Five common hair mistakes we're all making...

Hello again everyone! Not long now until the 12th of April when hairdressers can get back to work and we can all have our long awaited hair appointments! There's no better feeling than new refreshed hair after a long wait. In this month's blog post I’m going to talk about some really common hair mistakes I’m sure we've all made, and how it can make such a difference to your hair by avoiding these mistakes in the future.

Not leaving the hair to cool after styling with heated tools, before styling/brushing it out.

This is a really easy mistake to make, especially if you're in a rush first thing in the morning and you don't have the time to leisurely style your hair for the day. Styling or brushing your hair out whilst it is still warm from the heated tools can cause curls to drop out easily and quickly and also you can lose some shine that the heated tools create. Once putting a curl in your hair with tongs it's always best to leave the hair to cool completely and then brush it out to your wavy, loose curl desired look. Your curls will last much longer and will be much less prone to frizz throughout the day. This also applies when straightening your hair. Don't worry, doing this won't cause your curls to be too curly or ringlet. This is also healthier for the hair, as when the hair is at a hot temperature the structure of your hair isn't in its strongest state making it more delicate than usual and more prone to breakage, so also best to leave until completely cool before fiddling with it and finishing your look. There are some exceptions to this rule with particular styles but overall, this is the best way to get a lasting style.

Only shampooing your hair once.

Some people can get away with only shampooing their hair once when they wash it. As they can have a dry scalp, or rarely use any other products in their hair so it’s unlikely they would have any product build up. However if you are someone with a generally oily scalp, using other products on your hair such as serums, hair sprays or heat protection products it is always best to shampoo your hair twice. You’ll probably find after doing this for a couple of weeks you won't have to wash your hair as often and your hair will have more life to it. The first shampoo is mainly for removing excess oils, dirt and product build up that has accumulated in your hair since you last washed it. The second wash is where your hair will really absorb all the goodness and the benefits of the shampoo. We buy different shampoos for our different hair needs, that can be dry hair, coloured hair, damaged hair, fine hair, the list goes on! The ingredients that help with all of these things will only truly be able to be absorbed into your hair if it is cleansed of any barriers caused by dirt, oil and products. A lot of my clients worry this will dry their hair out, but if you are using a good quality shampoo that is suited to your hair type, you use conditioner afterwards and you're not washing your hair everyday then there is no reason this should dry your hair out. You will also be able to see the benefits from the conditioner so much more as it will be absorbed into truly clean hair.

Not styling curls away from your face.

This is such an easy mistake to make but can make such a difference to your finished look. Always create your curls so they are coming away from your face, this opens up your face and is far more flattering. It highlights your features much more when the curls are going in the direction away from your eyes and cheekbones, it also prevents you from having such a china doll ringlet look around the front of your hair. It also just makes your hair fall into place much more nicely.

Not leaving dry shampoo long enough to absorb the oil before brushing it out.

The most effective way to use dry shampoo is to spray the product onto the roots, where your hair appears greasiest, then leave the product in the hair for 5 minutes. This allows the product to fully absorb any excess oil and dirt. Then after 5 minutes brush the residue out of the hair with a soft bristle brush until hair looks free from dry shampoo and excess oils. When you spray dry shampoo onto your roots and rub it into your scalp and brush immediately after this doesn't give the product enough time to work, leaving your hair still feeling lank and dirty soon after using the dry shampoo.

Never cleaning your hair tools and brushes

This goes without saying that hair tools are easy to forget as far as cleaning and disinfecting them is concerned. However this really can make a difference. Hair tools such as straighteners and tongs work to their best ability when they are not clogged up and coated with different chemicals and hair products such as hairspray and serums, as well as natural oils from your hair. If your hair tools have a barrier on them created by product build up and natural oils and dirt from your hair they will then transfer all of this onto your hair when you use them for styling. This will not give you a great result and could leave your hair looking a bit lank and not as fresh as you would like it. The same goes for your hairbrush, this needs cleaning and disinfecting as well as it's something you use everyday so bacteria and dirt can build up very quickly and easily and this is then transferred back to your hair everyday. Cleaning your electric equipment is easy and quick, all you need to do is unplug all of your electrical equipment, make sure they are completely cool and simply give them a good wipe over with some antibacterial wipes (don't rub any ceramic plates too hard though as you don't want to damage them, the more gentle you can be the better. As for your hairbrush, just simply remove all the hair that's caught up in the bristles and then soak in some hot soapy water for around half an hour. I would recommend cleaning your equipment around every 4 weeks.

Thank you all again so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it and I’ll see you again next month!

Lara x