We often find our hair strands at the back of our shirts, on our collars, entangled in our combs, on our pillows and at times on our work desk. Apart from hereditary reasons and lacking essential nutrients for healthy growth of hair, you may want to pay attention to your daily haircare habits which could be aggravating hair fall. Here are some common mistakes that may lead to hair thinning and breakage: Washing hair with hot water As much as we enjoy a hot water bath, your hair needs to be spared the hot temperature. Hot water causes dehydration and turns your hair brittle. It is preferable to use warm water and move to a cooler setting when you want to rinse your hair thoroughly. Also, hot water is harsher to the scalp as it strips the natural oils present in it. Aggressive combing, drying You should know that your hair is most likely prone to breakage when wet. Tying it tightly, combing and brushing your wet hair only weakens the roots and leads to hair fall. Brushing and drying your hair aggressively roughens your hair too. For healthy texture, it is better the hair is left to dry naturally. Sporting tight hairstyles The hair trends currently include stylish-looking hair braids and other styles. Tight braids cause tension to the roots and follicles, and don’t feel easy on the scalp. Pulling your hair too tight causes damage and hence, should be avoided. It is best to not use very tight hair ties while sleeping at night. Regular use of heated styling appliances Your scalp is subjected to unwanted heat every time you use the blow dryer or other heated styling tools. It is ideally preferred that you leave your hair to dry naturally, however if and when required, use the styling tools at the coolest settings to control hair damage. Exposing your hair to such heat only weakens the roots. Excessive use of hairstyling products As and when you smother your tresses with styling gels and sprays so that your hairstyle stays in tact for hours together, you should keep in mind that these products make your hair unreasonably stiff and sticky. As you comb your hair after use of these products, your hair would succumb to breakage. This is because the moisture has been drained out and there is friction every time you comb or brush your hair. No use of oil If you keep away from using natural oils, due to their smell or simply think it’s to tacky then you should soon work on your haircare regime with natural remedies to somehow give your hair the needed nutrients. Hair oils like coconut, olive, amla, are useful in nourishing the hair follicles. They help control damage and a head massage at least twice a week can improve blood circulation too. It is also important how you apply your hair oil. Skipping meals A hectic routine, busy schedule or simply the obsession of losing some inches may force you to skip meals. However this may not help your hair condition and would in fact only make it worse. Your hair needs the right amount of proteins as your hair too is made of a kind of protein. Fish, lentils, beans, eggs, etc., should be a part of your daily diet. Source
