Not Trimming Your Hair
Avoiding an appointment with a hairdresser will only spare you some dollars but make no good for your hair. The best way to keep a healthy long hair is by getting along with the scissors and trimming it frequently.
By postponing a haircut, you make your ends split. These will look dry and dull. When you finally decide to chop it, you’ll lose more length. Trimming should happen every 2 to 3 months.
Using Hair Ties
It’s often the case that we don’t have time to dry our hair after a shower. Pulling it back and making a messy bun with a hair tie while your mane is still wet is not a solution but a problem. Alli Miller, colorist and educator, explains that this practice can easily hurt your hair.
Wet hair is more elastic and becomes fragile if stretched out. Try to dry it before using a hair tie, as hair ties and elastics add more tension and can cause irreparable damage to your hair. Use soft scrunchies instead.
Sunlight Exposure
We’re always taught to protect our skin from UVA and UVB rays. What about shielding our hair? Sun exposure can cause significant damage to our tresses as much as it does to our skin, and we should be aware of it.
If we don’t protect our hair, the risk of damaging the cuticle and causing dehydration and split ends is relatively high. Next time you go shopping, pay attention to hair products that include sunscreen.
Cotton Pillowcases
Cotton pillowcases are highly comfortable, but the fabric is a healthy hair’s worst enemy. As cotton is a textured textile, it can absorb all the oil your hair naturally produces to protect the scalp and roots.
To avoid further damage, try switching to satin or silk pillowcases. These materials will help reduce the dryness. You’ll also notice that you won’t wake up with tangles anymore, no matter how much you move in your sleep.
Aggressive Brushing
Rushing and pulling hard to get rid of it can cause traction damage. Instead, take all the time you need. Spare yourself ten to fifteen minutes to correctly brush your hair without losing strands. First, you’ll need a wide tooth comb.
Aggressive brushing can be easily avoided if using a leave-in conditioner. The secret is to start from the bottom by detangling the ends, leaving the roots for the last part. This is the best way to prevent locked tangles.