However, our busy lives can stop us from taking care of our hair the right way and let us enter the world of routines where we either overdo some stuff, we don’t them enough or we don’t do them the right way. Did you know that brushing your hair while wet can cause breakage? Or that certain hairstyles can damage it too? Read below to find out more about the ten mistakes that we all make and that prevent us from having the hair from our dreams!
1. You Wash it Every Day
Washing your hair every day strips the sebum and can lead to damaging the scalp’s condition. Besides that, if you wash your hair every day you have noticed for sure that it gets greasier as time passes! That’s why you need to avoid doing this and start washing your hair once or twice in a week. This way you are encouraging the natural hair oils to protect the hair and the scalp, keeping them healthy at the same time.
2. You Use Heat Too Much
It’s all about using heat moderately. If you strengthen or curl your hair every once in a while, it will be fine. But, if you overdo it, the heat can definitely damage your hair permanently. This means that your hair won’t be that silky when you’ll touch it, it won’t grow as fast as you want it to and you might even notice hair breakage. It will take you time until you bring back the healthiness and if you damage it so bad, it’s a question if you can ever get it back as it was. To prevent yourself from experiencing this, make sure to use heat moderately and take good care of it all the time.
3. You Don’t Use Heat Protectant
This is tightly connected to what we have previously just said. When you use heat to style your hair, it’s important to use heat protectant. It protects the hair strand cuticle from the heat, while at the same time it allows it to be shiny and doesn’t let the natural moisture to evaporate in the heat. When choosing a heat protectant, make sure it contains natural oils such as olive oil, coconut oil or argan oil. You can use a store – bought heat protectant or make your own. If you’re more interested into the second option, click the link below the picture to read more about the DIY protectant.
4. You Brush it When It’s Wet
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Wet hair is more fragile compared to when it’s dry, so one of the worst things that you can do to your hair is brush it while wet. This way you are encouraging hair breakage to happen by forcing tangles apart. To avoid this, brush your hair before you wash it and also make sure to use a wide-toothed comb to safely apply the conditioner through the hair strands.
5. You’re Using the Wrong Products
What worked for your friend, doesn’t have to mean that it will work for you. First, think about this: when was the last time that you’ve changed your shampoo or conditioner? No matter how good they used to make your hair, if you use the same products for a very long time, it can cause residue to your hair. Also, many shampoos that can be found in every store contain sulfate, the cleansing agent which is not a health threat, but not every hair can tolerate it. So, if you’re experiencing split ends, frizziness and other similar hair conditions, try using a sulfate – free shampoo.
6. You’re Using Too Many Products
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Maybe you’re using the right products, but the problem is that you use too many of them. All the shampoos, conditioners, masks, hairsprays, hair serums and other hair products won’t have the positive effect you expect to see, and that’s why you need to stick just to the essential hair care products and make it few. This way, each of it will be able to do the right thing to your hair. Same goes if you don’t use enough hair care products – if your hair is really damaged, then just sticking to your shampoo won’t be the best idea!
7. You Skip Haircuts
We get it – you want a longer hair and you’ll do whatever it takes, but skipping regular haircuts won’t help you in that. Haircuts are important because they prevent the split-ends to go up further of the strand, which will only make your hair appear shorter and messier. This is the part of the hair that is most exposed to any condition we put our hair through, especially when it comes to styling our hair with heat and we need a good old haircut to repair the damage and give shape. We should cut our hair every 8 – 10 weeks, but if we notice split-ends earlier than this, then we should cut it every 6 – 8 weeks.
8. You Use Too Many Chemical Treatments (Too Often)
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Not everyone was born with the hair color from their dreams and luckily later in life we are able to have it the way we want. Unfortunately, coloring and bleaching our hair can make it less healthy and even less pretty if we do it very often. Our hair becomes dry, lifeless without shine and is prone to split ends. This happens because the used chemical products contain hydrogen peroxide, that helps breaking down your old hair color pigment and if used too often, it causes great damage. That’s why you need to dye your hair moderately and use masks or other hair care products.
9. You Wear Tight Hairstyles All the Time
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There are so many hairstyles to try out, starting from a regular ponytail to messy updos and braids, and truth is – we love them all. But, did you know that constantly having your hair in a certain hairstyle can actually damage it? For example, tight braids can cause split ends, hair weakness and follicle damage, while ponytails can can cause breakage and fraying. Don’t worry – this doesn’t happen if you wear your hair like this often, but instead it takes a long time to happen! On the other hand, if you were looking for a hairstyle inspiration and you like the braid from the picture, check the link below it for instructions!
10. Your Lifestyle in General
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Your hair health is going to be affected if you suffer from stress, anorexia nervosa, if you are on a low – calorie diet, you have lower estrogen levels, sever infections and other conditions and diseases. Certain medications can also cause hair damage. Unfortunately, all these can also lead to hair loss! It is also important what kind of food you eat. The hair needs protein for it’s growth, so it’s very important to feed yourself with healthy food. In general – make sure to live the healthiest life possible that will allow your hair to grow healthy, shiny and strong.