8 Ways You Could Be Damaging Your Hair

Is it time to fix your bad haircare habits? Perhaps you’ve noticed that your hair is getting a little frizzy or you’re getting too many split ends? Whilst some of this can be natural deterioration, most of the damage that our hair sees is due to our own mistreatment. Many of us mistreat our hair without realising. Here are just 8 ways you may possibly be damaging your hair.

Using Too Many Chemicals

Most of us are aware of the danger of too many dyes. Many of us will bleach or lighten our hair first before colouring our hair, which can cause our hair to become brittle. Chemicals in dyes can then further break down our hair. Occasionally colouring your hair might not do too much damage, but keeping it constantly dyed could eventually wear down your hair.

Certain hair products can protect against this damage. These include bond protectors and colour care shampoos and conditioners. Look out for products that are chemical-free and always opt for hypoallergenic products if you’ve previously had a reaction. When lightening your hair, you can also do less damage by gradually lightening it in stages rather than bleaching it entirely at once.

When washing my hair, I only ever use products that are free from parabens and sulphates. Be mindful of the ingredients in your products.

Overwashing Your Hair

You can also damage your hair by washing it too often. Our hair produces natural oils, which can keep it looking shiny. Washing your hair every day with shampoo can strip away these oils and leave your hair dry and dull.

If you currently wash your hair daily, consider switching to every other day. This could allow your oils a chance to give our hair some shine. The temperature you wash at can also make a big difference – hot showers will cause more damage to your hair. Some people may have more oily hair, in which case daily washing using cleansing conditioners could be beneficial. I wash mine every three, sometimes even four, days.

Damaging It With Heat

Haircare tools that use high heat such as hairdryers and straighteners can be terrible for our hair’s health. The heat can make our hair brittle over time, causing thinning and even hair loss eventually.

You can minimise the damage by turning down the heat when blow-drying your hair – most hairdryers have a cool setting, which is much less damaging to your hair. Not holding the hairdryer too close is also important. As for straighteners and curlers, there’s not much you can do to prevent damage other than not using them as regularly. If you’ve got curly hair, try embracing some curly haircuts for a change. If you really detest your curls, you may be able to use a comb and hairdryer to straighten your hair – it’s a longer process and not as effective, but it’s much healthier than using straighteners.

Towel Drying Too Roughly

Using a towel can be healthier than blow-drying your hair, however, you should be careful of rubbing your hair too roughly. This can pull on hairs and cause damage to the roots.

It’s much healthier to dab your hair – this is a lengthier process but won’t cause damage to the roots. Microfiber towels can be much better for your hair as they’re not as rough. Letting your hair naturally dry is, of course, the other alternative – this may involve taking a shower in the evening rather than the morning so that your hair dries overnight (a satin pillow will help to prevent bed hair).

Using Tight Headbands

If you’re often forcing your hair back with tight headbands and hairbands, you could be causing permanent damage to the roots. This can often lead to thinning on the scalp as you get older. Either that, or it will cause your hair to become frizzier.

You can reduce the tension on your hair by using softer headbands and wider hairbands to pull back your hair. If you use clips, you should also consider where you position these and whether you’re creating too much tension on your hair. Letting your hair loose whilst at home (and certainly whilst asleep) could also help to give your hair a break.

Swimming Without A Cap

Swimming isn’t great for the hair. It opens up the cuticle level and can cause hair to become brittler and rougher as a result. The damage is made worse by chlorine if you happen to be swimming in a pool, whilst the salt from the sea is equally as bad.

Wear a swimming cap could help to protect your hair from water damage. These may not look particularly stylish, but it’s worth the benefit it will have on your hairstyle. Swimming caps can also help with performance when swimming professionally.

Eating The Wrong Foods

Your diet also has a big impact on the quality of your hair. Sugary foods and high glycemic foods are among some of the worst when it comes to damaging your hair. A lack of protein and vitamins could also be causing damage to your hair.

Some of the best foods for your hair include dark leafy greens, carrots and eggs. These foods are high in vitamins and proteins that can help your hair look full and healthy. Eggs, in particular, are great for your hair – some people go so far as to apply egg whites directly to their hair! I’ve successfully washed my hair in the past with egg yolks alone.

Not Drinking Enough Water

Recent studies have linked dehydration as a major cause of hair loss. Drinking lots of water throughout the day causes much of your body to function healthily and this includes your hair. It can help to carry important nutrients to your roots as well as clearing the body of pollutants which may cause hair loss.

You should ideally be drinking eight glasses of water a day. Whilst your body can function on much less than this, eight glass of water is the optimum amount to fuel every part of your body (coffee and alcohol don’t count, as these drinks can actually dehydrate you).

Please note, this was a collaborated post.  Thanks for reading.