Your hair isn’t living up to its hair potential? Maybe you’re making one of these common hair mistakes.
Let’s face it, to have your hair as a show stopper is a confidence boost in itself. Your hair communicates to those around you faster than your words. It’s more than likely one of the first things people notice about you when you enter the room.
Hair Mistake #1- You are Over Washing
Probably one of the more common hair mistakes that people make is over washing their hair. And this goes hand in hand with scalp care. A hard cycle to break.
Your scalp naturally produces a certain amount of oil to keep it moisturized and balance the scalp environment. Once you feel your hair has become too oily, you wash it. Nothing wild.
If you’re washing your hair every day to combat the oiliness, you are only worsening the issue. This is actually one of the biggest reasons for an oily scalp. By stripping that oil that your scalp is producing, you are causing your scalp to overcompensate but creating more oil and sebum.
To combat this, do your scalp a favor. Try spacing out your washes. If you can at least do it every other day, your scalp will thank you for it. In time you will see less oil production and might even be able to skip another day of washing in between.
If you are someone who doesn’t think they can make it through this oily period, try adding dry shampoo into your routine. It might take some time to find the brand with the right ingredients, but it will make a noticeable difference. Check out this post if you want to know how to make the best of your wash days! If you would like to go the natural route, try cornstarch or arrowroot powder!
Hair Mistake #2- You are Using Too Much Heat
From flat irons, to blow dryers, and even your shower water temperature, too much heat does more damage than you might imagine. When it comes to hot tools, always make sure you are using a heat protectant. These are designed to take the brunt of the direct heat application, while still giving you the desired style!
Put down the coconut oil. It’s not meant to be used as a heat protectant. You’re literally just frying your hair. That being said, you can turn down the temperature on your hot tools, too. I promise. It doesn’t always need to be at 450°F, we’re not baking chicken here.
Temperature, of course, depends on the texture and density of each individual’s hair. Finer hair should use a lower temperature, medium hair can go a little bit higher, and coarse hair can be higher than that. Very rarely will I turn my hot tools to the highest temperature, even on the coarsest haired clients. Regardless, always start lower and increase the temp as needed to avoid completely frying your hair.
As for the shower, or bath, I know we like to feel like our skin is on fire, but this is no good for your hair (or your skin either). Your water temp should be on the warmer side of hot so as to not leave your hair cuticle open and dry.
Hair Mistake #3- You’re Frequently Wearing Tight Hairstyles
This includes wearing protective styles for weeks on ends, tight ponytails and even parting your hair the same way for weeks or months on end.
Traction alopecia, although reversible, is a common cause of hair loss due to repeated trauma to the hair follicle. Let your follicles breathe. Too tight of a hairstyle, repeatedly, puts so much stress on the follicle. If destroyed, that could lead to a permanent bald spot.
Switch up your style. Let your scalp and hair relax. This goes for parting on the same side, same place, tight braids, tight ponytails and so on. . If you sleep with your hair pulled back, loose braids or loose top knots should be your go-to.
Hair Mistake #4- You are Brushing Incorrectly
Yes, you read that correctly. There is a right and wrong way to brush your hair. Stop ripping through those knots, especially on wet hair.
Start from the ends of your hair and work your way up. It may take a smidge longer, but your hair will thank you in the long run.
Additionally, the type of brush you are using can make a whole lotta difference. Wide tooth combs are great for curls and coils. Use a leave-in conditioner as a detangler to add some slip to your hair.
Hair Mistake #5- You Aren’t Getting Trims Regularly
The amount of time you should be trimming your hair is highly dependent on a few different factors. Most importantly, if you’re looking to grow your hair or just have healthy locks, you should be getting trims at least every 3-6 months. You want to ensure you’re cutting off those split and dead ends. If you feel like your hair hasn’t been growing past a certain point, it could be split ends. When the split ends aren’t cut off, they will continue to split up the hair shaft causing fragile strands and more breakage.
Don’t hold onto your length if it isn’t serving you. For styles that are shorter and need to be maintained more frequently, 4-8 weeks might serve you better.
Hair Mistake #6- You’re Ignoring Your Scalp
Our scalps are probably the most underrated hero in the hair world. A healthy nourished scalp is the foundation of gorgeous and lush locks.
The scalp is home to the hair follicles, which is the reason for your hair’s length and strength.
Stop neglecting your scalp! You should be using a scalp exfoliating treatment to break down and remove any product, oil or sebum buildup, along with a clarifying shampoo.
A scalp massage is also a bonus, whether you are using your fingers or a silicone tool. The stimulation increases blood flow/ circulation to wake up those follicles and keep them refreshed and rejuvenated.
Hair Mistake #7- You’re Going to Bed with a Wet Head
Before I became a cosmetologist, I would’ve sworn up and down that going to bed with wet hair is more than okay. In fact, I thought my curls looked great the next day because they were more weighed down.
However, going to bed with your hair more than 30-40% wet could actually cause scalp issues down the road.
Aside from your hair being at its most vulnerable state when wet, making it prone to breakage, it can increase your chance for a fungal scalp infection. And let me tell you, it’s not cute.
This is not to say that those nightly showers must come to a halt. But there is a proper way to go to bed with wet- ish hair.
Definitely invest in a leave-in conditioner for after your shower. This helps to keep the moisture in and keep your hair detangled. Air dry your hair, or use a blowdryer, to get about 60-70% of the moisture out of your hair- especially near your new growth/ closer to the scalp. Then you can loosely braid your locks, or throw it up in a cute little top knot and sleep soundly knowing you’ve got nothing to stress about.
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If you’ve made any of those hair mistakes, whether past or present, not to worry. Your hair goals still are not impossible to achieve. It’s never too late to start your hair journey and get the locks of your dreams. These are the most basic, common hair mistakes that are putting a halt to your hair journey, so I encourage you to do some trial and error. Start finding alternatives that work for both your lifestyle and your hair.
So tell me, what hair mistakes are you making and how do you plan to switch it up?