Hair Mistakes You Need To Stop Making

More or less all of us are guilty of doing things out that leads to hair damage. From drying dripping wet hair with a blow dryer to tight hairstyles, the list of things that may end up damaging your hair (often without your knowledge), is long. Most of them are old habits, which are difficult to change. Let’s take a look at some of the things or common habits, which may end up damaging your mane.

1. Washing the Hair a Lot – You need to wash your hair to cleanse your scalp and get rid of all the product buildup. However, overwashing your hair strips the scalp of natural oils, leaving it dry. What happens is that the chemicals present in the shampoos, conditioners and other hair styling products can deteriorate the quality of your hair by stripping off the oils present on the scalp. In some cases, this can lead to hair loss, hair thinning and dry scalp.

2. Wrongly Handling Wet Hair – Wet hair is more vulnerable to damage than dry hair. Immediately brushing or combing hair right after a shower or rubbing hair dry vigorously with a towel can lead to hair breakage. The latter also leads to frizz and makes the hair rough. Always make it a point to pat your hair dry softly with a micro – fiber towel or better, a T-shirt. Also, if you really have to detangle your hair while it is still wet, make it a point to use a serum and a detangling comb (wide-toothed) and comb the hair slowly without tugging it too much. You can also use your fingers and run them gently through the length of your hair to detangle it after a shower.

3. Using Inferior Quality Products – Using inferior quality hair care products is another reason behind hair damage. This includes hair styling tools, shampoos, conditioners, serums, colors, dyes and even the combs and brushes that you use. Always make it a point to buy original products or the products prescribed by your dermatologist/trichologist instead of cheaper alternatives. Also, before you try any new product for your hair, do read the reviews and ratings given to it by other users. This will surely help you take an informed decision.

4. Using Anti-dandruff Shampoos – Dandruff is one of the most common scalp problems that refuses to go away easily. Typically, we deal with dandruff by using anti-dandruff shampoos that are easily available on the market. These shampoos claim to be effective with dandruff and eliminate it instantly. But the fact is that there is no cure for dandruff (which more often than not, is a result of a yeast-like fungus). Even the best anti-dandruff will not stop dandruff from re-appearing. They also contain harsh chemicals, which can cause a number of side-effects.

5. Combing Hair More Than Necessary – Brushing your hair 100 times a day is a prevalent beauty myth, which does more harm to the hair than good. For instance, it causes split ends, flyaways and breakage. Not a good idea if you love your hair and want it to look beautiful and healthy!

6. Using Plastic/Metal Combs – Both plastic and metal combs are rough on the scalp. Wooden combs are softer and don’t damage your scalp (such as bruising it) when you use it to brush your hair. Another benefit of wooden combs is that it doesn’t add to static to your hair (wood being a bad conductor of electricity prevents static damage). They are also effective Detanglers, hair massagers and can last a lifetime if you take proper care of them. This takes us to the next point.

7. Not Cleaning the Beauty Tools – Unclean brushes, combs, rollers, curling irons, straightening irons and even hair accessories, accumulate dirt, dust, extra hair and even dead skin cells from the scalp. Sounds gross? This happens often, leading to clogged pores on the scalp, which gives rise to many scalp diseases. Hence, cleaning them is a must if you want a healthy scalp and hair. Moreover, some of them do have an expiration date and you need to know when to throw them in the bin and bring home new ones.

8. Styling the Hair Frequently – Styling the hair frequently or over styling is another reason behind hair damage. Most of the damage comes from the harsh chemicals used in the styling products such as hair coloring, dyeing, bleaching, perming etc. and also from the hot styling tools/methods, which eliminates moisture from the hair, making it rough and brittle. If you do need to style your hair, try and leave a gap between each session. This should be effective in minimizing the extent of the damage.

9. Wearing Hair Too Tight – Wearing the hair in tight braids, ponytails, cornrows etc. can lead to a form of hair loss called Traction Alopecia. This occurs when there is too much pulling or tension on the hair shafts occurs over a period of time. It is more common in women than men (as they tend to experiment more with their hair). Even use of hair extensions and hair accessories like barrettes, hairbands etc. can cause this type of hair loss.

10. Using Cotton Pillowcases and Sheets – Cotton pillowcases rob your skin and hair of moisture. Moreover, they cause frizz and roughening of the hair cuticles. Switching to satin pillowcases and sheets can curb this issue and also help in increasing the longevity of recently styled hair.

11. Not Washing Hair after a Dip in the Pool – Taking a quick dip in the pool or the seawater, especially in the hot summer months is quite tempting. But the chlorine and the salt content in them cause more damage to your hair than you can ever imagine, especially if you don’t wash your hair immediately afterward. You also need to wash your hair before taking a dip in the pool or beach to make sure your hair is not damaged excessively. Don’t forget to put on a swim cap to prevent damage from all the chlorine.

12. Exposing the Hair to the Sun – Exposing the hair to direct sunlight can prove to be detrimental to your hair. Just like your skin and eyes need protection from the UV-rays, your hair also needs some TLC when you are out in the sun. Keeping your hair covered with a scarf or a headgear is one of the easiest ways to keep your hair protected from the rays of the sun.

13. Crash Dieting – What you eat has a major role to play when it comes to the health of your hair and scalp. When you follow a fad diet or start crash dieting, it definitely takes a toll on your hair. The same holds true for intake of liquids/fluids, which are necessary for maintaining the moisture content of the hair and the scalp. A diet that is rich in nutrients, will definitely help you in maintaining lustrous hair.