Have you ever wondered if your haircare habits are doing more harm than good? It can be easy to fall into certain patterns, some of which may not be doing your locks any favors. If you’re wondering what you can do to achieve a mane that looks fuller, glossier, and healthier, read on as Evalectric shares 12 common haircare mistakes that you’ll need to stop making! 

1) Washing Your Hair Too Often

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It’s so easy to get things wrong when it comes to hair-washing, especially in terms of how often you wash your hair. Many people end up falling into a set routine, washing their locks every X number of days. However, this could be why over-washing has become such a prevalent problem. 

Washing your hair too often prevents the sebum produced by your scalp from being able to naturally moisturize your locks. Over time, this will lead to dry and brittle strands. Instead of sticking to a rigid hair-washing schedule, save the shampoo for when your hair actually needs it. Sure, this could be daily if your hair is excessively oily but, for most, it won’t be quite so often.

Of course, over-washing can be caused by using an overly harsh shampoo too. So, keep things gentle with a moisturizing formula, just like the Evalectric Moisturizing Shampoo. 

2) Not Washing Your Hair Often Enough

While you shouldn’t be washing your hair too often, make sure that you don’t go to the opposite end of the scale and fail to wash it often enough. This will only cause oil, dead skin cells, dirt, and other impurities to build up on your scalp and strands. It won’t be long before your hair starts to look limp and greasy. You’ll also end up more prone to dandruff, itching, and scalp irritation.

Once again, this haircare mistake can be solved by paying attention to your hair and its needs. If you find yourself skipping out on hair-washing because of your busy schedule, invest in some dry shampoo. Although it won’t remove dirt, it will help to soak up excess oil and revive the look of your locks, enabling you to go a little longer in between shampoos.

3) Using Too Much Heat on Your Hair

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It’s no secret that excessive heat can cause long-term damage to your hair. Numerous studies confirm that once your hair is exposed to temperatures above 284°F, damage starts to occur in both the protective cuticle that surrounds each strand as well as the hair’s deeper structures. Worse still, some of this damage is irreversible.

The good news is that you don’t need to completely stop heat-styling your locks. Instead, simply use heated styling tools that don’t take your strands into that temperature danger zone. The Evalectric Ceramic Silk Straightener, for example, has an adjustable temperature dial. You can choose from between 140 to 450ºF. With a hair straightener like this, you’ll be able to style your hair to perfection without having to worry about the appearance of damage.

4) Applying a Heat Protectant to Dry Hair

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Of course, even if you’re using a heated styling tool that’s designed to cause minimal damage, a heat protectant is still essential. This will help to seal your strands with a coating that receives the worst of the heat that’s applied. 

However, whether you choose to use a heat protectant in the form of a gel, hair serum, spray, cream, or anything else, it’s important that you apply it at the right time. While it will still work when applied to dry hair, it’s able to function much more efficiently when applied to damp hair. Why? Because this is when your hair is most permeable. You don’t want it to be fully saturated with water but once some of that moisture has left your strands, immediately follow up with your heat protectant for the best results.

5) Tearing Through Tangles

We get it – tangles can be frustrating. Not to mention, painstakingly working your way through them can sometimes really hurt! 

However, while you may be tempted to grit your teeth and yank your brush through those knots as quickly as possible to get it over and done with, resist that urge. Why? Because doing so is only going to cause breakages in your mid-lengths while also weakening your strands at their roots.

Instead, you’ll need to practice some patience when dealing with tangles. Set aside a good chunk of time and try tackling them in the shower, after you’ve applied a conditioner. This will give your locks some extra lubrication. Begin with your fingers, gently unraveling any big knots. Then, ease your way through those smaller tangles with a de-tangling brush.

6) Applying Your Conditioner to Your Roots

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Speaking of conditioning your hair…

This is an essential haircare step that you should be following each time you shampoo your hair. Conditioners are a must for restoring moisture and lubrication after your hair has been washed. Pick one that provides plenty of antioxidants too, like the Evalectric Moisturizing Conditioner.

However, when applying your conditioner, keep it away from your roots. Why? Because your scalp already produces its own natural conditioner in the form of sebum. Blocking those pores with a conditioner, which is likely to leave behind a residue, will only inhibit this. Plus, with all of that sebum at its disposal, the root area doesn’t need to be conditioned. Instead, it’s the ends of your hair, which are the furthest away from your scalp and its sebum, that rely on the use of a conditioner.

7) Turning to Tight Hairstyles on a Daily Basis

Do tight ponytails and high buns feature on your list of go-to daily hairstyles? If so, this is another big haircare mistake…

What’s wrong with tight hairstyles? They place a large amount of tension on your roots. This pressure can, over time, lead to breakages, especially around the hairline. While there’s nothing wrong with opting for these styles every once in a while, give your hair a break in between with looser looks too.

8) Using Hot Water to Wash Your Hair

Do you love languishing under a steamy hot jet of water when you’re washing your hair? We won’t argue with how satisfying this may feel, but it’s also important to be aware of how this habit could damage your locks.

We’ve already talked about how important sebum is for keeping your hair naturally moisturized and conditioned. Sadly, hot water melts sebum. While you want this sebum to be washed away to a certain extent when you’re washing your hair, hot water eliminates an excessive amount. 

To save your locks from turning dry, dull, and brittle, try to keep the temperature of your showers to lukewarm. Not only will this benefit your strands, but it will also help to preserve the sebum on your skin too!

9) Sleeping With Wet Hair

If you often wash your hair in the evenings, you may sometimes be tempted to go to bed while your hair is still wet. After all, isn’t this better than using the heat of a blow dryer? 

Not necessarily. When your hair is wet, it’s extremely fragile. It doesn’t take much to rough up the hair cuticles, causing frizz and damage, which is exactly what happens when your wet hair tosses and turns on your pillow. Sleeping with wet hair also leaves you more susceptible to fungal growth and dandruff.

If this means making a few adjustments to your routine so that you wash your hair earlier on in the day, then do so as this is a haircare mistake that can be hugely detrimental to your mane.

10) Vigorously Towel Drying Your Hair

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We just discussed how wet hair is extremely fragile and needs to be treated gently. Vigorously rubbing at wet hair with a towel in an attempt to dry it quickly is the opposite of this!

What should you do instead? Start by gently squeezing out any moisture. Then, use a microfiber towel to blot away excess water. A good towel will get this done quickly, after which you can either leave your hair to air dry or finish the job with a blow dryer.

11) Not Protecting Your Hair Overnight

While ensuring that your hair is dry before you go to bed will go some way in keeping your strands safe from damage, this, sadly, isn’t enough. Dry strands can end up damaged too, especially if they spend hours each night rubbing against a cotton pillowcase. Cotton and similar materials create friction when they come into contact with the hair, exacerbating frizz and damage.

The solution? Switch to silk or satin. Whether you do this with your pillowcase or start wearing a silk bonnet to bed each night, it’s a much softer and gentler material to have against your strands while you snooze.

12) Ignoring Your Scalp

Last but not least, let’s talk about your scalp. If your scalp isn’t considered in your haircare routine, this is a big mistake. Scalp health has a huge impact on the health of your hair. After all, this is where your hair grows from! Giving your scalp some TLC can, therefore, significantly improve how your hair looks and feels.

What does scalp care involve? Exfoliating your scalp is one step that you should be taking. Massages are great too. Not only will they help to remove debris but they’ll also boost circulation. If you’re already having scalp-related hair problems, invest in a scalp treatment. These can help with everything from excessive oiliness to severe dryness.

Mastering Haircare With Evalectric 

While haircare doesn’t need to be complicated, you need to make sure that your hair habits aren’t unintentionally causing damage to your locks in the long term. Follow the tips that we’ve shared above and you’ll be able to avoid the most common mistakes, which will help you to achieve a lustrous and healthy-looking mane! 

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