Break This Rule: Apply styling products before you blow dry
If you just got out of the shower, don't apply products to your hair when it's sopping wet, says Kris Sorbie, Education Artistic Director for Redken 5th Avenue. She says doing this will dilute your hair products and make them less effective. A better option: Blow dry your hair until it's damp (or if you have time, let it air dry), and then apply your styling products and finish drying. However, short hair is an exception, says Sorbie, since it dries so quickly.
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Break This Rule: Always use conditioner after shampoo
This is one that depends on your hair type. If you've got thick or dry hair, you'll definitely still want to use conditioner post-shampoo. But Philip B. says baby fine hair responds better when you switch the order. He recommends applying conditioner, warming hair with a blow dryer for five minutes to let it soak in, then shampooing to lift any excess product from your hair. "You'll end up with perfectly conditioned, clean, bouncy hair -- with no residue to weigh it down or make it fall flat," Philip B. says.
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Break This Rule: Highlights are your best bet for natural-looking dimension
"Highlights are the ugliest form of color, they're so overused," Sorbie says. "Visualize it: A center part with stripes on each side symmetrically? It looks like a zebra." And while zebras are cute, they're not exactly what comes to mind when you think great hair. Sorbie says you're better off taking inspiration from people with naturally sun-kissed hair, like a kid who's spent all summer on the beach. "They'd have lighter ends and darker roots, that's more natural," Sorbie says. She suggests aiming for a seamless transition from darker roots to lighter ends, and skip the streaky highlights. "Not even zebras have such defined stripes," Sorbie says.
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Break This Rule: Brushing 100 strokes a day helps your hair
That image of Marcia Brady brushing her shiny blonde hair seems to have stuck with a lot of us. Sadly, doing the same with our own hair will only cause breakage, says Babaii. Plus, it can activate your oil glands and make your hair greasier, says Philip B. "Proper brushing is essential, because it helps to move the natural conditioning oils from your scalp down to the mid-shaft and ends of your hair," he says. "But a few strokes with a gentle, fine-quality brush is perfect."
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Break This Rule: Hair color damages your hair
This is one rule we can be happy is wrong. New York City hairstylist Ben Thigpen says, "This answer may have been different 15 or 20 years ago, but today hair coloring products (home or in a salon) are loaded with extra conditioners." Even bleach can be gentle, if it's properly used, says Clairol Color Director Marie Robinson. So don't be afraid to color, but do make sure you either see a qualified professional or very carefully follow your at-home instructions.
Are you sick and tired of hair that falls flat, frizzes at the first sign of rain, or has ends drier than Seth Meyers' wit? Join the club.
As fellow card-carrying members of the bad hair day club, we know the feeling. Which is why we tracked down a ton of leading experts and stylists to find out why our hair disappoints on a regular basis.
The consensus? We're still following these so-called "hair rules" that are actually just really bad advice. Turns out some of the hair tips we think are no-brainers -- like conditioning after shampooing, blow drying from back to front, and combing hair from the ends up -- are actually wrong. Who knew?
Check out this list of hair advice you should completely ignore. And in case you're wondering just who is turning your hair world upside down, rest assured we talked to the best in the biz. People like celebrity hair and scalp expert Philip B., Pantene Principal Scientist Jeni Thomas, and celebrity hairstylist David Babaii (he does Kate Hudson's gorgeous hair).
Thankfully, our experts didn't just crush our hair reality. They also gave us plenty of hair advice to rebuild our world -- a new world full of amazing hair every day. So go ahead -- be a rebel and break these rules for your best hair ever.
