We all have bad habits that work against our beauty: not drinking enough water, blowing off good sleep, maybe indulging in too many drinks now and then can really wreck our skin. The good news is, all of these are easily fixed with a couple of days of rest and some H20. But when it comes to our hair, we rarely think about how our habits can really work against us with sometimes disastrous results. After all, bad hair habits can work against any desire for length, strength and the lustrous locks of our dreams.
The good news is, habits are meant to be broken. We asked some of the industry’s top hairstylists to dish on some of the worst habits that work against our hair goals and how to stop them. Get ready to break up with some of the most hair-sabotaging acts out there.
Image via Imaxtree
Switching Hair Stylists Too Often
Garren, Celebrity Stylist and Co-Founder of R+Co
"One of the worst habits is jumping from hairdresser to hairdresser, which never gives a professional a chance to create a look. Hair grows out in three stages, and whether it’s long layers or a short haircut, it’s going to go through phases where it requires guidance from a good stylist to make sure clients know how to style it as it grows out. It shouldn’t ever look unkempt. Short hair needs more maintenance than anything else. Don’t overcut it or hop from stylist to stylist out of lack of patience or understanding.
The key is to find a stylist and a product regimen that will help you achieve the best style for you. There’s nothing wrong with going up to someone who has hair you like to get a recommendation for a stylist or salon. Go in for a blowout to look at the work they do at the salon. Get a feel for how they (hairdresser/salon) cut and style hair. Also, ask the person blowing out your hair what kind of products they recommend for your hair type – it’s all about getting to know the hair you have on your head. R+Co Television Perfect Hair Shampoo, $30, is a great shampoo for all hair types. It’s about finding the right product to do what you want your hair to do.”
Not Protecting Hair From Heat
Stacey Guerra, Senior Stylist at Butterfly Studio Salon in New York City
"One of the surefire ways to sabotage your hair goals is overusing hot tools (especially using metal brushes during blowouts) and not pre-drying the hair before styling. Too much heat on the hair causes ends to become dry and brittle, which leaves you with broken ends and diminished shine.
Heat is not a friend to your hair, but since we have to use it to achieve most of today’s looks, it’s important to protect your mane with leave-in conditioners and serums. Pre-drying while using a natural bristle brush also cuts down your styling time and the amount of heat aggressively applied to hair. Kerastase Resistance Ciment Thermique Blow Dry Primer, $37, is a great leave-in to use on damp hair before blow drying. Just some subtle changes that make a difference in your hair care routine.”
Shampooing Too Often
Justin Anderson, Los Angeles-based Celebrity Colorist; Co-Founder and Creative Director of dpHUE
“I have to agree that jumping from stylist to stylist really works against your best hair dreams and goals. Every colorist has their own vision of how to achieve the best look for you and way of achieving said vision. Jumping around makes this hard to achieve the client’s end goal. Colorists also use different color/products, which in some cases can be destructive and strip the hair. It really works against you.
I really suggest sticking with one colorist and work with that person to achieve your hair color dreams. Also, if you’re making that kind of investment in your hair, you want to protect it, so switch to a shampoo that doesn’t dull your hair color. I am a strong believer that women shouldn’t wash their hair every day, so I swear by dpHUE Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse, $35. It’s a great substitute for shampoo; it cleanses hair without stripping it of its natural oils.”
Forgetting to Take Care of Natural Hair Underneath Extensions, Braids and Weaves
Taliah Waajid, Atlanta-based natural hair care specialist, and Founder, Taliah Waajid Hair Care
“One of the worst habits when it comes to weaves and braids is that women neglect to condition the hair and maintain it; we can sometimes sort of ‘set it and forget it.’ With braids, we have to maintain the moisture balance of the hair while it’s in a long-term protective style, and sometimes the mistake with weaves is that we forget the hair underneath the sew-in extensions because it’s not visible. If we don’t take care of the moisture balance of our hair, it can dry out, which leads to breakage and damage. Our hair requires moisture and maintenance regularly, even in protective styles.
The solution to this is applying some product for moisture balance. The Protective Styles line that I created addresses all these needs and Healthy Hair Under There Bamboo, Avocado and Peppermint Conditioning & Restoring Serum, $10, is perfect for braids and weaves: it stimulates the scalp, strengthens the hair and helps condition and restore our hair’s natural strength. It has a directional nozzle so you can apply it to any protective style: braids, twists, crochet, two-strand twists, weaves and updos.”
