7 Helpful Hints on Preventing Hair Damage ...

1. Know Your Hair

Getting to know your particular hair type is a big part of preventing hair damage. You can’t really protect or prevent damage when you don’t really know what your hair type is. Is it thin, thick, dyed, coarse, oily or dry? The thickness of your hair will determine the temperature on your heat tools so avoid turning up the heat too high if your hair is fine. Your hair type will also determine the type of hair styling products that will work best for you so take some time to really get to know your hair.

2. Don’t OverWash

I used to lather up on a daily basis, but recently there has been a huge backlash against washing your hair too often. One of the reasons being that washing your hair too often can remove your hair’s natural oils and leave it feeling dry. Wet hair is also very weak and easy to damage, so just the act of getting your hair wet can leave you with damaged hair! Use dry shampoo in between days you shampoo your hair and when you do wash your hair, concentrate on your scalp and focus the conditioner on the mid-shaft and ends of your hair. Otherwise, you run the risk of dry ends and weighed down roots.

3. Ditch the Towel

I’m a huge fan of putting my hair up in a towel after I wash my hair. I’ve been doing it for many years, but it’s another one of the bad hair habits I have. Turns out, towels can be too rough on our hair and vigorously rubbing your hair with a towel is a huge no-no! You can always use a towel to gently pat excess water out of your hair, but if you want it out of your face, use a cotton T-shirt to wrap it up instead.

4. Use Heat Protectant

In order to avoid damaged hair, using a heat protectant is a must. The heat tools we use on our hair are super hot and styling our hair without some kind of barrier from the heat is just asking for dry, dull and damaged hair. Spritz heat protectant on your hair while you’re doing your makeup so it has time to dry before you start styling it. You can find an effective heat protectant for under $5 at the drugstore, so it’s a great hair care product that won’t break the bank.

5. Wear Your Hair Loose

Are you known for your ballerina buns, braids or ponytails? We want to get creative with our hair styles, but if you frequently wear your hair in a tightly pulled back style, it can damage your hair. Make sure you add wearing your hair loosely into your style rotation so your hair gets a break. You might also notice breakage or damage where you wear your hair tie if you always wear a ponytail. If you need to wear your hair away from your face, switch from a high ponytail to a low one or try a loose updo.

6. Avoid Heavy Extensions

Hair extensions are great because you can instantly change your look and they come in so many great colors. However, there is a big drawback to extensions which is that they can be heavy and pull, break off and damage your natural hair and may even leave bald patches. Extensions can be great for special occasions, but wearing them all the time can result in some unwanted damage.

7. Use Quality Tools

A good way to prevent hair damage is to avoid buying cheap, low quality hair tools. It might seem like a great deal to get a super cheap hair dryer, but you might end up paying for it in the long run. You don’t have to spend a fortune on hair styling tools, but if you frequently heat style your hair it’s worth it to get a quality styling tool that has various settings so that you have the ability to control the speed and heat. That way, you can dry or style your hair faster with less exposure to heat.

Preventing hair damage seems easy, but when we’re busy getting ready for work or school it’s easy to forget some of the cardinal rules of hair care. How do you prevent hair damage to your hair? Do you have any special tips or tricks you swear by, I'd love to hear them!