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5 Hair Care Mistakes

Updated on March 18, 2013

Common Mistakes You're Making With Your Hair

You may think you're doing everything right when it comes to caring for your hair. Unfortunately even the most careful among us are guilty of making these common hair care mistakes. Check to make sure you're not making any of these mistakes and find out what you can do to get healthier hair.

Brushing Hair Too Much

Have you ever noticed how much hair you lose when you brush your hair? Brushing hair too much is one of the most common hair care mistakes you can make. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to brush your hair 100 strokes every day. In fact brushing hair stretches out the hair cuticle, and too much brushing can pull and weaken hair so that it breaks more.

Unless you work in a wind tunnel, you probably only need to brush your hair no more than twice a day: once before showering, and once while styling. Any more than that is putting extra strain on your hair to pull and conform.

Also, remember to only use a wide tooth comb while hair is still damp. Use a natural bristle brush on dry hair.

Shampooing Every Day

Our scalps produce natural oils every day to keep hair healthy and soft. Every time we wash our hair, these oils are stripped off of our scalps. Of course, shampooing is necessary to remove excess oil, dirt, and product buildup. However, shampooing hair every day can irritate the scalp and cause hair to become very dry and straw-like. To maintain a healthy scalp, make sure to shampoo your hair only when it's necessary.

For those with oily hair types, shampooing hair every other day is enough to keep the scalp clean without overdoing it. Those with dry hair types can shampoo their hair just two days a week. If you find it absolutely impossible to not wash your hair everyday, try washing hair with a conditioner every day and using a shampoo only once every other day.

Not Getting A Regular Trim

Since hair grows from the root in the scalp, it's true that cutting your hair does NOT make it grow faster. However, without the proper care, hair will eventually reach a point where it does not seem to grow anymore. This is because the ends of hair, which are the oldest, are exposed to so many damaging factors that over time they become dry and fragile. Eventually these hairs split and break. This makes hair look thin and damaged. This is also why so many people think, "My hair stops growing!" In reality hair does not stop growing, it just keeps breaking off so that no new length is achieved.

Getting these split ends trimmed off every few weeks will drastically improve the health of your hair. Many times too many people who are trying to grow their hair out skip their regular trims. This is counter productive and only results in having to get a drastic short haircut. Getting a regular trim every 6 - 8 weeks will keep hair healthy so that it does not continue breaking off at the ends.

Not Drinking Enough Water

We all know that water is vital for our bodies' health. If you are not drinking enough water every day, your overall health is being affected in a negative way. You may feel sluggish, carry extra water weight, have dry skin, and may even develop health problems. Water also has a big impact on the condition of our scalp and hair.

Water keeps every part of our bodies nourished and moisturized. This includes our skin, scalp, and hair follicles. A dry scalp and dry hair could be a sign of dehydration. Drinking at least 64 ounces of water a day is recommended.


Missing Deep Conditioning Treatments

Hair benefits from the occasional deep conditioning treatment of natural oils and moisturizers. Whether you use a store bought hair repair mask or make your own warm olive oil treatment, it's important to apply these treatments regularly.

Missing deep conditioning treatments can leave hair feeling dry and looking frizzy or dull. A weekly deep conditioning treatment can drastically improve the texture of dry, damaged hair. Even if you consider your hair to be pretty healthy, a monthly deep conditioning treatment can instantly make your hair feel softer and look better.

Poll

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