Photo: instagram.com/curlylifeau
When going natural, healthy and strong hair is the goal. By putting hair dye and flat irons away, we are doing our hair a massive favour. In saying that, there are some accidental mistakes you could be making that gives you damage and even hair loss.
Below are 3 common mistakes made. Don’t worry, the harm is no where as bad as chemical damage! Just think of these things as things that are better not to do rather than absolute curl killing mistakes.
1. Brushing dry hair
Not going to lie, I actually love the way my dry hair looks brushed out. I used to do it a lot because I genuinely liked the look. But this is a great way to put strain on your hair and damage it. It’s really painful to brush dry hair, and that pain is there for a reason. You are literally pulling your roots down and roughly separating curls that have already formed and set.
If you’ve ever brushed your hair dry, you would have noticed a lot of hairs come out. It’s definitely not ideal.
If you are going to braid your hair and need your hair to be separated and knot free, then it’s ideal to plan ahead and do so after washing it. Otherwise, make sure to heavily wet down your hair and add in a detangling product.
2. No prepping knots
Curls knot up easily, and by the time you get to washday, your hair will have a lot of work for you. When you’re in the shower and once you’ve wet your hair down, it’s always a good idea to go in with either a detangling product or some conditioner to soften up your hair and help give it more slip. This makes a huge difference when detangling. I used to do this if I had something unusually wild happen to my hair, like going to the beach, but I eventually incorporated it into all my wash days because it really does make detangling so much easier, pain free and with much less hair loss on my brush.
3. Putting weight on your hair
As much as I love clip in hair extensions and ponytail extensions, they do add weight and strain to the hair. This doesn’t cause much damage immediately, but it does cause damage in the long run. Too much strain can result in more shedding and hair thinning when you are older because it puts pressure on the scalp.
4. Wrong brush
Do not use a styling brush for detangling purposes! I am specially referring to the Denman Brush. It’s called a styling brush for a reason, so don’t use it for the wrong job. Using the wrong brush for detangling will create more knots, more rips and more shedding.
Final Thoughts
Like I said at the beginning of the article, these mistakes won’t destroy your hair. But it is better not to make these mistakes. If you are transitioning, it’s even more important not to make these mistakes.
Sometimes I brush my roots and sometimes I wear clip in hair extensions. Just find a balance between having fun and taking good care of your hair!
