Ways You're Washing Your Hair Wrong

Washing your hair, should be as easy as it sounds. You've been doing the task since you could stand, and you probably know how to wash your hair correctly — or at least you think you do. Even though the task might seem like a no-brainer, there are a few things that you might be doing wrong with your beautiful locks without you even realizing it.

When it comes to washing my hair, I have tried every trick in the book: conditioning only with coconut oil, using sulfate-free shampoos — you name it. There are a lot of factors that go into having the best hair possible. Of course, everything starts with a healthy diet and drinking plenty of water, but how you wash your hair is just as important. While most of us love to take long, hot showers, and condition all of our strands, ideally, those are not the best things to do to your hair, believe it or not. Through trial and error (and a lot of patience), there are multiple ways you can enrich the life of your hair with a few tricks that are really easy to do. Here are some tricks I have learned that will help your hair situation if you recently have been trouble taming your mane. Everyone deserves I-work-up-like-this hair, so let's get to it.

1. You Wash Your Hair Every Day

Washing your hair every day is not the best thing you could do to your hair. Unless you get really sweaty on the regular, you don't really need to wash it daily. According to a Business Insider article, dermatologist and director of Boston Medical Center's hair clinic Lynne Goldberg said, "It's paradoxical, but people who wash their hair a lot to get rid of oil are drying out their scalp and producing more oil." Of course, this all depends on the hair type, but ultimately, the less you wash your hair, the better it probably is for you.

2. You Don't Only Shampoo Your Scalp And Condition The Ends

By doing this technique, you will prevent drying your ends and over-conditioning your roots. When washing your hair, only focus on the scalp and roots. This will absorb all the excess oil you might have, and when you are done, rinse the extra shampoo down your hair and let it cleanse the ends. When it comes to conditioning the ends, it's best to start from the bottom and work your way up to the middle of your hair. If you have curly hair (like me) you might want to use a little bit more conditioner than someone who has pin-straight hair. Because it's harder for the oils to get down the spirals of the curls, it helps to really condition the ends so they are healthy and full of moisture.

3. Not Getting Rid Of Excess Water Before You Condition Your Hair

If you want the conditioner to penetrate your hair, I would recommend getting rid of the excess water from your hair after you shampoo it. If you have that extra water on top of your hair, the conditioner will essentially just sit on your locks and it won't really condition it as well. All you have to do is lightly ring out the water from the hair by starting from the middle and working your way down. Don't be too rough, because it could initiate breakage in your hair, and no one wants that.

4. Not Using The Right Temperature Of Water

While a hot shower feels amazing, it actually dries out your skin and makes your hair very frizzy. The thing is, showering with warm water is just as effective because it opens up the cuticles of your hair and it really allows the product to get inside and nourish it. When you are done conditioning the hair, complete the process by doing a cold rinse. It will lock the cuticles shut and keep all the moisture inside and make your hair super shiny. While a cold shower is totally uncomfortable, there are a lot of benefits to taking one, like encouraging strong hair, slowing down hair loss, and preventing frizz.

5. Scrubbing

When you are washing your hair, don't scrub too hard. Ultimately, you are doing more damage (especially if you are using your nails). According to Daily Mail, Andrew Barton of Urban Retreat at Harrods said, "Don’t rub your scalp too vigorously. This will encourage oil secretion from the sebaceous gland." Instead, just lightly massage the shampoo for a few minutes and then rinse. Repeat if you like, but you don't need to go crazy with scrubbing.

6. Not Being Patient With Your Conditioner

For your conditioner to really work, you need to let it sit for as long as possible. I know that can be annoying, but it's true. You can't just leave it on for a few seconds. You have to let it sit and penetrate the strains. Of course, this depends on the type of hair, but ultimately, if you have curly and coarse hair, there is no way you can over-condition your hair because they are naturally dry according to Matrix SoColor celebrity stylist George Papanikolas who spoke to the website BYRDIE. So get your condition on, ladies. Your locks are screaming for moisture.

7. Drying Your Hair With A Towel

You might have heard this before, but it is a miracle worker. Using a T-shirt instead of a towel will do wonders on your hair, especially if your hair is prone to being frizzy. According to Fashionista, Meche hair stylist Jasmin Robles said, "A regular towel leaves the hair cuticle rough and causes friction, which causes frizz. A cotton T-shirt does the opposite; it leaves moisture and doesn't cause frizz," Robles continued, "It's great for girls with curly hair. There are towels made of T-shirt material but [they] run pretty expensive so a regular T-shirt should do!"

With these little tricks, your hair is going to look fabulous, darling. Sometimes, it's the little things that makes a huge difference.

Images: Giphy (7); Pexels