1. Overbleaching your strands

Bleaching is a chemical process that can irreparably damage hair. When you bleach your hair, it causes the cuticle to open up and allows more light to get in, resulting in lighter locks. This will cause your strands to become dry, brittle and break, which can lead to split ends. If you want to lighten your hair at home with over-the-counter products like Clairol Nice ‘n Easy Hair Color or L’Oreal Paris Excellence Crème Gloss Lightening Kit, it’s best to see a professional colorist first for advice on how much of what shade will work best for your specific hair color and texture.

2. Not rinsing enough after you shampoo

If you don’t rinse all the shampoo out of your hair, it can dry out your hair and cause dandruff.

You need to rinse until the water runs clear. If you stop rinsing before this point, here’s what happens:

• Shampoo buildup can make your scalp itchy.
• Shampoo buildup can also cause dandruff.

3. Using hand soap or body wash to cleanse your hair

If you use hand soap or body wash to wash your hair, it’s likely that you’re stripping it of its natural oils and making your hair dry and frizzy.

Hand soaps are designed to strip grease from the skin, which is why they can be so harsh on our bodies—and even harsher on our scalps.

Since hair is more sensitive than skin, using a mild shampoo (or better yet, conditioner) will help keep scalp problems at bay by keeping the moisture locked in instead of washing it away with sulfates (sodium lauryl sulfate).

4. Combing hair right out of the shower

• Combing wet hair

If you’ve ever tried to comb through wet hair, you probably know that it’s not the easiest thing in the world. Your best bet is to use a wide-toothed comb and be gentle—wet hair is more fragile than dry hair, so any tugging or pulling can cause breakage. You can also use some leave-in conditioner as a detangler on your ends or work in some of your favorite leave-in mask before rinsing out the conditioner (this will help keep your strands feeling soft).

5. Rinsing with hot water

Water temperature is another factor that affects the health of your hair. Hot water can cause dryness and damage to your hair, stripping it of natural oils. It’s best to use warm water instead for washing—not only does it feel better on your scalp, but cold water helps lock in moisture post-shower.

Softer, silkier strands are just a bath away!

6. Not protecting your hair before you get into the pool (or ocean)

If you’re going to be in the pool, make sure that you use a leave-in conditioner to protect your hair. The chlorine can damage your hair if it isn’t protected. If you’re going into the ocean, then make sure that you use a leave-in conditioner as well! Salt water is also very damaging to your locks and skin, so using a leave in conditioner will help keep both looking healthy and shiny.”

7. Not using conditioner as much as you should

• Not using conditioner as much as you should

Conditioner is extremely important for keeping your hair moisturized and hydrated, especially if you have dry or damaged hair. If your conditioner is making your scalp oily, then it’s time to switch to another one that doesn’t add oil to the mix! Conditioners are best used on the ends of the hair, not at the roots. They should also be applied every day—if you only use them once a week, then they won’t do much good for your locks (and even worse: they can cause split ends). But don’t worry about over-conditioning—you can always rinse extra product out with warm water when finished styling.

8. Straightening every day—or all week long

Straightening your hair every day is a great way to get that sleek, smooth look you’re going for. But if you do this too often, it will cause damage.

The best way to minimize the damage is by using a heat protectant before straightening. If you’re not careful with how often you use heat or which products you use, your hair may become brittle and break off instead of growing in healthy ways!

Here are some things you can do:

• Deep condition your hair every week so that it doesn’t dry out from being exposed all the time (this helps prevent split ends).
• Use an oil treatment once per month to keep those ends nice and soft after being exposed from daily washing/conditioning cycles.

9. Brushing too much or too hard

Brushing is an essential part of your hair care routine, but it’s important to do it right. When you brush too much or too hard, you can damage your strands and disrupt the natural oils in your hair. If you’ve been brushing every day without thinking about how you’re doing it, consider changing things up a bit:

• Brush gently with a brush that has soft bristles. Your hair will thank you!
• Use a paddle brush on wet hair—it’ll distribute moisture evenly throughout each strand instead of leaving some areas dry and others oily.
• If using a wide-tooth comb instead of fingers or brushes feels awkward at first (it does for me), practice doing so when no one else is home so no one sees how silly it looks until they get used to seeing something new from their friend/loved one/spouse/etcetera!

10. Using a thick treatment for fine hair (and vice versa)

• Using a thick treatment for fine hair (and vice versa)

If you have fine hair, using a heavier weight treatment can weigh down your locks and make them look greasy and lifeless. On the other hand, if your mane is thick or coarse, opt for something lighter that won’t weigh it down while still offering protection from breakage.

11. Thinking that a clogged drain is normal

If you’re noticing a clog in your drain, take a look at what products you use on your hair. The most common cause of clogged drains is buildup of shampoo and conditioner products. If you’re using these often, it’s incredibly important to keep up with deep cleaning your shower once every week or two. You can do this with a simple vinegar rinse by adding one cup of white vinegar to the drain along with hot water, allowing it to sit for 10-15 minutes before draining and rinsing out (you probably won’t need more than that).

Another common cause of hair loss and build-up in drains is loose hair itself—either from brushing or washing too much! To prevent this from happening, keep track of how often and how long each time that you wash/brush/style so that if any changes come up over time (like an increase in shedding), then they’ll be easier to notice.

12. Going to the gym without washing your hair first

If you don’t have time to shower after a workout, at least use dry shampoo on your roots. It will soak up any sweat and grime that may have accumulated there, preventing breakage caused by friction or added weight of the moisture.

13. Forgetting that repeated, frequent heat styling can really damage your hair and cause split ends, so going easy on it will go a long way toward keeping it healthy and shiny in the long run, says Stephanie Brown, Master colorist at Nurielle Salon in New York City—especially if you’re not applying heat-protectant spray before styling with heat tools. And lastly… Takeaway: Taking good care of your hair can make all the difference in its color and brightness

Taking good care of your hair can make all the difference in its color and brightness. Be sure you’re using heat protectant spray before styling with any heat tools, and don’t forget to cut back on the amount of time you spend styling each day. It’s worth it—and once you start seeing results, you’ll know why!