Healthy and shiny hair is something that most people want to achieve. But are you aware that certain daily mishaps can easily leave your hair dull and lifeless? These common bad hair habits can result in significant damage, dryness, or worse, hair loss. Find out what they are and how to break them once and for all.
Not Shampooing Properly
A crucial step of proper hair care is determining how often you should wash your hair. While over-shampooing could make your scalp itchy and dry, not shampooing enough could make your scalp extra oily, and in turn, cause dandruff.
Your shampooing routine should be based on whether you have oily or dry scalp and your activity level. For example, you’ll want to wash your hair when you feel it’s becoming too oily to avoid buildup and itchiness. If you have dry hair and scalp, you might get away with washing your hair every other day or every two days, depending on your daily activity level.
Using Harsh Hair Products
Get in the habit of reading the label of all hair products that you use because you might be surprised to find that they contain tons of alcohol, sulfates, parabens, artificial fragrances, as well as other harsh chemicals that can ruin your locks. Opt for natural and nourishing herbal hair products that don’t have or limit these damaging ingredients.
Not Protecting Your Hair From the Sun
Like your skin, you need to safeguard your hair from the harsh rays of the sun. This is especially true if you have dry hair or if your hair is color treated. So, use an umbrella, a scarf, or a hat when you go outdoors.
Additionally, swimming in a chlorinated pool can dry your hair out and leave your hair with a green cast if you have blonde hair, so make sure to rinse your hair thoroughly after swimming or wear a bathing cap when doing laps.
Styling Your Hair When Wet
Hair is at its most vulnerable and weakest when wet, so refrain from combing it or brushing it until it’s at least 90% dry. When drying your hair, use a soft towel and blot out—not rub—excess water before you blow dry to prevent tangles from forming.
Not Trimming Your Hair
One of the most important hair care steps and often overlooked is not getting your hair trimmed at the right time. But doing so could leave your hair with split ends. How often you need to have your hair trimmed would depend on your daily hair care and styling activities.
For instance, if you curl or straighten your hair with an iron, you probably have to trim more regularly than if you only blow-dry your hair. One way to tell if you need a trim is to check the ends of your hair and if you see that they’re not blunt, get it trimmed ASAP.
Stop mistreating your locks and chase bad hair days away with the tips above for a healthy and gorgeous mane. Hair care done right will help whip up your strands into shape in no time at all.
