The Mistake: Tightly Wrapping Hair in a Towel After Washing
"Hair can stretch up to 50 percent of its length when it's wet, and it's much more fragile than dry hair. When you put a lot of tension on wet hair with a towel you can get major breakage on your hairline, as well as any parts of your hair that are being pulled," warns Mondo.
He says if you absolutely need to wrap your hair — versus gently pressing hair dry — that it's best to buy a special towel made for this. "It'll be a much softer fabric and will make sure you don't have to twist your hair to death in the towel because they are much smaller." Try the Aquis Rapid Dry Lisse Hair Turban, $20.99, which is made from microfiber and actually expedites the drying process.
The Mistake: Trying to Brush Tangled Hair While It's Wet
In addition to torturing your hair with a towel after washing, one of the worst mistakes people make is brushing their hair right out of the shower. This is especially terrible if you have curly, kinky, wavy, or tangle-prone hair, warns Chabbi. "You should only use your fingers to detangle. I recommend using a styling lotion [or detangling product] and then letting your hair air dry or diffuse." If you must brush your hair while it's wet or damp then use something like Tangle Teezer's The Ultimate Detangler, $14. It features 325 patented "teeth" that are long and flexible, which minimizes the potential for breakage or cuticle damage.
"Some people think that the longer you leave a curling or flat iron on your hair, the longer the style will last. That couldn't be further from the truth," warns Lin. "The longer you leave a hair iron on your hair — or in one particular spot — the more damage the heat does to do your hair." Whether curling, adding light texture, or straightening, you should always keep your iron moving. When you feel your hair is hot, that means it's done." This might be a no-brainer, but he says you must also use a heat protectant — no exceptions. Pai-Shau's Something To BeLeave-In, $24, is a winner.
The Mistake: Over-Styling Your Hair with Tight or Labored Curls
Not only is over-styling your hair potentially damaging, it's also becoming a dated faux pas. "The tight curls or waves are just so not the thing anymore, and over styling can age you. It's all about the effortless style nowadays. Think sleek, sexy, but undone," advises Mondo. "The key is to just do less. Take a second to look at yourself in the mirror after styling and make sure it looks as if you just woke up with perfect hair. If you did too much curl or wave, than bust out the blow dryer and pull the wave down hard and blow dry to release some of the curl in order to give you that lived in look."
