1. Hot Showers
Who doesn’t love a relaxing, steaming hot shower? Your hair. On the top layer of your scalp, the sebaceous glands (microscopic exocrine glands in the skin) secrete an oily or waxy matter to lubricate and waterproof your skin and hair. While you’re enjoying your hot water, the layer of waxy protection that your sebaceous glands work hard to produce is washed away, leaving your hair and scalp vulnerable to damage. So if your hair is lacking that bounce, shine, and glow, you should try to cut back on all those hot showers.
2. Towel Drying
Right after you hop out of the shower, the last thing you want is wet hair. But you may want to think twice before you immediately start to rub your mane dry with your towel. Your strands are fragile, and the friction from towel drying can be destructive. So instead of the usual rub down, get the water out of your hair by gently patting with your towel. Preserve those locks!
3. Teasing
When your hair is looking flat, you may want to reconsider resorting to the comb (and tons of hairspray) to give it that extra bump. The outer layer of your strands, the cuticle, points downward. When you tease in the opposite direction, you’re pushing the cuticle back. The next time you brush through your locks, you expose your strand’s inner layers. Voilà! SPLIT ENDS! The “Poof” is so 7th grade, anyways.
4. The Same Ponytail
Ponytails are the real MVPs. Whether you’re having a bad hair day or working out at the gym, ponytails are a lifesaver – if you wear them correctly. Putting a tight ponytail in your favorite spot every time can cause major breakage. Rubber bands grip the hair tightly so it will stay in place, but that gripping cuts into the hair shaft and causes fraying. Try a low, high, or side ponytail each time to minimize any damage to your luscious locks. Mix it up!
5. Sleeping with Wet Hair
Sometimes late night showers can only make you sleepier, and passing out after slipping into your cozy pj’s sounds just marvelous. However, this common mistake can create mold in your mane (yes, MOLD!). Your hair is like fiber, a material. So for example, when you leave a wet towel all crumpled up, it smells seriously funky a day later. The same thing can happen to your hair, too. Try your best to get at least 50% of the water out of your hair. Either a gentle towel pat down or quick blow-dry with do the trick. No one wants their hair smelling like a wet, day old towel. Gross.
One or more of these bad habits can be the difference between your hair looking flat versus fabulous!