Which hair care habits cause the most damage?
Written by
Tran Quang
Reviewed by
Prof. William Dalton, Ph.D.Many day-by-day hair care habits damage your strands, without you knowing it. Overuse of heat-styling equipment can permanently break the keratin bonds. Rough combing of wet hair can erode the cuticle. Overlapping chemical treatments can damage the hair shaft's structure. Recognizing these damaging habits can help prevent their progressive deterioration.
Heat Styling Errors
- High temperature use: Exceeding 350°F (177°C) without thermal spray
- Daily flat ironing: Causes cumulative keratin damage to hair cortex
- Wet heat exposure: Blowdrying soaking wet hair increases fragility
- Tool contact time: Holding irons over 3 seconds per section
Brushing Mistakes
- Wet hair handling: Combing before 80% dry lifts cuticles
- Nylon bristles: Create static electricity that roughens surface
- Root-to-tip strokes: Force knots instead of working ends first
- Tension application: Pulling hard causes traction alopecia over time
Chemical Processing
- Overlapping applications: New dye on previously treated sections
- Extended processing: Leaving bleach beyond 45 minutes maximum
- Incompatible treatments: Perms after color without waiting period
- Neutralization skip: Not rinsing relaxers for full 5 minutes
Mistakes regarding frequency of washing hair can leave lasting damage. Overwashing fine hair can still leave it without its necessary oils. Underwashing coarse hair results in buildup of product. Both will damage the natural barrier of the scalp. I help clients discover their own schedules through simple strand tests.
The merging of chemicals creates extreme structural damage. When coloring previously relaxed hair, there is an overlap of damage zones. Always wait a minimum of eight weeks between any chemical processes. My salon has strict scheduling procedures to prevent this from happening to our clients.
Environmental factors increase damage. Any sun exposure after bleaching increases the fragility of the hair. Contact with chlorine during color treatment increases the hair's cuticle lift. Protect hair before swimming. Avoid direct sun exposure by wearing hats on extremely sunny summer days. These simple barriers to exposure will mitigate the compound effects of damage.
Recovery demands ongoing correction. Client Mia regained her hair after she ceased using thermal tools every day. Each week, she alternated between protein masks and moisturizers. After twelve weeks, her hair elasticity improved by fifty percent. Be patient, transformation takes time.
Read the full article: 10 Proven Ways to Strengthen Hair
