Do you wear a ponytail or braid every day? Do you flat iron or curl your damp hair before running out the door? Do you wash your hair on a daily basis? Although these practices get the job done, they can be very damaging to our hair. Let’s unravel some of the worst hair practices so that we can treat our damaged hair and turn it into healthy locks!
1. Curling/Straightening Wet Hair
Have you ever been so incredibly late that you decided to straighten your wet or damp hair? Please say no, because there are few things that are as damaging to your hair than this. This is because wet hair is more prone to damage than dry hair. The hair becomes more vulnerable, which results in hair breakage. Fun fact: wet hair is a lot more likely to “pop” (yes, like popcorn) because of the water and heat coming in contact. Ladies, this one deserves a pledge. Look into the mirror and repeat after me: “Never will I ever curl or straighten my wet hair again.”
Psst, if you want some quick and easy heatless curls, we recommend using hair rollers to give you that extra volume without any hair damage.
2. Over-washing
Washing your hair too often is another way you may not know you are damaging your hair. Here's the reality: the purpose of washing hair is to strip away oil buildup from your scalp and to cleanse it. If you are washing your hair too often (before it gets the chance to replenish its natural oils), your hair can become very dry. To prevent dry hair, we recommend to figure out a washing routine that works for you (depending on the length, thickness, and how you style your hair), but try to avoid washing your hair daily. Dry shampoo is your friend on those days in between!
3. Over-brushing
Have you ever heard the saying “100 strokes and your hair will become shiny and full”? Well, this is not quite true. Just like under-brushing, over-brushing can cause your hair to break (in the form of split ends or greater damages than that). Think about it – if your hair is constantly being brushed, chances are that there is too much friction, too often. You can help stop hair breakage by minimizing how frequently you brush your hair.
4. Using too much heat
Brace yourself – this is a very important tip! The first thing to keep in mind is to use curling irons and flat irons that have a heat setting option. Ladies, please stop frying your hair. Remember that fine, thin, and fragile hair should use the lowest heat setting, and that the average time you need to hold a curl is somewhere between 5 to 10 seconds. A helpful tip to preventing heat damage to your hair is to start by using a low temperature and less time and gradually increase if need be. Something to keep in mind is that heat changes the hydrogen bonds that hold hair together, meaning that permanent hair damage can occur if you use heat on a daily basis.
Hair rollers are also a great no heat method to style your hair. You can create added volume, waves and curls depending on the size of your hair rollers.
At Luxy Hair, we're all for heatless hairstyles! Be sure to check out some of our heat-free tutorials here.
5. Tight hairstyles
Although ponytails, braids, and updos are a fun and creative way of changing up your look, these are considered to be tight hairstyles which can actually be harmful to your hair because of the constant tug and pull from your scalp. We recommend to avoid having your hair up all the time and as an alternative, try embracing your natural hair down. We have plenty of loose hairstyles on our YouTube Channel we recommend you check out. Your hair will thank you for it - we promise!
6. Brushing wet hair
Who knew that brushing your hair while wet can damage it? We didn’t. Actually, towel drying and brushing your wet hair can increase the chance of breakage. Switching your hair towel for a softer material (like cloth used in a shirt) is better as it’s less harsh for your hair. And also, make sure to opt for a wide tooth comb instead of a brush when detangling wet hair, or a wet brush.
7. Brushing from top to bottom
Another great tip when brushing your hair is to make sure to start from the bottom and gradually work your way up. When you start detangling from the top, you will encounter a lot more tangles than if you started from the bottom and literally rip the hair out (yikes). Brushing from bottom to top is ideal when trying to prevent hair breakage.
Guilty of doing any of these practices? It's ok - we all are! The good thing is, it's never too late to learn and change the way you treat your hair. Be sure to drop these bad habits and opt for better hair care to ensure you aren’t causing any damage to your beautiful locks. Yay for healthy hair!
Do you have any other tips that we didn't mention in this blog post? Let us know in the comments below, we love it when you share your stories!
