All of us would like to think that we take good care of our hair—but did you know that there are many commonly accepted hairstyles and daily grooming rituals that actually harm your hair’s health? In other words, you could be diminishing the wellbeing of your scalp and your hair without even realizing it. Here are some of the most common ways in which that happens—hair health hazards that you’ll obviously want to avoid.
How You Could Be Hurting Your Hair
- Wearing your hair in ponytails or braids. Now, let’s be clear: you can put your hair into one of these styles every now and then and it’s probably not going to do a lot of harm. When you put your hair into a ponytail or a braid regularly, though, it causes a lot of strain to your hair, and can even do damage at the follicular level. Try to use these hair styles sporadically, and if you wear braids, keep them fairly loose—allowing your hair some room to breathe!
- Using heat appliances. The daily use of heat appliances can also do damage. Hair dryers, flat irons—appliances like these leave your hair completely dried out, which can make it damaged and brittle. If at all possible, find other ways to style your hair each day.
- Bleaching your hair. Bleach is a powerful chemical, and every time you use it you’re leaving your hair a little weaker. We strongly recommend avoiding bleach products on your hair! Some colors and dyes can also be damaging, but bleach is certainly the most toxic of hair chemicals.
- Over brushing your hair. There is, of course, nothing wrong with brushing your hair—unless you’re going for hundreds of strokes per day, in which case all that brushing can simply exert too much wear and tear on your luscious locks. Try to brush sparingly, and use a nice, new brush.
- Shampooing your hair too often. Again, there is nothing wrong with doing this—within reason. Shampoo can be helpful for ridding your hair of dirt and debris. It can also damage the hair over time, though—so we’d recommend shampooing only every other day, or even every three days, as opposed to daily.
Put Your Hair’s Health First
It’s important to put your hair’s health first in all your daily grooming habits—and that means avoiding some of the hazardous practices mentioned here. If you need further insight into healthy hair habits, our stylist can provide them. Reach out to New Image to learn more!