7 Ways You’re Damaging Your Hair

1. Blow Drying Heat causes damage to your hair, and blow drying not only removes the surface moisture of your hair, it also removes water that’s bound to the hair. This causes your cuticles to become dry and brittle and can lead to significant breakage. Air drying is a much better option, but if you’re not able to do so, make sure to use a heat protector spray or leave-in conditioner before using a blow-drier.

2. Using Hot Tools Hot hair tools like curling rods and straightening irons are often necessary to get the look you want, but they are some of the main culprits of damaged hair. The upside is that most hot tools have different heat settings, so if you put them on a lower setting, they don’t do as much damage. However, if you have thick, coarse hair, you may not have much of a choice but to use higher heat. Try to only use heat tools a couple of times a week if you have to and never use them on wet hair, as that’s when they do the most damage.

3. Washing Your Hair Everyday You may think washing your hair everyday is helping your hair, but it’s actually damaging it more than you think. You should wash your hair as often as needed, and typically that means every two to three days. When you wash it everyday, you risk stripping your hair of its natural oils that keep it healthy and luscious.

4. Brushing Wet Hair Your hair is more susceptible to damage when it’s wet since it’s more elastic and likely to break. Be sure to be gentle with wet hair, using a wide-tooth comb rather than a brush to remove tangles. Another tip? Work your way up from the bottom of your hair to do the least amount of damage.

5. Towel Drying Towel drying your hair causes damage by roughing up the cuticle and potentially leading to more damage. Wet hair is more susceptible to damage in the first place, so try blotting your hair with a towel instead of rubbing it.

6. You Don’t Get Haircuts Often Enough You should be getting your haircut every three to six months to keep your hair healthy. Even if you’re trying to grow out your hair, as soon as you notice split ends, it’s time for a snip. If you don’t take care of your split ends, the damage will only continue up the shaft.

7. Hair Colouring and Chemical treatments If you color, bleach, perm or relax your hair, you’re doing damage to it. The chemicals in the dyes and treatments damage the cuticle and can lead to dry, brittle hair, even if you’re taking good care of it.