twelve hair mistakes

by **Roma-_** Sun Jan 25, 2009 12:54 am

The Dirty Dozen: 12 Hair Mistakes You May Be Making

It’s easy to have gorgeous-looking locks when you walk out of thesalon, but it’s how you care for your hair on a daily basis that reallymakes a difference in the long run. “Even if you have a fantastic cutand you’re skilled at styling your hair, it’s not going to look itsbest if you mistreat it,” says Renee Cohen, senior stylist at SergeNormant at John Frieda, New York City. Here, the most common mistakeswomen make when it comes to their hair care—plus expert advice on howto fix them.

1. Washing your hair every day—or more.
While we’re not advocating the greasy grunge look circa 1992, itcan be good for your hair to get a break from daily washing, drying andstyling. If you color your hair, skipping the shampoo on occasion willhelp your shade stay rich longer since the sulfates in many shampoosfade away color. And for all but the oiliest heads, daily (or eventwice daily if you hit the gym) washing can strip away too much of yournatural oil, leaving hair dry, brittle and more susceptible tobreakage. Try every-other-day washing, and if the roots look a littlegreasy on day two, sprinkle on some dry shampoo or hair powder andbrush it out thoroughly.

2. Not getting regular haircuts.
If you’re trying to grow your hair out of a style you no longerlike (or just desperately wanting to add inches to your strands), youmight be tempted to avoid your stylist’s scissors for months on end.But you’re really not doing your hair any favors. Not only will youwind up with so many split ends that you will need to lose severalprecious inches anyway, but your hair will quickly start to lookobviously overgrown. “Your hair can look good at every stage oftransition between styles or while waiting for your bangs to grow out,”says Cohen. “By continuing to get trims, your hair will look fuller andhealthier, and you’ll never have that ‘I’m growing my hair out’ look.”

3. Using too much conditioner.
It makes sense that fine hair will get weighed down by excessiveconditioner, but even dry, coarse hair may not need as much as youthink. “If you routinely use too much, the product can build up on yourhair and leave a residue that makes hair appear dull and lifeless,”says Cohen. Try using the lightest formula your hair can handle (adetangling rinse is perfect for normal to fine hair), and doing anoccasional deep treatment if hair needs it. And when you apply yourconditioner, skip the areas closest to the scalp and concentrate theproduct more toward the ends of the hair.

4. Overheating your hair.
Chances are you blow dry your hair at least once a day for severalminutes. And you might even follow that up with more hot stuff—like acurling or straightening iron. So it’s no wonder that your hair looks alittle fried. “You might literally be burning your hair,” says Cohen.To protect it, she recommends using a product specifically made toprotect hair from heat—it will help seal up the cuticle to keep theheat from damaging the strand. And ditch any brushes that have metalpaddles or bristles—they will heat up as you blow dry and can singefragile locks.

5. Fighting your hair’s natural texture.
There’s nothing technically wrong with trying to curl your straighthair or straighten your curly hair. But just know that you’re settingyourself up for spending a lot of time and energy—and possiblyfrustration—to achieve your desired style. And sometimes, all thateffort may be for naught. If it’s a humid day, you are much better offletting your hair remain in its natural state—because the second youwalk outside, it’s going to revert back to it anyway!

6. Choosing the wrong styling products for your hair type.
Just as you select your moisturizer and makeup to suit your skintype, you need to select the right kinds of styling products in orderfor your hair to look its best. Loading up your fine hair with a heavystyling cream or a silicone product will leave your locks limp. Andtrying to style your thick, coarse, curly hair with just a spritz ofspray gel won’t tame your frizz or help hold your style all day long.For best results, look for a line of products that are designedspecifically for your hair type and style.

7. Thinking that more is better.
Even if you’re using the correct styling product, you can stillruin your look by using too much or too little of it. Too little justmeans that you won’t get the most benefit from the product (i.e., notusing enough frizz-taming serum will leave you still frizzy). But toomuch can cause several problems. “It can actually make your hair harderto style because as the product dries in your hair it can get so stiffthat it‘s hard to get the brush through,” explains Cohen. Excessproduct can also flake after it’s dry—making you look as if you havedandruff. Surplus silicone-based serum will leave hair limp and greasylooking. How much to use? For silicone products, Cohen recommendsstarting with as little as possible (just rub a drop between your palmsand run over hair) and adding more if needed. For styling cream or gel,an amount the size of a quarter should do the trick. And with mousse, ahandful is about right.

8. Pulling back your ponytail with just any elastic.
Before you grab an elastic and use it to secure your hair, take acloser look at it. If it’s not covered (and ideally continuous, withoutany metal showing), you run the risk of damaging your hair. Anuncovered elastic (like a plain rubber band from your desk drawer) willsnag in your hair, causing breakage and possibly even pulling hair outat the root when you try to remove the elastic. A covered band—securedloosely at the nape of your neck—will protect hair from harm.

9. Getting stuck in a style rut.
Take a look at a photo of yourself from 10 years ago. Now look inthe mirror. If the hairstyle you see in both places is the same, youare long overdue for an update. That doesn’t necessarily mean you haveto go in for a complete style overhaul—the fix could be as simple as afew tweaks to keep your look current. “Changing the length or addingsome layers or flattering bangs will keep you from looking like you’restuck in a time warp,” says Cohen. Another reason to modernize yourstyle: one that’s outdated may no longer be flattering and that canmake you look older.

10. Brushing your hair too much.
The old advice about giving your hair one hundred strokes a nightis not a recipe for healthy hair. While brushing once or twice a day isa great way to stimulate the scalp and distribute oil down the hairshaft, too much brushing could have the opposite effect—leaving hairmore vulnerable to breakage. And brushing wet hair (which is morefragile than dry hair) is never a good idea. Cohen recommends insteadusing a wide-tooth comb when you get out of the shower.

11. Ignoring the health of your scalp.
The follicles in the scalp are the birthplace of every strand of hairon your head. And if those factories aren’t kept clean and healthy,they won’t produce full, strong, healthy hair. While there are manyproducts on the market to cater to the health of your scalp, treatingit well can be as simple as giving it a little extra massage every timeyou wash your hair to stimulate it. And be sure to rinse all productoff your scalp before you leave the shower to ensure that there’s noresidue left behind to clog hair follicles.

12. Yanking out your gray hairs.
No, it’s not true that two will grow back in place of every one youpull out. But you’re not really getting rid of them with this methodeither. “It will grow back, and when it does it may be more wiry, andbecause it’ll be shorter, it’ll stick straight up till it grows in,”say Cohen. While even she concedes that pulling out a couple isn’tgoing to kill you, if you find yourself harvesting several every day,it’s time to consider coloring your hair. As you start to go gray, haircan look a bit dull and washed out, so by getting your hair colored arich, glossy shade, you’ll immediately take 10 years off your look.