7 unhealthy hair habits to avoid

Healthy hair is hard to come by, especially if you’re guilty of one of the following. If you’re desperate for luscious locks, it's time to quit these unhealthy hair habits cold turkey.
 

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1. Brushing wet hair

Hair is at its weakest straight out of the shower. Taking to your mane with a brush can actually overstretch the hair shaft and cause breakage. Still dying to detangle? Do it in the shower. Coat hair with conditioner after rinsing out your shampoo, then use a wide-tooth comb (or even your fingers) to work through any knots. If you just can't kick the wet hair habit, try something specifically designed for detangling wet hair without causing damage.

bh loves: Lady Jayne TanglePro

2. Scrubbing strands with a towel

Not to be dramatic or anything, but drying your hair with a traditional bath towel is basically the worst strand sin you can commit. The coarse texture of this type of towel is too rough to be used on hair, and the friction of working the towel up and down on hair to remove moisture causes craters along the hair shaft, weakening the strands and worsening split ends. Switch to a microfiber towel to absorb water without adding frizz (if you're in a pinch, you can even use a t-shirt as many of your tees are made out of similarly gentle materials (unconventional, but useful).

bh loves: Microfiber Towel ($15, saintcurl.com.au)
 

3. Not protecting your hair from heat-styling

We’ve told you before and we’ll tell you again: protecting your hair from heat-styling is one of the most important things you can do to keep locks healthy. Before you go anywhere near the blow dryer, give your hair a good spritz of protection - a good heat spray forms a protective barrier over the cuticle of the hair strand, leaving shine in tact whilst combatting damage.

bh loves: Schwarzkopf Extra Care Heat Styles Heat Protection Spray
 

4. Sleeping on it

No, we're not about to suggest you stay up all night to avoid damaging your hair, we all need our beauty sleep, but we are going to tell you the right way to sleep on your hair to keep it looking its best. Switching to a silk pillowcase will do wonders for your strands (and your skin too).

bh loves: Lilysilk 19 Momme Marbling Print Silk Pillowcase

5. Over-colouring

It’s best to go four to six weeks between salon visits (or home dye jobs) – any more frequent than that and you’re guilty of over-colouring your hair.  If you regularly colour your strands, it’s best to counteract the stress and damage with a regular at-home conditioning treatment.

bh loves: Moroccanoil Restorative Hair Mask.

6. Using the wrong brush

There are plenty of hairbrushes on the market, and they all have their own specific use. Here’s a little guide to make sure you’re using the right brush for your hair type:

Brushes with synthetic bristles (like Brushology Paddle Brush) are best for super thick hair types. 

Natural bristles (like Lady Jayne 100% Boar Bristle Brush) are ideal for those with fine, straight hair

Brushes with mixed bristles (like Michel Mercier Wooden Hair Brush for Normal Hair with bristles of varying heights) are the most popular, as they work pretty well on most hair types.
 

7. Taking scalding showers

If you like your shower super hot (and super long), you may be doing more harm than good. Hot water can dry out your hair (and skin), stripping it of its much-needed, protective oils. If your hair is prone to frizz and dehydration, try turning your shower temp down a notch.

Main image credit: Getty Images

Are you guilty of any of the above? Can you think of any more unhealthy hair habits?