5 Damaging Hair Habits To Stop Doing Today

By Perry K
December 22, 2021

If you're looking for healthier, shinier hair, it's time to break some of those bad hair habits. 

They are often difficult to break, but they can seriously damage your hair if left unchecked.

Here are five damaging habits that you should stop doing right now: 

Washing your hair too much (or not enough)

While you may be tempted to wash your hair every day, this habit can cause more damage than you think. Washing your hair everyday strips the natural oils from your scalp, causing the need to overproduce oil. This can result in oily and greasy-looking hair that feels heavy.

Not only that but washing your hair every day can cause dryness and irritation on the scalp. On the other extreme, not washing your hair often enough can lead to itching a perfect breeding ground for dandruff-causing fungus. 

Fix It: In order to avoid dandruff and maintain a healthy scalp, try to only wash your hair every other day. If you are someone who works out a lot or sweats a lot, you may need to wash your hair more often, but make sure to use a gentle shampoo and conditioner that will not strip your hair of its natural oils.

Rinsing with steaming hot water

While rinsing with steaming hot water can feel very refreshing, it is actually damaging for your hair. Frequently exposing your scalp to steaming hot water will irritate it and dry out the ends, making it brittle, and prone to breakage.

Fix it: Warm water (just above the body temperature of 38℃ or 100℉) is perfect. The oils on your hair are in a waxy, semi-solid state in cool temperatures and liquify when it’s warm. This will help to wash away any dirt and grime, while keeping the scalp free from irritation.

Not shampooing or conditioning correctly

Shampooing and conditioning sounds like a no-brainer step. But missteps such as shampooing your ends and conditioning at the roots can lead to a lot of damage.

Fix it: Scrub your scalp gently with your fingertips to loosen up any dirt or oil, and only use shampoo on your scalp. When the shampoo is washed off, it will clean the hair ends on the way down.

Afterwards, apply a generous amount of conditioner to the ends of your hair (avoiding the roots). Leave the conditioner on for at least 3 minutes before rinsing.

Styling your hair in tight updos too often

While styling your hair in a tight updo can be a great way to show off your pretty curls, doing this too often can cause damage. When you style your hair in a tight updo, you are putting all of the tension on a small amount of hair. This can cause breakage along your hairline, giving you the appearance of "straw-like" hair.

Fix it: If you want to style your hair in an updo, try wearing it down for at least 1/3 of the time to give your hair and scalp a chance to relax and relieve any tension.

Not exfoliating your scalp regularly

We know the benefits of exfoliating your face regularly, but did you know regular exfoliation helps your scalp too? Exfoliation helps to remove dead skin cells and hair product residue that can build up on the scalp. If these build up over time, they cause the oil glands of the scalp to work overtime producing too much oil due to irritation. This can lead to oily hair, scalp odor, and dandruff.

Fix it: In order to keep your scalp healthy and free of build-up, exfoliate once a week using a gentle scrubbing motion. This will help to remove any dead skin cells and keep your scalp healthy and free of irritation.