The Biggest (and Most Surprising) Hair Mistakes

Elizabeth Siegel, Allure magazine

You already know that flat-ironing your hair every day isn't so great. And ok, maybe you do it anyway; I'm not judging. But other hair-dulling, frizz-causing mistakes are less obvious-and cutting them out of your routine can go a long way toward preventing new damage.

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Mistake #1: Lathering your shampoo too thoroughly. I know, I know. It sounds inoffensive. But when you start massaging the lengths of your hair and piling them on top of your head shampoo-commercial style, you're creating lots of little tangles, explains hairstylist Nathaniel Hawkins. Since hair is most fragile when it's wet, combing that nest of wet hair is likely to cause breakage. And that (as we all know) results in the scourge known as flyways. Speaking of...

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Mistake #2: Manhandling wet hair. Don't brush your hair when it's wet. Pat, don't rub, with a towel. Maybe those tips are old news, but there's also a right and a wrong way to comb wet hair. First, look for combs with rounded teeth, since pointy ones can snag hair, says Hawkins. (You don't have to shell out for an expensive comb. Just be sure to test the drugstore candidates out on the back of your hand. If a comb scrapes against your skin at all, skip it.) Next, stop combing your hair right after showering. Detangling in the shower, with conditioner still in your hair, does the least damage.

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Mistake #3: Frying your hair. You don't have to stop blow-drying, curling, or flat-ironing your hair-we're not insane. Just do all those things a little smarter. Mist on a heat protectant spray, and you'll prevent heat-induced dullness, breakage, and split ends. And please, don't go over any one section of hair more than twice with a curling iron or flat-iron.

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