Stop ruining your hair, please.
Time to break your bad habits, bad hair habits that is.
Being set in our ways – we’re all guilty. You might not even notice what your doing is damaging your hair and you’ve been doing it as long as you can remember – it becomes habitual, second nature – just something you do. Let this year be the year that you think twice.
Sweat pants, A top-knot, and No makeup on.. We all know about this one and we still do it. A messy bun thrown on top of our head is Gods’ gift to women, fashionable with little to no effort. Elastic hair ties are the best way to hold up your hair while you sleep or walk through your nightly beauty routines, while rubber elastics or clips can put too much strain on the hair… leading to breakage.
If you love to wear your hair in a ponytail, opt for a looser one. Metal free elastics, such as Emi-Jay hair ties are our favorite and please avoid using pins and elastics in your hair when it’s wet — when your hair is wet, it’s weakened considerably. Consistently tying your hair in the same spot can weaken the hair shaft and result in some serious breakage as well. So we suggest switching things up: a high ponytail one day, a low one the next, a braid over here, a bun over there.
Baby hair or self induced bangs, anyone? Whether you’re a fan of the baby hairs around your face or not, you ought to give them credit. They are little soldiers fighting in a big fight. Many of us style our hair in a manner that is opposite of its natural texture. It really is true, that everyone curly wants straight, and everyone straight wants curly. With the proper primers and styling aids our hair can withhold the beatings of our ruthless curling irons and straighteners however our baby hairs just aren’t built for it. To get them to stand guard with the rest of your hair-do, it is better to treat them separately and delicately.
We are all different on the inside… and also the outside. There are alot of misconceptions on how often we should be washing our hair. What works for one, may ruin another one’s hair. It’s important to meet with a stylist who is familiar with your specific hair texture. There are hair types that do require washing everyday, as well as every week or so and there are specialty shampoos and conditioners designed for every type of hair. For finer hair, we suggest a volumizing system such as Pureology’s Fullfyl Shampoo and Conditioner and for thicker hair, we suggest a dry shampoo before bed such as Bumble and bumble’s Pret a Powder.
Don’t rip yourself off. Have you ever stood in front of a mirror with a big old paddle brush in hand ripping it through your wet hair? Hair is at its most delicate state when it’s wet, and when you rip through the hair with no regard you are creating breaks and split ends.
The best way to deal with snags in wet hair is to work on it while you’re still in the shower. As your conditioner is setting, run your fingers gently through as best as you can and then once you are out, use a wide tooth comb to comb through. You can also help prevent this by gently brushing it out before you hop in the shower. Pureology’s Colour Fanatic spray can be fantastic at detangling and helping to mend broken strands. Just remember – whether it’s wet, dry, clean, dirty, ALWAYS be gentle when brushing your hair. Start at the bottom and gradually work your way up.
When in doubt, grow it out. When growing out your locks its important to advise your stylist of this new journey and talk about a game plan. Whether its visiting the salon more, or less often and we typically suggest coming in every 8-10 weeks for a light trim to get rid of dead or split ends when growing out your strands. If you get it cut too often, you will simply keep a constant length. On the other hand, if you wait too long the growth will slow down and the hair will continue to split. As lovely as long locks are, they are only pretty if they are healthy. Don’t forget to prep and prime hair whenever you are using heated tools to prevent unwanted damage.
Do Not Pluck! Plucking one grey does NOT make two more grow back in its place, but you aren’t exactly solving the problem because that same hair will grow back grey. We certainly do not reccommend plucking any hairs no matter the color because it irritates the hair folicle, which results in unhealthy hair. If we we want healthy hair, it starts at the roots!
There are alot of different types of root cover ups now – dye free…Try Bumble and bumbles new Color Sticks! These Color Sticks are REVOLUTIONARY. They are neat little crayon sticks that fit right into your makeup bag. They are water proof, so they can last a little longer than just a few hours but they wash out easily with a regular shampoo. In our opinion, they appear much more natural, as powders and sprays can leave residue on your scalp.
They say it takes 30 days to create a new habit, so give yourself some time to adapt. Just like your old habits, they will become second nature eventually and you’ll never have to look back!
“You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.” – Stephen King
