Buy for your scalp, not your hair
This is the one decision that matters and most people get it backwards. Shampoo is for the scalp. Conditioner is for the lengths. If your problem is flaking, itching or oiliness, the shampoo is the product to change. If your problem is dryness, frizz, split ends or colour fading, the shampoo will not fix it and the conditioner will do most of the work.
If your scalp flakes
Start with the CeraVe Anti-Dandruff Hydrating Shampoo (Rs 6,500). It carries pyrithione zinc, which deals with the yeast behind most dandruff, in a base gentle enough to use long term. If a few weeks of it has not cleared things, La Roche-Posay Kerium DS (Rs 6,900) adds salicylic acid to lift scale that is already stuck down, and is meant as a short course rather than a permanent shampoo.
If your hair is dry, frizzy or coloured
The OGX Renewing + Argan Oil of Morocco pair (Rs 2,250 and Rs 2,250) is the straightforward answer, and the conditioner is the half doing the work. Argan oil sits on the hair shaft and smooths the cuticle, which is what makes hair look glossy rather than fluffy in Pakistani humidity.
If your hair has gone thin or limp
OGX Thick & Full + Biotin & Collagen (Rs 2,450 and Rs 2,450) coats each strand so it behaves as though it were thicker. Worth being clear about what that means: it changes how hair looks and feels from the first wash, and it does not grow new hair. If the goal is regrowth rather than volume, that is a scalp treatment, not a shampoo.
Do you have to buy the matching conditioner?
No. Brands pair them because it sells two bottles. The exception is a medicated anti-dandruff wash, where the matching conditioner is formulated not to redeposit what the shampoo just removed, which is why the CeraVe conditioner (Rs 6,500) exists.
Where the conditioner goes
Mid-length to ends, never the scalp. Conditioner on the roots is the most common cause of hair that looks greasy by the second day, and people usually respond by washing more often, which makes it worse.
Shampoo & Conditioner FAQs
How often should I wash my hair?
Whatever keeps your scalp comfortable. Every day is fine if your scalp is oily, and a medicated anti-dandruff shampoo is the exception, since those are used two or three times a week on a course rather than daily.
Are sulfates bad for hair?
For most people, no. Sulfates are just cleansers and they rinse off. They do fade hair colour faster and can be drying on already dry hair, so a sulfate-free wash is worth it if you colour your hair, not because sulfates are harmful.
Can I use conditioner without shampoo?
Yes, and plenty of people with curly or very dry hair do exactly that between washes. Just keep it off the scalp.
Will changing shampoo stop my hair fall?
Very unlikely. Shampoo sits on the scalp for a minute and rinses away. Hair fall is usually hormonal, nutritional or stress-related, and the treatments with evidence behind them are leave-on scalp products, not washes.