Your hair is a part of who you are and plays a massive part in how you look and feel each day. How many times have you felt like your hair is not doing what you need it to have ruined your day or your look? You're not alone. A study found that 73% of women have shared that a bad hair day ruins their entire day.
If you want to protect your hair and ensure it is in its best condition, there are many different things you can do and just as many bad hair habits that can impact how healthy your hair is and increase the number of bad hair days you might be having.
If you want to improve the health of your hair and avoid as many bad hair days as possible, then you need to stop these 10 bad habits.
Tying Your Hair Up Wet
Tying your hair up wet is a big no-no. Your hair needs to be properly cared for when wet, and simply tying it up in a tight knot will only put it under more pressure and make it more likely to snap.
The same goes for any rough styling when wet, not just putting your hair into a ponytail. Before doing any type of style or tying your hair up, ensure it's dry. Use soft, loose hair ties, such as silk scrunchies, to hold it if you need it off your face, or use a hair wrap.
Brushing Your Hair When Wet
Again, like the above point, brushing your hair when wet will increase the risk of damage and breakage, leaving you with short strands and excessive hair loss. When your hair is damp, you want to use a wide-tooth comb to detangle it. Alternatively, brush your hair before you wash it to help remove any tangles and avoid the need to brush it when it's wet.
Taking Hot Showers
Hot showers might feel great on your skin and give you a mental boost, but to your hair, this can be a recipe for disaster. Aside from risking burning the scalp, hot water opens up cuticles, allowing moisture to escape from your hair, resulting in drier hair.
Instead, you should take warm showers to avoid drying out your hair, and then, if you wish, finish off with a cold shot at the end to rinse the hair and close the cuticles. This will preserve the natural oils and give your hair that healthy shine post-washing.
Washing Your Hair Aggressively
You don't need to scrub your hair when you wash it or perform vigorous massage routines to clean the roots or remove excess oil from the scalp. Nor do you need to wash the whole length of the hair.
You need to use only enough shampoo to cover the hair, not drown it. Focus your gentle massage efforts on the roots and your scalp, as this is where your hair is most likely to need attention. You do not need to physically shampoo the whole head of hair. Typically, the lengths won't need as much cleaning as the roots, and overcleaning the hair can result in dryer, more brittle hair.
If you need to wash your hair more frequently, use a gentle shampoo designed for daily use and only use on the roots.
Not Following a Hair Care Routine
If you've ever had hair envy, then chances are the person whose hair has caught your attention is the result of a good hair care routine. If you want to boost your hair, then you need a good hair care routine.
This includes using the right shampoo and conditioner for your hair type, hair masks, deep cleansing products, moisturizing treatments, and styling and hair care products.
The products you use need to be tailored to your exact hair type and designed to protect your hair. For example, if you have oily roots, then you need a shampoo that is intended to strip the excess oil without stripping all the oils from your hair. If you have dry hair, then you need a good moisturizing hair system to boost moisture, and if you have colored hair, then using products designed to preserve the color will be beneficial. You need heat protectant for colored hair if you style your hair frequently, moisturizing hair masks, hair oils, and leave-in treatments to protect the hair and keep the color fresh and vibrant.
Excessive Heat Styling
Everyone knows that high heat is bad for your hair, and if you're frequently using high-heat products on your hair, then you might be causing more damage unintentionally, especially if you aren't using any type of heat protection products.
Firstly, trying to straighten wet hair with a hair iron will literally just boil your hair, leaving it open to breakage and damage. Using your hair tools on high settings on a frequent basis will also cause damage to the hair length and result in brittle hair. Over time, 300℉ is high enough to dry and style your hair; anything over this is too hot for your hair. Always use heat protection products when styling, and only style dry hair where possible. Avoid using styling tools all the time and opt for alternative heatless styling options.
Rubbing Wet Hair With A Towel
We've all been guilty of this from time to time, but rubbing your wet hair with a towel to dry it can actually cause damage. Your hair is at its most fragile when it's wet, and rough towel drying will only contribute to breakage and hair loss if you're too rough when drying.
Instead, simply pat the hair dry when it is wet with a towel or use a soft T-shirt to remove excess moisture from the hair. This is more gentle and helps you avoid damaging your hair. Remember, don't brush your hair when wet, too; if possible, wait until your hair is 80% dry before styling.
Neglecting Your Scalp
Many people are guilty of neglecting their scalp when carrying out their hair care routine. But your scalp's health and condition is just as important as your hair and will impact the health of your hair too.
Try using a scalp scrub to remove buildup on your scalp and buff away dead skin cells. Add a scalp massage to your weekly hair care routine, too, and give your head and your hair a little self-care each week.
Not Getting A Trim
If you're guilty of not getting your hair trimmed on a regular basis, then your hair will suffer from this. You should aim to get a trim every 8 weeks on average to help you remove dead or split ends and keep your hair looking fresh and healthy. Going too long between trims or not getting your hair trimmed at all will negate any of the above efforts and make your hair look and feel a bit worse for wear. Even if you're just getting the smallest amount removed, you need to be getting it trimmed at least every 8 weeks, ideally every 6 weeks.
Caring for your hair and ensuring it is in its best condition is the accumulation of many good habits, as well as eliminating any bad habits you might be making to improve health and strength and give you the most luscious locks. Avoiding all of the points mentioned in this post will go a long way to preserving your hair, reducing bad hair days, and giving your hair the best care possible every single day.
