Mistakes You May Be Making When Washing Your Hair

Shampoo, condition, rinse and towel dry – simple, right? Washing hair seems like a 2-step process so you’d think we have the routine down, but in reality, most of us are making the same simple mistakes over and over again. Although it may seem like no big deal, it could be extremely damaging to your hair; and while washing your hair isn’t complicated, there’s a method to cleaning it the right way that will help you avoid scalp irritation, split ends and frizzy hair days— it might even help you grow your hair faster and longer! To avoid messing up your hair game, make sure you’re not making any of these common hair-washing mistakes:

1. Washing It Everyday

When you wash your hair too often you strip away its natural protective oils. This signals to your scalp that it should start producing more oil, which is counterproductive as your hair will then get greasy faster. Instead, wash your hair when you need to – if you work out and you sweat more, you’re going to need to wash it more often. 

2. Washing It With Hot Water

We agree, there’s no better feeling than standing under a piping hot shower. But while this may work wonders for your stress levels, it’s actually the worst thing for your hair. High temperatures dehydrate your hair as they strip your skin of its natural oils, leaving your scalp flakey and itchy. Try to resist the urge to crank up the heat and opt for warm temperatures instead. If you can’t bear the cold, finish your shower with a surge of cold water on your scalp to seal the hair follicle. 

3. You Aren’t Double Washing When Your Hair Needs It

You know how a lot of shampoo bottles say wash, rinse, and repeat? Well, they mean it. A single wash with shampoo isn’t always enough to reduce the build-up that’s on your strands and scalp. Follow the wash, rinse and repeat method – the first wash will work to remove that top layer of residue, and the second wash will penetrate deeper to give you that squeaky clean feeling. P.S –  you won’t need to do this every wash because you could risk stripping your hair of its natural oils. Instead, use this method if you’ve used a lot of products like dry shampoo and hair spray, or you’ve gone a few extra days without washing.

4. Using Conditioner All Over

Unless you have curly hair and are using a method like the Curly Girl Method with the right kind of conditioner, using too much conditioner might not be a good idea. Our scalps naturally produce enough sebum on a daily basis and piling even more conditioner on top of that will have you running the risk of clogged follicles, which inhibits hair growth and amps up the sebum production rate. As the ends are further from the scalp, they need a little extra TLC, which is why you should concentrate the conditioner here. Make sure you let your conditioner soak into your locks for at least two minutes. Finish with a cold-water rinse to close the cuticle – this will help your hair retain moisture and appear smoother.