Top 10 Worst Hair Habits To Make

1. Using hot water when washing your hair!

With winter fast approaching, it makes total sense that you're reaching for that hot water tap and avoiding the cold tap like an ex-boyfriend but did you know hot water is actually bad for your hair? Hot water opens your hair cuticle which means it allows for the moisture we spend so much time trying to KEEP in your strands, escape causing your hair to dry out and increase the risk level of damage. Hot water will also begin to strip your hair of its essential oils, cause frizz and fade any colour you've had put into your hair - I can see the dramatic scene of money going down the sink as we speak... Instead of hot water, wash your hair with lukewarm water and once you're ready to wash out your conditioner blast it with cold water. Cold water does the opposite of hot water, instead of opening your cuticles it will close the hair cuticle which will overall enhance shine and encourage hair growth. 

Fun fact: showering with cold water is also great for your immune system - you're welcome!

2. Washing your hair so much!

Sorry gal, if you're someone that suffers from an oily scalp we understand the tediousness of having to wash your hair far more frequently than the "average" gal with a "normal" scalp - but you're actually doing your hair more harm than you are good. Try prolonging your hair washing by using dry shampoo or tying your hair back in a cute bun or using ponytail hair extensions to jazz up your look for the days you need to wash it. Washing your hair everyday can stop your hair from being healthy and shiny so it's 100% a habit you need to kill if you can! If you shampoo your hair too often, you can dry out your scalp as well as lead to chemical build up which is only creating a beautiful nest of opportunity for your hair to become damage and break (note the sarcasm when we use the word "beautiful"). 

I recently learnt the other day that there are people out there that skip conditioner... shell shocked is an understatement of how I felt when learning this reality. Whatever you do, do not skip conditioner! Conditioner is the holy grail product that injects moisture back into your hair which leads to healthy, shiny locks. Moisture is king in maintaining and achieving healthy hair so it wouldn't hurt to add in an intense conditioning treatment once a month - either from home or in the salon.

3. Using a regular towel to dry your hair!

Yep, you read that right... stop using a normal towel to dry your hair, you're actually doing damage to your hair. Our hair is at its most fragile state when wet so vigorously rubbing your hair with a towel is causing friction and breaking little delicate hairs on your head. Instead, purchase a microfibre towel or even use an old cotton t-shirt! Also, just keep your hair wrapped in either a microfibre towel or old t-shirt, don't dry it by rubbing your hair because you're only asking for trouble.

4. Brushing your hair when its wet!

I cannot stress enough how fragile your hair is when wet! Avoid any unnecessary damage and/or breakage by waiting until your hair is at least 80% dry before brushing it, whether that's with a comb, tangle tonic - any kind of brush! This includes blow drying as well, the less time you spend blow drying your hair means less time using heat on your hair. We all know heat styling isn't good for your hair, so it's important to try and avoid it when we can. If you're someone that absolutely needs to brush their hair after washing it to get rid of any knots, use a wide tooth comb instead paired with your favourite hair oil. I really love Olaplex's No.6 leave in styling creme, it's perfect for adding goodness back into my hair when wet and doesn't make my hair feel oily if I leave my hair to air dry. On the times I blow dry my hair, I use Olaplex No.6 and once my hair is dry, I use Olaplex No.7 bonding oil to seal everything in and leave my hair looking nice and shiny. 

5. Using heated tools too much!

I am someone that is known for her signature waves, I literally curl my hair everyday so I know first hand the damage that comes from too much heated tool styling. In saying that, I try and prevent damage by dousing my hair in heat protectant and I have two favourites! My favourite wet heat protectant is the 18 in 1 Styling Thermal Spray, I say wet because of the texture of the product. It's literally that - wet. Using it on dry hair wouldn't be ideal therefore before I blow dry my hair, I use this and I find teaming it with my Olaplex products my hair feels AH-MA-ZING! When dry, I only reach for Fanola's Thermo Shield thermal spray (the normal one, not the fixing spray!) because it's the best and literally protects your hair from the heat of my hair straightener. 

With all that being said, I understand how laying off the heated tools isn't always feasible so I prolong my hair by using my Hey Stacey clip in hair extensions because whenever I curl them, the curl stays for days and means I use less heat on my natural hair and rely solely on my HS hair extensions to do the job. On the days I want a ponytail, I use our ponytail hair extensions to still showcase my signature curls but in a cute updo. My point is, wherever you can try and opt for hair styles that won't require heat and that hair extensions will honestly be your best friend.

6. Tying your hair up!

I know I just said I like to wear my ponytail hair extensions on days I want to save my strands from heat, but don't automatically assume I meant tying my hair up high and securing it tightly... girl low pony's and buns are a major vibe! Especially slicked back, so chic. We love Jojo Siwa but she is a prime example of how tying your hair up too frequently can cause damage to your hair, the receding hairline she now lives with is what my nightmares are made of - especially so young! A simple ponytail is fun to have every now and then but not every single day. 

Having your hair tied up too frequently means you are stressing out your hair follicles in your scalp and that leads to trauma. You know when your hair has been up all day long and when you take it out you can't even touch your scalp without cringing from the pain? Yeah well that's because your scalp is traumatised from being pulled on all day with zero relief... imagine that sort of trauma everyday - yeesh! Opt for a low bun or low ponytail in rotation with a high ponytail if that's more your jam but just remember to not strain your hair everyday.

 7. Putting off a haircut!

The science confuses me too sometimes but think about it, your hair is prone for split ends even if you're someone that is SUPER on point with their hair care routine - you're still going to get split ends. Anyway, if you leave your split ends to live their best life in your hair, you're only asking for trouble. Why? Well the longer you leave them the higher they go up your hair shaft and the more your hair is prone to ending up with more split ends. Getting that routinely trim means cutting off the split ends before they get the chance to spread. The ideal times to give yourself a healthy trim are anywhere in between 4 to 8 weeks, that's your prime time for a haircut - the sooner the better though. I'm a firm believer that the overall health of your hair should take priority over the length because the ends of your hair will stay age like milk, not wine. 

8. Sleeping on anything but silk!

 If you're a local reader to our blogs, you'd know that we've mentioned numerous times the benefits of sleeping on a silk pillowcase and we're about to sound like a broken record again for those who are new. Hi, STOP sleeping on cotton! Cotton is not only bad for your hair, it's also terrible for your skin! Cotton is a fabric that causes pulls on your skin and friction in your hair. However, sleeping on silk allows for your hair to gently glide on the fabric which means no hair loss, dryness or frizziness caused by cotton pillowcases. Also, I mentioned it's good for your skin... I spend a lot of money on skincare and I don't want my pillowcase to soak up all my precious serums - sleeping on silk means that won't happen!

9. Using the wrong hair care products!

I hate to break it to you but some of your most valued hair care products could actually be incredibly detrimental to your hair. I encourage you to go and look at the ingredients, look out for things such as artificial fragrances, sulphates, alcohol and parabens because these ingredients are not your friend! Sulphates are great in moderation as sometimes it's good to give your hair a deep cleanse but using shampoo that contains sulphate every single time is bad for your hair because it strips down the barriers of your hair and any vital natural nutrients needed to keep your hair nice and healthy. The same rules applies when wearing hair extensions, too much use of sulphate means your hair extensions will become dry, mat easily and become a down right pain to maintain and keep healthy!

10. Blow drying your hair when it's saturating wet!

I briefly touched based with allowing your hair to dry a little before blow drying your hair and that's because you want to avoid as much heat styling as possible. If you blow dry your hair straight away after you get out of the shower after washing it, you're going to spend more time applying heat on your hair than if you would if you allowed it to air dry to about 80% beforehand. You'll still get the same affect as if blow drying your hair from the get-go but will cause less damage on your hair overall and that's the goal here remember... healthy, luscious hair!