural fiber brush — never hard plastic — before getting it wet.
3. Use leave-in conditioner
Just as skin can benefit from a peel and exfoliation, hair can also be improved with concentrated TLC.
In-kind, Puza supports a weekly ritual of leave-in conditioner: “These hair masks are a game-changer.”
The Post recommendsLiving Proof No Frizz Leave-In Conditioner as a well-rounded cure-all.
And Chris Appleton + Color Wow Money Masque is one of The Post’s favorite hair masks.