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23rd November 2023
11:44am GMT
Whether you have curly, thin, thick, or afro hair, there are a lot of ways to handle each hair type and sometimes even the smallest mistake - even with your hair brush - could damage your hair.
Some mistakes could be from buying too many products to using the wrong brush and forgetting to take care of the scalp.
Dr. Hamdan Abdullah Hamed MBChB, a board-certified dermatologist and co-founder of Power Your Curls, an e-commerce platform dedicated to offering all the products for different hair types offered up some great advice.
“It’s important to research first about what products you use and follow instructions of the products you are using. You should also be aware of the specific product suited for your hair type,” he said.
One of the common mistakes when people have thin hair, they use a higher amount of conditioner. It may add moisture but it will drag the already weighed down locks.
Hamed advises using a small amount of conditioner in the ends without reaching the roots, where the natural oils come from. This will prevent dirt buildup in the scalp.
Dr. Faisal Ahmed Hammadi, resident trichologist, at Power Your Curls, said another common mistake is forgetting to clean the scalp. It’s important to correctly wash your locks when using cleaning products such as clarifying shampoo or scalp scrub.
“First, you must wet your scalp and hair evenly with no cleaning products. Then, wash the roots only and rinse them correctly,” said Hammadi.
“Remember that the scalp already provides natural oils to the hair but if you have longer hair, oils may not reach the end of your strands. With this, apply conditioner on the hair starting below your ear. Your scalp will be too oily if you put conditioner on it,” he added.
Meanwhile, Gwenda Harmon, resident stylist at Power Your Curls, said some people with fine hair would often use too many care products to give the fine tresses more life.
“It’s a common mistake just because the hair tends to be flat, people would assume putting more products would make it shinier or bouncier. However, applying the right amount of hair care could be enough for fine hair types,” said Harmon.
“Another trick is if you put too many products, it could create some sort of product build-up in your scalp and we don’t want that,” she also warned.
Harmon also another crucial mistake that thin haired women make is maintaining longer locks or asking for layered cuts.
The problem with this, is when hair is on a layered cut, it would lack volume, said Harmon. If you keep your strands very long, it will make your hair lifeless.
Harmon advised to keep thin hair at shoulder length where the hair can manage the fullness of the strand ends.
Hamed said the most common mistake for those with curly manes is using the wrong brush. If needed, use a detangling brush to preserve the curls’ shape and avoid breakage.
Another styling mistake for curls, Harmon said, is using a blow dryer at high heat. She advises using a diffuser and ensuring to put it at the lowest heat setting.
Speaking of drying their locks, trichologist Hammadi said another common mistake is using regular towels to dry the coils. It’s best to use a microfiber towel or t-shirt to ensure minimal frizz and prevent damage.
“Towels’ rough texture can damage and make curls frizzy because the hair tends to be prone to breakage when it is wet,” said Hammadi.
Another wrong way of taking care of curly tresses is frequently washing it with harsh ingredients, said Hamed.
“You need to limit your washing and consider washing with conditioner to promote hydration and shine as well as improve the shape of your curls,” said Hamed.
People are still confused about how to properly take care of the s-shaped wavy hair because of its vulnerable qualities.
Starting with brushing, Harmon said wavy locks should never be brushed when it’s dry since it is more vulnerable than straight and curly hair.
”Brushing dry wavy hair creates friction and pulls and stretches the hair strands causing split ends, breakage, and frizz,” said Harmon.
When it comes to styling a wavy mane, Harmon is advised to apply products on saturated hair, not dry hair because it will distribute the nutrients evenly on non-dry hair.
She also advised you to test different styling products to know which amount or product will react better with your locks.
Unlike other hair types, where brushing the hair whilst it is dry is an option, the correct way to detangle is to brush the hair in the shower whilst it is still wet and saturated in conditioner.
Hamed, meanwhile, warned of dehydration of wavy hair as it is a type of hair that craves moisture. Without it, it will become frizzy and will lose its shape.
“For lively waves, you need to use deep conditioning treatment every week, using a conditioner that has Glycerin and hair oils to lock moisture,” said Hamed.
It seems like the easiest way to do this is to cut the hair shorter to avoid high-maintenance hair care. However, this is a very common mistake for those with thick hair.
Harmon said when you cut your hair at the shortest length, it will make your hair frizzy due to hair volume gathering at the crown area.
Another styling mistake, Harmon said, is chemically straightening the hair because it will damage the natural properties of the hair.
“If you are looking for a better way to replenish your thick unmanageable hair, get a keratin treatment instead,” said Harmon.
For Hamed, it is a common misconception for women with thick hair to put on tight ponytails when they cannot handle too much heat coming from their hair. Hamed, however, mentioned that this may compromise one’s hair health because it may cause frizz, friction, and tension.
"I'd also suggest using hair-friendly elastics to avoid hair breakage if ponytails cannot be avoided,” said Hamed.
Those with thick locks also make the mistake of forgetting to condition their hair, said Hammadi.
“Frizz and breakage will be the consequences of forgetting to put in the conditioner. To combat this, choose shampoos with moisturising agents or buy conditioners without alcohol or synthetic additives,” said Hammadi.
For afro hairstyles, Harmon said the common mistake is blow drying the hair as quickly as possible to get that afro shape. However, this would increase hair damage.
“If you need to have defined afro curls, you should use a roller setting instead of blow drying to prevent damage,” said Harmon.
Another common mistake for this particular hair type, Hammadi, pointed out is avoiding oil. However, oiling the scalp maintains hair health as oil seals in much-needed moisture.
Hamed said commonly, people with this hair type would wash their hair in hot water. But this will dry out the hair so instead, people should wash their hair in warm water.
“Warm water can still seal the cuticle whilst preventing dryness and promoting hair health,” said Hamed.
Harmon advised using some sort of wax whilst braiding because one common mistake is using dry hands for braiding the hair, which will snatch moisture from the hair.
Another mistake is braiding the hair loosely. The proper way to do it, Harmon pointed out, is to braid the hair tightly but the root should not have tension to it.
“Tight braids will prevent frizz and will be skinny and stiff,” said Harmon.
Hamed said one of the easiest mistakes to make is forgetting to brush the hair before styling. This is a proper routine and without it, braiding and parting the hair will be much harder.
“You will also experience bumps on top of your head because you didn’t brush your hair properly,” said Hamed.
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