Crucial mistakes you’re making that are RUINING your hair

You may carefully select your shampoo and conditioner and splurge on luxurious oils in the hope of achieving your dream hair, but if you still don’t have glossy locks to rival the Duchess of Cambridge, read on.

Hairdressers have shared the mistakes that ladies make every day when it comes to caring for their hair – and you probably haven’t heard of most of them.  

From not brushing your hair enough to how long you leave your conditioner in for, the best hairdressers in the business have shared the quirky tips and tricks they’ve learnt that the average lady may not know.

Hairdressers have shared the mistakes that ladies make when it comes to caring for their hair – including towel drying, brushing it when dry and sleeping on a cotton pillow

Not brushing your hair enough 

Neil Moodie, Session Stylist and Viviscal Ambassador, maintains that the most common mistake women make is not brushing their hair enough. 

He explains: ‘Hair has a lifespan of approximately seven years and on average we lose around 120 hairs a day to make way for new ones to grow. If you don’t brush your hair then these hairs won’t loosen out.’

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He adds that using the correct brush is the most imperative part of brushing.

Brushing with a good brush also helps to stimulate the scalp, which encourages healthy hair growth and, contrary to popular belief, he advises against combing your hair when it’s dry. ‘This will tear the hair and cause split ends,’ he said.  

You may carefully select your shampoo and conditioner and splurge on luxurious oils in the hope of achieving your dream hair, but there’s simple mistakes that women make every day

Hair stylist Larry King, who tends to the tresses of Zayn Malik and Pixie Lott, concurs, adding: ‘Use a comb when your hair is wet rather than a brush – this will eliminate tension and stress on the tangles which stops stretching and breaking of the hair.’ 

‘I don’t believe you can brush your hair too much if you’re using the correct hairbrush,’ he said. ‘The best brushes are flat, soft bristled brushes.’ 

Washing your conditioner off immediately    

Neil says that regular conditioning is vital and you should always leave it on so it penetrates the hair, too. ‘Just applying and rinsing it straight off has no benefit,’ he said.

‘The hair has no time to draw the ingredients it needs. Also, a weekly treatment is essential, especially on dry, damaged hair. Leave that on for at 20 minutes, again allowing the ingredients to penetrate into the hair shaft properly.’

Forgetting to protect your hair whilst you’re asleep 

Neil says that people don’t realise your hair can get damaged while you’re sleeping – and it’s all because we toss and turn a lot. 

He explains: ‘When you’re moving about, your hair rubs on the pillow and it creates friction and causes breakage.’

He says a silk pillow is always a good recommendation as it causes less friction than cotton. Adding a product to protect hair at night is also something women don’t do enough of – you protect your skin with a night cream, so it’s vital to do the same for your hair. 

Hair stylist Larry King advises: ‘Use a comb when your hair is wet rather than a brush – this will eliminate tension and stress on the tangles which stops stretching and breaking of the hair’

Forgetting to clean the back of your hairdryer

Larry King says you should clean the back of the filter of your hairdryer every six weeks.

‘If it gets blocked the element glows red; this is adding too much heat to your hair and can be damaging,’ he explained.

Letting your hairdresser thin out your hair

Larry says you shouldn’t let your hairstylist go overboard on the thinning scissors next time you pop into the salon.

‘A little is fine but too much makes the hair look dry and damaged. Also, the less thin you go, the longer the cut will last.’

Towel drying your hair 

The Kardashian’s hairdresser and founder of OUAI, Jen Atkin, says beware of towel drying your hair.

‘I always suggest my clients dry their hair with an old cotton T-shirt instead of a towel after they shower,’ she said. ‘Wet strands are much more fragile and prone to breakage, and the harsh fibres of a towel can be too aggressive.’