Frustrated with your damaged hair? Worried you might be damaging your hair with everyday things like washing, drying and styling?
Today let’s talk about how to prevent hair damage or help the damaged hair you may already have!
My postpartum hair is insane. I lose so much hair after having my babies and my regrowth is not something to even joke about. (My stylist has told me it’s the worst she’s ever seen. AWESOME, haha!)
Because of that, I try to take really good care of my hair so it grows in healthy and the hair that’s left is strong! None of us wants damaged hair, especially if you have thin or fine hair to start out with!
How to Prevent Damaged Hair – 9 Mistakes That Are Destroying Your Hair
In case you have damaged hair, or just want to have healthier hair, here are 9 mistakes that are causing damaged hair and ways to fix it!
1. Blow Drying Your Hair Too Much
I’m sure we all know how bad blow drying your hair can be for your hair – especially if you do it every single day! Going after your entire head with your blow dryer rather than doing it section by section can also be problematic.
How to fix it:
- Try to wash your hair every other day to eliminate half of the blow drying you currently do.
- Air dry your hair one day a week. (Choose a day where you have more time at home to let it dry before you style it!)
- Section your hair off in sections when you do use blow dry it.
- Use a hair dryer that promotes healthy hair using cooler air or advanced technology.
This is my air dried hair look! I add a bit of dry shampoo (find all of my tips for using dry shampoo here) to give it some texture and volume.
2. Using Cheap Hair Tools
One thing I didn’t realize was how using cheap hair tools was affecting my hair.
When your hair dryer isn’t very effective it causes you to use more heat for a longer period of time on your hair – thus drying it out and possibly damaging it even more.
Same goes for your flat iron or curling iron. If heat isn’t distributed properly or it just doesn’t work as well, you’ll be forced to go over the same section numerous times to get it styled how you want. The least amount of heat on your hair the better!
How to fix it:
- Invest in quality hair tools. This is something that may take some time because man, the good ones are not cheap! Keep an eye on sales and save your money – trust me when I say it’s worth it.
- What I use: I’ve been using this styling wand trio for almost a year now and it has changed my hair! It makes it so much easier to style and I literally only do each section once. I also use the same brand’s hair dryer – Costco sometimes has them for way less money so if you’re a member, check there first!
3. Not Using a Heat Protectant
This is a super common mistake that a lot of women make and even easier to fix!
Heat protectants help add moisture to your hair which creates a protective layer for when you’re blow drying or styling with heat.
Most heat protectants are actually dual purpose so they not only protect your hair from the heat but they also add shine, texture or volume!
How to fix it:
- Pick up a heat protectant this is right for your hair and start using it! There are different options for using it on dry hair or wet hair – you may or may not need both!
- What I use: I’ve been using a Bumble and Bumble spray for years now and love it. It speeds up dry time, adds shine, removes frizz and is all around my fav. There’s also 1k reviews on it from adoring fans so this one is a keeper! I also love Olaplex No. 7 Hair Bonding Oil!
4. Wearing Tight Ponytails Every Day
The life of a busy woman means lots of ponytails, am I right?
I had a friend who used to wear ponytails all day and all night (literally!). When she went to her stylist for a cut, the stylist could tell exactly where she was wearing her ponytail because of all the breakage she was getting from it.
How to fix it:
- Lay off the top knots and tight ponytails! 🙂
- Use a damage free hair tie or scrunchies when possible. If you like to sleep with ponytails in, the least you could do is use a scrunchie (and don’t wrap it too tight!) to eliminate some of the friction.
- Opt for low, loose buns when you need to get it up.
This hairstyle is definitely not something you should wear everyday! 😉
5. A Bad Diet
This is probably the number one thing my stylist (Jenna from Cajah Salon) says to me when I ask her how to get my hair to grow faster and be the healthiest it can be.
Eating crappy food, not enough fruits and vegetables and not drinking enough diet will show itself in more places than just your waistline! Your hair, skin and nails will reflect what you put inside your body.
How to fix it:
- Obviously eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, etc is key to a healthy diet.
- Make sure you’re getting essential fatty acids (like omega-3s) which can be found in salmon, tuna, almonds, etc.
- Eat foods with Vitamins B6 (bananas, potatoes, spinach), B12 (meat, fish, dairy) and folic acid (fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain, beans).
- Also lean meats (fish, chicken, eggs and soy) are also needed for healthy hair.
- If this seems too daunting, start with one section at a time. Add in the foods in that section and then add in the next and the next!
6. Too Hot Water When Washing
I am 100% guilty of this. Hot water for your hair and body is not good. It can dry it out and make it more prone to breakage – exactly what we’re trying to prevent!
How to fix it:
- This one’s easy – turn down that water temp! I know it’s hard to do but make a conscious effort to turn it down, even a little bit!
7. Using the Wrong Brush on Wet Hair
Wet hair is much more vulnerable than dry hair so be careful! Pulling a brush through wet hair to break it apart can cause a lot of damage.
How to fix it:
- Use a wide tooth comb or Wet Brush when your hair is wet.
- If your hair gets really tangly, use the comb in the shower to work the conditioner through your hair. This can help release tangles easier.
8. Not Using the Right Product
Did you know there’s product out there for pretty much every single type of hair and hair need?
So if you have thick, straight hair you probably don’t need to be using hair for fine, wavy hair. Using the wrong product will cause your hair to not look it’s best and often times be as healthy as it could be.
How to fix it:
- Talk to your hair stylist about what they recommend! They are the professionals and get trained in on all different kinds of brands and products. I ask my stylist every time I see her about what new product I should be using. Your hair needs can change depending on weather, diet, how often you’re styling it, etc. so your stylist should be able to recommend if you need to add a hair mask, volumizing spray or whatever!
- One thing to note – be cautious if your stylist is constantly trying to sell you tons of new product every time you see them. My stylist is awesome about seeing what I’m currently using and only adding something I really need rather than just up-selling me on the latest and greatest. She makes sure I use up what I bought before recommending a different product that does a similar thing. That’s the type of stylist you need in your life!
9. Drying it With the Wrong Type of Towel
I did this for oh, about 34 years. I literally just bought a new towel and it has been the BEST.
Using a typical bath towel and scrubbing your hair with it can cause a ton of damage and breakage (aka not ideal especially for those of us with postpartum hair!). Using a soft towel and gently pressing it rather than scrubbing it will do wonders.
How to fix it:
- Get a soft, hair-specific towel and get in the habit of pressing, not scrubbing!
- What I use: I picked up a hair turban and it has been a game changer! Not only does it dry my hair better but it allows me to wrap it up without causing additional damage. At only $30, I highly recommend.
I’m sure we have all done or are still doing a number of these mistakes that are resulting in damaged hair! I hope this helps you to be well on your way to know how prevent hair damage and having a fabulous hair day every day!
Now go check out all of my tips for using dry shampoo! I bet you’ll learn a thing or two!
Thanks for reading and sharing!
Jen
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