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Blow dryers, curling irons, and straighteners can transform your hair, damaging their texture, causing it to become rough, dry and lose its natural colour, warns dermatologist Dr Abhishek Pilani.
Beautiful hair may be smooth, wavy, straight, short or long.
Irrespective of the length and texture, hair needs care and nourishment.
However, sometimes even with good care, hair growth might be slower. And even if it grows naturally, breakage cancels it out.
According to the American Academy of Dermatologists, an average human being sheds over 50 to 100 strands every day.
And this is quite normal. Anything above this may be a cause for concern.
We can overthink circumstances or have a gut feeling when you begin to lose too much hair so much that now it's everywhere.
In addition to genetic, hormone imbalance, thyroid, metabolism, and other health disorders, ordinary daily behaviour can also cause excessive hair loss.
Common hair care blunders you can avoid in order to keep your tresses healthy.
1. Washing hair every day
Shampooing daily damages hair. Shampooing removes scalp oil.
The scalp replaces depleted oil.
Stop the cycle by washing your hair less.
Dust, dirt, and excess oils can clog scalp pores, causing hair loss or delayed growth.
Shampoo hair's scalp and strands.
Hot water dehydrates hair, causing it to break.
Lather shampoo before applying it to protect scalp oils.
Water seals the hair. Over-shampooing can promote hair loss by causing the scalp to produce more oil. Don't rub cotton towels.
2. Not using the right hairbrush
Each hair type needs a different brush. Most individuals grab the prettiest hairbrush at the drugstore without doing any research, but being selective will make a difference.
Curly hair needs a boar-bristle paddle brush.
This brush leaves curls moisturised and smooth without frizzing them.
Straight-haired persons should use a boar-and-nylon brush.
Their bristles slide through thin hair without hurting the scalp or pulling follicles. If you are not certain about your hair type, ask your hairstylist to recommend a brush.
3. Not using a heat shield
The more you use a blow dryer or heat equipment, the drier and more brittle your hair will get. Blow-drying hair after a sulphate-free shampoo might cause damage.
If possible, avoid daily hair heat.
Avoid using the highest settings and apply a protective coating.
Blow dryers, curling irons, and straighteners can transform your hair, damaging their texture, causing it to become rough, dry and lose its natural colour.
Overheating dries and breaks the hair.
Give your hair a break. It will grow if you give it time and care.
4. Not using the right pillow covers
Cotton pillowcases are notorious for soaking up the hydrating oils in your hair and rinsing them out in the morning.
Without these oils, your hair and skin might become dry and brittle, increasing your risk of breakage.
The good news is that this problem is simple to resolve.
If you want to wake up with shiny hair, all you have to do is switch from a cotton pillowcase to a silk one.
5. Wrong hairstyle
The current hairstyle trend is sleek ponytails and buns. Yet, these trademark skin-tight top knots are a major cause of thinning hair and breakage.
Keep away from sporting these styles daily if you care about your hair's long-term health.
Constant pressure in the same location causes wears and tear until the object breaks.
Your hair goes through the same process.
High ponytails and buns are great for showing off your hair, but they can be damaging if worn in the same position for too long.
6. Brushing or combing wet hair
Wet hair is more prone to breakage due to greater flexibility.
Brush your hair when it's almost dry.
To avoid injuring your hair's roots, use a wide-tooth comb to detangle your bottom hair.
Avoid brushing damp hair to reduce breakage and shedding.
Roots are linked to new hair development, so take care of them. This also slows hair growth.
Brushing wet hair might damage it.
Comb damp hair only when it's 90% dry. This protects hair by leaving it damp but not dripping.
7. Being outdoors
The damaging effects of the sun's rays are felt equally by the skin and hair.
Burns, which can result from prolonged exposure to the sun, have been linked to an increased risk of cancer.
In a similar vein, the sun dries out and dulls our hair.
Our hair experiences severe breakage, even if the damage is masked as natural highlights.
You can protect yourself from these harmful consequences by wearing a fashionable floppy hat and liberally applying sunscreen (particularly to your scalp) during the summer months.
8. Using wrong hair products
When speaking of potential hair damage from improper hair washing, using the incorrect shampoo is another area of concern.
Sulphates are a common harsh element in many shampoos.
Sulphates are problematic because they strip your hair of more oil than necessary for it to be healthy.
If your shampoo contains sulphates, it might damage your hair even if you don't wash it every day.
If you're not happy with the product, look into alternatives.
9. Excessive brushing
This tip may seem needless, but not everyone knows how to brush their hair.
When you brush your hair, start detangling at the ends, not the roots, to avoid ripping off hair.
Instead of brushing damp hair, use a wide comb or soft-bristled brush.
Overbrushing causes breakage.
Brushing from roots to tips causes more knots. More knots mean more hair damage.
10. Eating the wrong foods
Some people feel breakfast influences their hair health.
Your hair suffers first and gains last from body changes.
Your body only gives your hair nutrition when there are excesses following other body parts. Like other tissues, hair needs nourishment to grow.
Unhealthy eating can promote brittle hair and split ends.
Junk food won't nourish your hair but vitamins B, vitamin C, vitamin D, iron, zinc, and protein may strengthen and nourish hair.
Dr Abhishek Pilani -- founder, Assure Clinic -- holds an MD in Dermatology.
An aesthetic and pediatric dermatologist, dermatosurgeon, trichologist, and hair transplant surgeon, he is a member of the Indian Association Of Dermatologists, Venereologists And Leprologists and the Association Of Cosmetic Surgeons Of India.
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