Habit Breakup: 15 Bad Hair Habits You Should Break

Say No to Bad Hair Habits

Here we are, it’s 2018 and folks still don’t get it! Why are we still performing bad hair habits and then turn around and wonder why our hair isn’t the best? We have to stop it ladies, and we all have to do better. Yes, we as in myself included because I am no better than you are! We all should be striving for healthy hair, on every level, every day. A lot of us have bad hair habits and don’t even realize it. Certain things we think are normal because we do them every day, really aren’t. By the time you're finished reading this article, you’re going to have to take a long look in the mirror and figure out a new hair regimen. Although, you may not want to, trust me, your hair will thank you later! Continue reading below to find out 15 bad hair habits we all need to break.

Not Clipping Ends

“Long hair, don’t care!” This saying comes from a popular song and has been taken way out of context. So many of us believe that the length of our hair is far more important than the health of it. The reality is, the health of your hair should take priority over the length. The biggest habit most people have is not trimming their hair. They are so afraid of what scissors can do it’s terrible. Girl, clip your ends! We all see how they look against a white shirt and it just needs to stop. Honestly, if you trim your ends when you need to, it’s a greater chance your hair will be longer than its current length. Another reason a lot of people don’t trim their ends is that they think hairstylist are scissor happy. Now, yes, some are, but you have to find a good stylist who knows what they are doing. Or research how to do them yourself. The ends of your hair are the oldest part, which is why they require the most attention. They get dry, which is how breakage begins and so much more. Some say to trim every three months, but I say only trim when you need to. If you trim before its time, then you’re just chopping off your length. Going forward, let's make trimming ends a top priority, all right?

Not Deep Conditioning & Moisturizing

Conditioning and moisturizing are just as important as washing your hair. When you wash your hair, you’re cleansing your scalp and hair from dirt and residue. Afterward, apply a deep conditioner for at least 30 minutes. Depending on how dry your hair is, you could go every other wash. Most of us only wash our hair and then go straight to styling. It’s very important that we put the moisture back into our hair after it's clean. Deep conditioning penetrates the scalp to strengthen it which helps prevents damages and dryness. If you experience some dryness after a few days of washing, make sure you moisturize your hair. Find a good moisturizing cream that you can apply mid-week to keep your juices flowing. You don’t want to wait until your hair is already damaged before you start to take care of it. Begin to make it a part of your hair regimen. Plus, deep conditioners make your hair feel extra soft!

Obsessive Conditioner

I mentioned earlier how some people don’t want deep condition; now this section is for those who do it too much! Yes, people, everything requires a good balance. I’m not going to lie I love a good conditioner! I have gone through half a bottle after using a new bottle twice. But honestly, too much of a good thing can be bad for you too. This belief goes for deep conditioners and regular conditioners as well.

Read Labels

Have you read the directions for your favorite hair products? Yeah, me neither. But we need to start! Most hair products have directions on them, and they usually give an estimate of the usage that’s needed. Now, depending on how long or thick your hair is, you may need a little more but just not too much.

Cons of Obsessive Conditioning

The only sections of our hair that may need extra TLC are the ends. If your ends are healthy, then distribute an equal amount to your whole head. When we overdo it, a film or extra residue may show on the top portion of your hair. Ew, right? Although we may not see it, others may. Having that film can also cause your hair to become dryer later in the week. Also, it’s a waste of money. The more conditioner we’re using, the more we have to run back to the store and purpose another bottle. Save your coins Sis, and chill on the conditioner.

Neglecting Real Hair Under Extensions

This issue has been something that’s been going on silently for years. I say silent that because unless you tell everyone, you don’t take care of your hair underneath extensions, then nobody knows. The biggest misconception with hair extensions is that your real hair grows underneath. That statement is only accurate if you’re already taking care of your hair. Many people wear extensions so much that they exactly forget about their real hair. That’s a bad habit that needs to stop for the sake of your hair. If you’re wearing extensions consistently, make sure the maintenance on your real hair is up to date first. You never know, one day you might decide you want a break from extensions. If that happens, make sure you can return to a healthy state of hair.

Not Sleeping With a Scarf

A lot of us come home from a long day, eat dinner, play with the kids, shower and go right to sleep! What about your hair? We show our hair all kinds of love in the morning but nothing at night. Do you sleep with a scarf on at night? Many people don’t. Well, not putting a scarf on your hair at night is the fastest way to dryness. To make matters worse, most of us sleep on a cotton pillowcase. The issue is that cotton is not good for your hair. Throughout the night, the pillowcase can soak up all the moisture in your hair. So, unless you have a silk pillowcase, start tying your hair at night, with a silk scarf.

Comparing Your Hair to Others

We live in a society where we judge everything from social media. If we see someone with a big curly afro, we want it, or we find someone who we think has better hair and get jealous. Some will even believe they aren’t beautiful because they don’t look like another person. It’s a bad habit that holds too much value. It’s nothing more than a mindset. I want you to know that you are beautiful and to find your beauty. Beauty doesn’t start or end with your hair either. Whether it's curly or straight, it's still beautiful. Plus, hair extensions look so seamless now that people could be glorifying and becoming jealous over something that’s fake. So learn to love your hair and not others.

Using Too Much Heat

Too many of us have a habit of using too much heat on our hair. We think the more we apply, the straighter it will be. But that’s the furthest from the truth. Most people don’t need a lot of heat on their hair. Another heat habit is thinking the flat iron needs to pass through 15 times when two is sufficient. If you find that your hair isn’t that straight after two passes, then you may just need a better flat iron.

Dominican Hair Salons

I think it’s safe to say that yes, paying $25 to get your hair blow dried straight at the Dominicans will have you slayed, but it can also leave your hair very damaging. I haven’t met one person who consistently goes there and doesn’t have damaged hair. It’s almost like it’s inevitable! I also don’t think anyone has found out where they purchase their blow dryers from but it’s like smoke coming from them as soon as it turned on. It’s too much heat that's getting placed on your hair. If you’re that 10% who has no issues with heat, then continue what you do. But just remember, it shouldn’t take that much heat to straighten your hair.

Obsessive Hair Touching

A terrible habit that I think all of us currently do or have done is touch our hair every five minutes! Maybe it's not every five minutes but its all throughout the day. I don’t think we realize just how dirty our hands are. Our hands are constantly touching everything from money, door handles, and other people. Then we take them and rub all of those germs in our hair that already has oils and creams in it. What we’re doing is transferring germs, and we have to stop. When we apply the product to our hair its not just for looks, its to prevent dryness, protect our curls or straight hair and many other things. We don’t want to interrupt that process by touching our hair all day long. When we’re playing in our hair, we’re not only adding germs to it, but we’re removing the product. Sometimes this can even lead to frizziness, and that’s never a good thing. Also, some people have a habit of touching other people’s hair too! That defiantly needs to stop. We barely know what germs are being carried on our hands let alone someone else’s. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t be afraid to tell someone “NO, you can’t touch my hair.” Let them know you’re currently breaking a habit from it and they should join you.

Quitting Too Soon

Are you the type that starts a new hair routine but never finishes? If that’s you, you have to break that habit. The fear behind it all is thinking its not going to work when in reality you haven’t given it enough time to see if it does or not. Most times when people decide to start a new routine, it’s because they need to. That means your hair is probably lacking something or you just want to improve it. Either way, I strongly encourage you to give yourself at least 30 days when trying something new. Try your hardest to push through your weakness because you will never know the benefit it could have on your hair.

Forgetting Hair Care Starts From the Inside

Many of us struggle with trying to achieve healthy hair but just can’t grasp it. We have the mindset that it only depends on what we put on our hair and how we style it. The reality is healthy hair starts on the inside. The things we put in our bodies play a big role in how our overall health ends up, including our hair. So if you ever find yourself struggling with healthy hair, reconsider the foods you eat. Many people don’t know, but water is the best moisturizer you can have. Of course, it has tons of benefits but drinking a lot of it will do many great things to your hair. Fruits, veggies, and exercise are also crucial to having a good diet. Break the habit of thinking healthy hair only comes from hair products because that’s only half the battle.

Tight Hairstyles

So many people take the term “snatched” out of context too! When it comes to our lovely tresses, we have to ease up on the tightness from the styles we get. Some even think the tighter the hairstyle, the longer it will last and that’s not even close to the truth. Of course, having a loose style isn’t good, but I promise there’s a good middle point. The thing with tight hairstyles is that eventually, it can recede your hairline or also just pull your edges out. When your head has too much tension on it, it’s typically not affecting the middle portion of your hair, just the perimeter. But both can be affected depending on the tightness from the style. When you get your hair styled again, be sure to break the habit of this. Speak up and tell your hairstylist that they are pulling at your hair and they must loosen up. Or if you’re the one doing your hair, go easy on yourself.

Wearing Ponytails For Too Long

A terrible habit that many people have is wearing ponytails every single day. Typically people do this if they play sports or don’t know or want to do their hair. The problem with this habit is that you train your hair to stay in that position which will eventually cause breakage because the hair is never free; it’s always pulled up in the same spot. Another issue that comes with wearing ponytails is sometimes people lose their hair tie, so they grab a regular rubber band. Having a rubber band around your hair is the worst habit to form. The elastic on the band tears at the hair, which rips it out. If you’re currently doing this, I urge you to stop. If you have to tie your hair up and a rubber band is all you have, I would highly suggest you still not use it! It’s the worst thing you could put on your hair.

Washing Hair With Hot Water

Did you know that washing your hair with hot water isn’t good for your hair? I can tell you I know it but often still do it. It can be a hard habit to break because I mostly wash my hair while in the shower and knock out two birds with one stone. However, cold water locks in moisture while hot water dries it out. Because hot water can cause dryness that means your hair will be prone to breakage. Although this isn’t a terrible habit its still a habit and if you can’t break it, make sure you’re doing all that you can to ensure your hair stays moisturized. There is nothing worse than having dry hair. Even when you get your hair styled, it won’t be able to pop because there won’t be any shine on your hair. So try your very best to cleanse your hair with cool/cold water for maximum hydration.

Thinking Chemicals Won’t Damage Your Hair

Unfortunately, so many people have been dealing with this mindset for decades. Whenever you apply a chemical to your hair, there’s a high chance your hair will become damaged. It's not that chemicals are terrible, but you must take extra care of your hair while they're in your hair. Some people always bleach their hair and wonder why their hair is so dry. Or even people who get relaxers and wonder why their hair stopped growing. To some, chemicals aren’t good for your hair and to others; they don’t mind it as long as they treat it. If you’re going to apply chemicals to your hair just make sure you know what you’re getting into and do research. Or of course, stop using them so your hair can be its greatest version.

Not Drying Dreadlocks

Of course, we had to show support to all those who wear dreadlocks or “locs.” Dreads are one of those styles that have been around for a very long time. From the outside, most think the upkeep is easy. However, dreadlocks require a lot of maintenance just like none-dreaded hair. But the biggest habit I hear that people do is not making sure their dreads are fully dry after washing them. A dreadlock is dead hair that gets twisted together. So just like the ends of non-dreaded hair is the oldest part and must have TLC, the entire head of dreads need TLC. Whenever you’re finished washing dreads, it’s very important for them to be dry because if not, it can cause many issues. Because dreads are so thick, so it's easy to moisture to stay inside. Leaving moisture in them can cause bad smells and under the worse scenario, can cause mold. So if you have dreads out there, keep them in the best shape possible, so they last forever.

Turning Over a New Leaf

So, are you shocked? Have you already started writing your new hair regimen out? I sure hope so. As I mentioned earlier, many of these habits have been with us for so long that we even think it’s normal when we do them. But no matter what, having healthy hair should always be a top priority. We should never want to take a shortcut on our hair. Always remember that if you take extra care of your tresses, they will love you back, got it? Good! Let me know in the comment section which bad hair habits you currently have but hopefully now plan to stop!