Life
One of a woman's most prized possessions is her hair. Whether it's long or short, curly or straight, dyed or natural, your hair is one of the first things people notice about you every day. So, keeping it in the best shape possible is really important. Though every woman wants to do that, there are way too many hair care mistakes most women make that prevent them from having the healthy tresses they aim for.
A few years ago, I was one of the women who wanted my hair to be healthy and full, but I didn't really take the time to ensure I was treating it right. I would sleep without wrapping my hair, never get my ends clipped, and barely moisturize it as often as I should. It took my hairstylist at the time to remind me of the damage that could result in these actions and even gave me a little scare when she told me the middle of my hair was thinning. Though she helped me nurse my strands back to life, I realized that avoiding certain mistakes and revamping my haircare routine could keep my strands full, healthy, and happy.
If you're not sure if you're making haircare mistakes that can be detrimental to your hair, these 11 common ones will help you cross a few off your list.
1
You Neglect Your Ends
According to professional stylist Chrissy Woods not getting your ends trimmed regularly is a common mistake women make when it comes to their hair. "If the split ends are not removed, they continue to grow up the hair shafts causing more breakage to the hair," Woods tells Romper.
2
You Don't Let Your Hair Breathe
For women who love to wear weave or extensions, ensuring that you give your hair some time in between styles to breathe is really important. My hair stylist has always told me that it's important to give your hair time to not be pulled and tugged from the braids and extensions by leaving it out for a week in between styles.
3
You Wear Your Braids Too Tight
Stylist Francis Finance tells Romper that women who get their braids done too tightly are making a huge mistake. "Most women think the tighter, the better," she says. "Braids are not supposed to be too tight or too loose because it puts pressure on your edges and makes them thinner."
4
You Skip The Deep Condition
Woods also tells Romper that tough skipping the deep condition seems like it's harmless, it can really be harmful to your hair. "Deep conditioning allows the products to penetrate through the cuticle of the hair causing the hair to be smoother and healthier," she explains.
5
You Hold On To Damaged Hair For Length
Having your ideal length of hair is a great feeling, but if you're not trimming your ends on the regular, you'll end up cutting off more than expected when visiting the salon. I used to be one of those people who wanted to save dead hair just to not alter my length, but I've learned that healthy shorter hair is better long, dead hair.
6
You Rough Drying Your Hair
According to Women's Health magazine, intensely towel drying your hair is a big mistake made amongst women. Rubbing your hair too harshly will roughen up the cuticle and make your hair dull, frizzy and prone to breakage.
7
You Don't Use A Heat Protectant
StyleCaster noted that choosing not to use a heat protectant before flat ironing, curling, or blow drying is a bad decision. The use of hot tools causes friction and will cause cuticle cell damage along with breakage.
8
You Sleep On Cotton Pillowcases Without Wrapping Your Hair
According to ESSENCE, sleeping on a cotton pillowcase is not the best idea for women. Cotton is meant to absorb moisture, so the friction caused from tossing and turning at night can result in more frizziness and less shine.
9
You Tear Through Your Knots With A Brush
StyleCaster also noted that tearing through your knots with a brush will be an easy cause to snapping your strands. Instead, try taking your time to brush through the knots to save your hair.
10
You Only Spend 5 Minutes On Hair Washing
According to Yahoo!, you need to take some time to let your strands get clean. The Site suggests making more time for hair care and using circular motions when washing will ensure that.
11
You Wear Your Part In The Same Place All The Time
When I was younger, my aunt — who is a hairstylist — would always shift my hair part, because wearing your hair parted in the same place can cause breakage in that area. Change it up for healthier tresses.
