Top 7 Biggest Hair Care Mistakes You're Definitely Making. | Beauty Route

Hey you! yes you. I'm calling you out.

Not to worry we're all guilty of taking shortcuts. On that note we've compiled the top 7 biggest hair care mistakes so that they're not repeated or made in the first place.

The first step to recovery is owning up and changing your habits right? Good news is you're already on the right track.

Here are the top 7 biggest hair care mistakes...

1. Using a hot tool on damp hair

sizzle, sizzle.

You want to make sure your hair is completely dry prior to using any hot tools.

Why?

Because you will cause irreversible damage. If you use an iron on wet or damp hair, the heat from that tool is amplified, essentially burning your hair to a boiled crisp; diminishing any elasticity, enhancing breakage and brittleness.

Doesn't that sound just lovely?

Take the extra precaution, make sure your hair is dry and apply a heat protectant spray before styling.

One we love is the Teknia Straight Thermal Protector.

2. Using the wrong brush

Combing your hair might be self-explanatory, but choosing the right brush is not.

When combing out your hair you want to make sure you're using a wide toothed comb, using anything else will snag your hair and cause breakage.

A wide toothed comb will gently glide through your hair, getting rid of all those knots as gently as possible.

The detangling comb from Salon Club works great!

Also make sure to NEVER comb through your hair when it's wet. Combing through your hair is already aggravating enough when it's dry. When wet, your hair is at its weakest state and doesn't have much resistance against the brush or flexibility, creating split ends.

If you have many knots and feel like it's impossible to comb through your hair when it's dry, that might be because your hair is really dehydrated.

Quench your hairs thirst by doing a hair mask at least once a week or every two weeks depending on the nourishment your hair needs. This will significantly reduce the amount of knots in your hair making it easier to comb through.

You could also use a detangling spray like the KeraStraight Detangling Moisture Mist that dampens your hair a smidge, easing the combing process a little more.

3. Using a regular towel to dry your hair

The coarse texture of cotton towels are unfortunately damaging to your hair as your strands get tugged by and caught in the fibers of the fabric.

According to celebrity hair stylist Monae Everett, drying your hair with a regular towel creates craters along the hair shaft, weakening your hair, contributing to frizz.

Instead, you should opt for a tshirt or a microfiber towel. A microfiber towl will dry your hair even faster than your regular towel because its fibers are finer than your hair, leaving more room for the water to be absorbed into it without all the friction.

4. Sleeping with wet hair

The obvious reason why you shouldn't sleep with wet hair is because it'll cause A LOT of breakage.

As we've mentioned before, your hair is at its weakest when its wet so the friction from tossing and turning will destroy your hair.

When your hair is left to dry, it sets into place, so as you sleep it'll set in all kinds of funky directions. This will cause you to spend more time fixing it in the morning and probably applying more heat to make you look a little less electrocuted, meaning: longer heat application = more damage

Another problem with going to bed with wet hair is not the fact that you might catch a cold from being chilly but rather from the bacteria that will be fostered onto your pillow. Bacteria thrives in damp areas and by going to bed with wet hair you invite some lovely bacteria to grow.

Not only does bacteria grow but when the water from your hair absorbed by your pillow so are the natural oils found in your hair.

Bacteria + loss of moisture = lots and lots of dandruff & a possible runny nose

5. Using way too much dry shampoo

Using dry shampoo makes your hair as dry as the Sahara. It acts as a bandage, it doesn't solve your problem; If anything, it makes it worse.

Impurities naturally collect onto your scalp. Washing your hair is the only way to clear your hair follicles of those impurities and promote healthy hair growth.

When applying dry shampoo over all that build-up of oil, dirt and pollution you're just clogging your hair follicles even more. In the long run, using dry shampoo can have some unflattering consequences like hair loss and stunted growth due to your hair follicles becoming completely clogged.

If you really can't live without it, opt for an organic brand and limit use to 1-2 times a week.

6. Washing your hair with steaming hot water

Nothing can be more soothing than a hot shower on a cold winter's day but unfortunately your hair might disagree.

When rinsing only with hot water you rob your hair of its natural oils, resulting in dry and frizzy locks... yikes.

What we suggest is to first rinse your hair with warm water then proceed to shampoo and condition. When applying warm water you open up the hair cuticle making it easier to get all that dirt and grime out.

Once you've rinsed all your shampoo & conditioner out, do a final rinse with cold or atleast cooler water. This closes the cuticle back up, saving your hair from frizz, enhances shine, makes your scalp cleaner and improves blood circulation.

7. Not using conditioner

Many people argue that using conditioner makes your hair way too oily. Although that might be true depending on your hair type, conditioner is a really important part of your hair care routine. It ensures your hair is getting the nourishment and moisture it needs.

If you have super oily hair, apply conditioner to only the tips of your hair or condition prior to shampooing instead of after.

Shampoo drys out your hair like crazy so its necessary to provide your locks with a boost of hydration afterwards.

Take care of your hair.

All it costs is some of your time and little bit of patience.

10 years down the line, you will be incredibly grateful.