Do you want to know what is damaging your hair? If so, then this damage control blog post is for you! The first step in improving the health of your hair is by breaking these 9 bad habits that are damaging it. These 9 habits will not only help improve the condition and look of your hair but they can also save you a lot of money too!
Bad habit #1:
Drying your hair with a towel, and not using an old t-shirt or microfiber towel.
Bad habit #2:
Sleeping on damp brushable hair! If you have long thick locks like me then this is bad news for you! You need to dry your hair completely before going to bed at night so that it doesn’t become damaged while you sleep. Brush out any knots in the morning when waking up too because brushing wet tangles can cause breakage too which means less length retention. I highly recommend sleeping with braids instead of a ponytail if possible since buns can also damage the ends especially if they are tight ones made from very slippery strands of hair (aka mine). So definitely measure the length of your braids and make sure they just reach the bottom of your chin or slightly below.
Bad habit #3:
Washing your hair every day! While it may seem like a good idea to wash daily, this is actually one of the worst things you can do for healthy hair! Did you know that washing frequently strips away essential oils from our scalp which will leave us feeling dry and looking dull? On top of damaging our locks with too much heat exposure (blow-drying/curling), we need to be more patient when treating our precious strands because healthy locks take time in order to grow longer especially if damaged. One way I find helpful when trying not to over shampoo my hair is by using natural ingredients as shampoos since they are usually made from ingredients found in our kitchen and can be just as effective.
Bad habit #4:
Not using heat protection before applying any type of heating appliance to your hair like a curling wand or flat iron! You definitely don’t want crazy breakage due to this bad habit so always make sure you have some sort of protecting product on hand when styling with tools heated over 300 degrees because that’s where most damage is done whether it may seem fine at first but overtime will catch up if not treated properly (and quickly). I recommend using an oil-based serum for me personally, but there are other options out there such as sprays too which work well too. My favorite brand however is the Moroccanoil Treatment Oil Serum which is a heat protectant serum.
Bad habit #5:
Using the wrong products for your hair type! It may seem like common sense, but this one can be tricky to figure out especially if you have multiple textures on top of different curl patterns too because there are so many factors that come into play when determining what type of product will work best for us based on our particular hair needs. For example, someone with coarse curly strands won’t benefit from using a lightweight gel moisturizer and instead might need something heavier like a thicker cream or butter in order to keep frizz away while retaining moisture throughout the day/night! Make sure you know your own hair first before trying any new haircare routine since we all want good results after working hard to take care of our precious locks.
Bad habit #6:
Not using a leave-in conditioner in the shower! While there may be other options out there, I find that my hair responds well when applying this specific product while still wet from rinsing out shampoo and/or conditioner since it creates an extra layer of protection before moving onto styling with heat (blow drying/curling). On top of protecting against damage caused by too much heat exposure, you’ll also have soft bouncy strands after towel drying which will make your daily routine so much easier as opposed to tangles or frizzy unmanageable tresses because seriously who has time for all that? Definitely invest in some sort of moisturizing spray once finished washing in order to keep your locks hydrated.
Bad habit #7:
Brushing wet hair! I know this one is hard, but it definitely does more harm than good when brushing while strands are still saturated with water since that’s where most damage occurs whether we realize it or not because the protective layer of cuticle has been stripped away at a faster rate due to too much friction which can lead to breakage and split ends overtime especially if you have fine/thin strands like myself. Use a wide tooth comb for best results although they aren’t necessary either; all you really need is patience as well as time in order to allow them some extra drying time before styling (blow-drying/curling). The longer you wait, the less chance you will have of experiencing any type of damage and/or breakage.
Bad habit #8:
Over-washing your hair! While I’m not saying to avoid washing it all together, try going a few extra days in between washes because that’s where most people go wrong since we are so used to daily showers due to our busy lifestyles which is totally fine until the point comes when this bad habit starts doing more harm than good by drying out strands overtime regardless if they’re dry or oily naturally (oily scalp). Try cutting back on how many times you wash weekly and see what happens as well as invest in some sort of moisturizing shampoo/conditioner for those off days instead just like my favorite brand Moroccanoil Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner.
Bad habit #9:
Scrunching hair with a towel! While this may seem like a good idea, using towels to dry out strands is actually one of the worst things you can do since they create excess friction which will cause breakage as well as frizz overtime especially if your natural texture has coils/kinks too for example (coarse curly). I know it’s an inconvenience comparison to simply wrapping up tresses in said fabric but try investing in something that won’t ruin your hair such as microfiber instead because all those knots aren’t worth the time or effort spent trying to get rid of them afterwards. You’ll be thanking yourself later on when applying products and styling without any tangles involved.
Conclusion:
When you’re trying to avoid hair damage, it can be tough to know how much is too much. For those who are wondering if they should consider cutting back on their routine or just want some extra tips for healthy hair, we’ve compiled a list of nine habits that could potentially lead to reduction in damaging your strands and the things you need to do instead. Have any other questions about protecting your tresses.