Many of the things we do (or don’t) regularly can bring life to our hair or bring a death sentence to it. You got to know your habits. 

When it comes down to hair care, there are definitely some things you want to do and some you want to avoid. Take note of these four tips for minimising hair damage.

Add Moisture

Moist hair is definitely happy hair, so you want to provide that regularly. Use a leave-in hair mask for this. Wash your hair as you usually do, and when it comes time for conditioning, grab your hair mask. Apply the quantity you need. The longer the hair, the more of it is better.

Spread it with both hands across the scalp using circular motions, then go down the hair lock towards the end. Let it sit there. Put on a shower cap and leave it for around 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how dry your hair had been. After the time is up, take the shower cap off and rinse it out with cold water. Your hair will look livelier for days thanks to it.

Brush from Bottom to the Top

You usually brush your lock of hair starting up and then going down, right? Well, you are doing it wrong. Or rather, you could be doing it better. Instead of doing it that way intuitively, do it the opposite way. Grab your comb, grab a lock of your hair gently, and start combing from the bottom upwards the root.

Doing it this way allows you to meet more gently each possible knot that is in your hair. By doing it from root to end, you risk applying too much force downwards and pulling your hair accidentally trying to undo it. Nothing of the sort happens when you’re brushing from the ends and up.

Also, you would do great in using only the best of combs and brushes. For a comb, get a rounded-tipped, wide-toothed comb to handle your hair lock comfortably. In the case of a brush, only use nylon hair brushes with not-so-stiff strands. Your hair will thank you for this.

Finally, remember only to brush your hair when it’s dry. Brushing wet hair can only cause it to break faster.

Don’t Overstyle It

Avoid any outlandish or subdue hairstyles that involve putting the hair in constant tension. Hairstyles such as cornrows weave, and very tight braids or ponytails all pull the hair continuously.

This puts tension in the underlying hair follicle from which the hair grows and ultimately damages it. Hair does not grow out of damaged hair follicles. Also, hairstyles that use hair-relaxing products to fix the hair in place have the same pulling effect. Avoid any hairstyle that pulls the hair, and wear loose braids and ponytails.

Use Cold Water Only

You should avoid anything that dries your hair. This includes hair straighteners, hairdryers, dyeing, and bleaching. Or at least use them at a strict minimum. Dry hair is weak hair, ready to break anytime due to its state. 

This precaution extends to showering with hot water. If you enjoy the scalding feel of hot water raining on your skin, know that your hair does not. Wrap your hair in a towel when planning to go under a hot shower to save you the damage. Afterwards, use cold water to wash your hair properly. In fact, let only cold water near your hair from now on. It simply is more appropriate for your hair.