Let’s face it – most of us don’t have a whole lot of a clue when it comes to dealing with the hair on our own head. Our mothers didn’t know what to teach us, so we’ve learned along the way, cobbling advice together from experts and friends and the internet…but how much of it is right, and how much isn’t working at all?
Well, 14 stylists over on Buzzfeed’s Community are here with some tips, tricks, stop-that’s, and try-this’s to hopefully point you in the right direction.
14. Just say no to vigorous brushing.
“Brushing your hair while wet. Especially if you are brushing from the top down.
Always use a wide-tooth comb, pick, or even your fingers instead.”
13. I know, but who wants to end your shower on a cold note?!
“Rinsing with cold water is better for your scalp than warm or hot.
It helps preserve the color in your hair and it keeps it shinier.”
12. There are curl specialists out there.
“If you have curly hair, find a curl specialist.
They don’t teach us how to cut curls in beauty school, so the average hairdresser will take an approach similar to cutting straight hair — cutting while hair is wet for precise lines.
But someone who’s had curl training will approach your cut differently, cutting while hair is dry and focusing more on the shape.”
11. Don’t believe what you see on television.
“And if you have dark hair, don’t expect to go platinum blonde right away and keep your hair.
Most celebrities that do it are wearing wigs, extensions, or didn’t show you the long, expensive process.”
10. If you want the look, drop the $$.
“Not using quality products.
The reason your hair looks so great when you leave the salon is because of the products we use.
It’s hard to re-create the look at home when you are using non-salon alternatives.”
9. Wash less often.
“Washing your hair too often — wash every other day at most, but preferably every three days or so.”
8. Or just don’t cut bangs. You know you’ll hate them in a week.
“If you’re going to cut your bangs at home, make sure your hair is clean, dry, and styled as you would wear it.
NEVER cut in a straight, horizontal line.
Instead, just cut up into them. That way if you mess them up it won’t be as noticeable.”
7. Just say no to home bleaching, too.
“Don’t bleach your own hair at home!
Bleach doesn’t lather, so trying to evenly disperse it in your hair like shampoo will only lead to a patchy mess and a lot more money spent for us to fix it.”
6. And also, put down the coconut oil.
“Stop putting coconut oil on your hair!
It’s a raw form of protein that is literally cooking your hair.
Even if you wash your hair 20 times, it’s still in there, and when you walk out into the sunlight, it’s like you’re walking into a tanning bed!”
5. Full stop.
“Don’t do the fantasy colors at home.
They are damaging to your hair, and the only way to get rid of the colors is to cut the hair off or put a professional dye over it.
Plus, we know what we’re doing with those colors. You don’t.”
4. You don’t want to bake your hair.
“Stop setting your hot tools on the highest heat.
It varies with hair type, but most of the time if you can bake cookies at a lower temperature than your iron, it’s too hot.”
3. I’m surprised this needs to be said.
“Not cutting your hair.
I have clients who refuse to let me even do a trim because they want ‘long’ hair.
But the fact is, your hair is continuously growing, so if it’s been a year since your last cut and your hair is still the same length, you have breakage and you need a trim.”
2. You mean I should keep those attachments?
“Not using the nozzle attachment on your blowdryer.
When you blow dry your hair without it, you’re just pressing that hot metal grate that’s inside the dryer onto your poor hair and singeing it off.”
1. Know your hair type before dying at home.
“Don’t use box dye.
It’s made to work on all hair types, so the chemicals will be very damaging to those with finer hair.”
I honestly was only sure about a few of these, though now I do feel vindicated in not showering every day!
Did you learn anything? Which piece of advice was newest for you? Tell us what you learned in the comments!