The best scalp treatment Las Vegas has to offer can help you get healthy, beautiful locks. But in between treatments, making some common hair mistakes could quickly reverse those results.
If you’re ready to make your scalp treatment results last longer and get healthy, beautiful hair, keep reading to learn 10 mistakes you’re making that are ruining your hair.
1. Sleeping with Wet Hair
If you shower at night, you might think that sleeping on your hair wet and allowing it to dry naturally is a better choice than using a hot hairdryer. But the reality is that neither is a good option.
When your hair is wet, its structure changes. The cuticles lift up and become more elastic, and more prone to damage. As you toss and turn at night, friction and pressure from your pillowcase will damage this structure.
But your hair isn’t the only thing at risk; sleeping with wet hair can also cause damage to your scalp. A wet environment can lead to bacteria and fungal growth, skin irritation, dryness, and dandruff.
Plan to take your shower earlier in the day to allow time for it to dry completely before you go to bed.
2. Wearing Damaging Hair Styles Daily
If a top knot is your go-to style when you’re running late or your hair could use a wash, your hairline and locks could be suffering. Too-tight hairstyles like high or tight ponytails and top knots put stress on your hair. This can lead to damage in the area around the hair tie. It can also put stress on the follicles around your hairline, and lead to hair loss and breakage.
Instead of these damaging styles, opt for something that’s more gentle on your locks. A low pony, braid, or chignon will still get your hair out of your face, but without tugging on it and causing damage.
3. Using the Wrong Hair Brush
Simply brushing your hair to smooth stray locks and loosen tangles may seem innocent enough. However, if you’re using the wrong kind of hairbrush for your hair type, you could be causing damage.
For those with thin hair, a large, gentle brush with spaces out teeth will be more gentle on your fine locks. Those with thick hair need a larger brush and should opt for one that’s designed to fight tangles without tugging too hard.
Did you know that there’s also a right way and a wrong way to brush your hair? If you’ve got tangles, start near the bottom of your hair and work your way up, dislodging tangles and snags as you go. This will keep you from pulling too hard on your hair and causing unnecessary hair loss.
4. Combing Wet Hair
Tugging a brush through your hair to dislodge tangles isn’t the only mistake you might be making. Combing your hair while it’s still wet is another no-no.
As we’ve already learned, wet hair has a different structure from dry hair, and is more susceptible to damage. Trying to comb out knots and tangles while your locks are still damp will pull and loosen hair, leaving it damaged.
Instead, wait until your hair dries completely, then grab that new brush you chose and use it to work out your tangles more gently.
5. Too Much Product
From hairsprays to heat protectants to gels, there are plenty of products that promise to help you get your hair picture-perfect. But pile on too many at once, and you’ll wind up with hair that’s greasy and limp.
Even after you’ve showered, build-up from styling products is left behind. Over time, these can dull your hair’s shiny finish, make it frizzy or difficult to style, and even cause your hair products like shampoo or conditioners to be less effective.
Scale back your hair care routine to use fewer products, and use a clarifying shampoo once a week to help get rid of build-up.
6. Not Using Heat Protectant
While too much product can leave your hair limp and greasy, one product that you shouldn’t skip is a heat protectant. Heat styling tools like hair dryers and curling irons are damaging to your locks. But if you still want to get those soft curls or straight style, or need to dry your hair before leaving for work, you can prevent damage by applying a heat protectant.
These products are designed to smooth your hair cuticles and create a protective barrier against the heat to reduce damage. They also add moisture to your hair to make up for the moisture lost when styling with a heat product. Heat protectants are available as sprays or gels. You may want to try more than one product or look for one designed for your hair type to ensure that it works and doesn’t leave a greasy finish on your hair.
7. Applying Your Products at the Root
If you do choose to use heat protectants and other hair products, one way that you can reduce build-up is to apply the products directly to your strands, avoiding your roots.
In most cases, the product isn’t necessary at your roots anyway. And applying it there will only increase build-up, and it is more difficult to wash away.
8. Hard Water
Even your home’s water could be wreaking havoc on your hair. Hard water contains a variety of minerals that leave a film on your hair. This film is tough for moisture to penetrate, which leaves your strands dry. Over time, hard water can make your hair more prone to breakage, and even lead to hair loss.
Installing a water softener can stop this damage. If you live in an apartment or can’t install a water softener, you can also use a water softener shower head.
9. Washing Your Hair Too Often (Or Too Little)
Washing your hair too often can leave it dry, which leads to breakage and dull strands. On the opposite end of the spectrum, not washing enough means dealing with the build-up of oil and product that leave your hair greasy and dull.
Finding the right balance largely comes down to knowing your hair. If you’re unsure of whether you’re washing enough, talk to your stylist. They can help you to better understand your hair type and its unique needs.
10. Not Getting Your Hair Cut
If you’ve been trying to grow your hair out and feel as though you’ve hit a wall, your haircut habits could be to blame. Getting your hair trimmed regularly will actually help it to grow faster. That’s because trims remove split ends that keep your hair from growing.
If it’s been a while since your last trim, schedule an appointment today to get your hair growing once more!
Repairing Damage With the Best Scalp Treatment Las Vegas Has to Offer
Whether you’ve put these common hair mistakes behind you or not, if your hair is suffering from damage, there’s still hope.
The best scalp treatment Las Vegas has to offer can reverse the damage done by heat styling and too much product, and help you get the soft, bouncy, beautiful, healthy hair that you’re dreaming of. Schedule your appointment today to see for yourself!