Surprising Daily Habits That Are Killing Your Hair
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We’ve all memorized the traditional Hair Killers: Never put your hair up wet, never use hair elastics with metal clips and always refrain from blow drying your hair at a temperature above 400 degrees. But there are other, super-damaging hair habits you’ve probably never even heard of! The good news–your friends here at Daily Makeover have the dirt on all of them. The better news–you can easily nix these bad hair habits today.
Turning Up the Heat
You’ve been warned that a hot shower dries out the skin. Well it does the same to your scalp. The most important rule in hair care—unhealthy scalp, unhealthy hair. “When you take long, scalding-hot showers, you’re stripping away your scalp and hair’s protective oils,” says dermatologist Dr. Francesca Fusco. Keep your shower water on the cooler side, or rinse with cool water–your lovely locks will thank you.
Wearing Wool
“Wool caps are very popular and I see some women wearing them throughout the day, but wool can wick moisture away from hair as well as create friction that can contribute to breakage,” says Dr. Fusco. She recommends maintaining moisture with a weekly hair mask and placing a piece of satin or silk liner to work as a barrier between the wool and hair.
Brushing Filthy
If you schedule in a mandatory makeup brush cleaning, you better add you hair brush to the lineup. “Between product buildup, loose hair and oil, your brush is a breeding ground for germs—and when left unclean, you’re applying those bacteria to your hair every day,” says stylist Liane Maag from New Jersey-based Suede Salon Spa and Body. “Clean the hairs out of your brush weekly and clean your brush in a bath of hot water and baking soda for 30 minutes once-a-month.”
Skipping Shampoos
Shampooing does not increase (and certainly doesn’t trigger) shedding. “Although it may appear that we lose more hair on shampoo days, it has nothing to do with shampooing,” says Dr. Fusco. When you skip a few too many shampoos (4 or more days in a row), the scalp is susceptible to oil buildup, itching and dandruff.
Excessively Brushing
Never take hair advice from Marcia Brady. “You don’t need 100 brush strokes a day for healthy hair,” says dermatologist Rebecca Kazin, MD. “Excessive brushing can ruffle the hair cuticle and cause breakage.” When you do brush hairstylist Tim Rogers recommends “using a [soft] paddle brush and working from the bottom up.”
Skimping on Conditioner
If you’re prone to condition from mid-shaft to ends (it prevents fine hair from being weighed down, right?), listen up. “The scalp (like your facial skin) needs proper hydration to be healthy and to be the foundation for beautiful hair,” says Dr. Fusco. “I recommend Clear Scalp & Hair conditioners because they are formulated for scalp and hair. It conditions without weighing down hair—no matter what kind of hair you have or how much hair you have.”
Read more: The Real Truth About Thinning Hair
