Ways You’re Washing Your Hair Wrong

Our hair goes through a lot of craziness just from day-to-day wear. We expose it to pollutants from car exhaust on our commute, the sun hits it, and in the case of hair color, we also expose it to a lot of chemicals that might not exactly be the best for it. All things considered, it’s not surprising a lot of people have a hard time when it comes to taking care of their hair.

Believe it or not, one of the most common reasons why hair loses its shine is because of the way we wash it. In most cases, people who have difficulty keeping their hair looking good don’t actually have “troublesome hair.” Rather, it’s actually because they are seeing damage from washing and drying their hair incorrectly.

It’s shocking, but it’s true. Most of us don’t actually know how to wash our hair in a healthy manner. What’s amazing about learning this is that a simple tweak, such as using a specialty hair-drying towel from Aquis, can often fix the problems you’re experiencing with your hair.

Want to know if you’re washing your hair wrong? If any of the following things are true, chances are you might need to relearn the very basics of hair care…

This is not necessarily a sign that you’re washing your hair wrong as much as it’s a sign that you’re accidentally overdoing it. Water is one of the most damaging elements you can expose your hair to when it’s added in excess. Excess water exposure can weaken hair strands, rinse out natural oils, and harm follicles by leaving hair more vulnerable to outside factors.

This is why hair experts suggest avoiding daily shampoo usage or daily washing. A better option would be to wash once every three days or so. Better still? Wash your hair when it needs to be washed.

Shower caps are not your thing.

Your parents had the right idea when they wore shower caps. Experts say that not wearing a shower cap before you’re ready to wash your hair is one of the easiest ways to ensure that you’re washing your hair wrong. Shower caps keep water away from your hair while you scrub up, shave, and rinse your body.

When you know that exposing your hair to too much water can be hurtful, it’s easy to see how a shower cap can help you avoid hair burnout later on. Wet hair is weak hair, so it’s often best to just limit the amount of water your hair takes in.

You can thank the shampoo companies for tricking you into washing your hair wrong. Despite what your shampoo bottle may advise, repeatedly shampooing your hair and rinsing it out isn’t a wise decision. In fact, doing this is one of the quickest way to strip your hair of its natural oils, dry it out, and make it prone to breakage.

A better option would be to simply shampoo once, and not repeat.

After washing your hair, you use a blow dryer or ruffle your hair on a towel.

A crucial part of the whole hair washing process is drying your hair—and this is often where most of the damage comes from. The heat from blow dryers damages hair by drying it out, and to make matters worse, also sends a signal to your scalp to produce more oil. This is the root cause of a lot of needlessly greasy hair.

Using a towel to tousle your hair dry isn’t much better. The constant rubbing and pulling can pluck out hair, or fray hair that has already been damaged from too much shampooing. The end result is hair loss every time you dry your hair.

Surprisingly, this is one of the bigger signs you’re washing your hair wrong. Bath towels, even the nice “fluffy” ones, are actually pretty harsh on your hair.

A better option would be to use a hair turban by Aquis that wicks away excess water and promotes even drying without using too much heat. It also doesn’t need any rubbing and due to its gentle texture, helps tame frizz without dosing your hair with any serums or oils.

Though too much water can be damaging to hair follicles, a little warm water beforehand is actually the right thing to do. A preliminary rinse of warm water before you add conditioner will help open up hair follicles and give your hair time to soak in the conditioner’s moisture.

If you’re really serious about hair health, your best option would be to invest in a “pre-shampoo,” or “pre-poo”, which protects your hair from excessive water intake. Pre-shampoos have become one of the hottest tools among beauty insiders because they are so gentle with hair of all types.

This seriously reduces split ends, greasy hair, and the classic “fried-out” texture of hair that’s been mistreated by shower sessions.

Hot water is your go-to when you decide to wash up.

As much as fans of a hot shower might want to hear otherwise, hot water is not good for your hair in the least bit. It accelerates the amount of damage done to your hair by shampoo, oil stripping, and more. Hot water also causes your hair to absorb more moisture, which can weigh it down and fatigue strand strength.

Much like with heat from a blow dryer, washing your hair with hot water can cause your scalp to overproduce oil—which will result in a very greasy head of hair, despite you washing it daily. Needless to say, if your shower is piping hot when you wash up, you’re washing your hair wrong.

If you literally slap on a glob of shampoo or conditioner and hope for the best, yes, you’re washing your hair wrong. Much like what you experience at the salon, you’re supposed to apply your shampoo and conditioner with a gentle scalp massage.

This allows your hair to really “drink up” the product, and also can help stimulate your scalp. Studies suggest that regular scalp massages can bolster hair growth and help regulate your oil production. The end result? Healthier, shinier, and more manageable hair.

You brush your hair when it’s wet, rather than just detangle it.

You should never brush your hair when it’s wet, because that’s when it’s at its most brittle and fragile state. Brushing can be a bit rough on hair, you know. That being said, there’s a difference between brushing your hair and taking a comb to detangle it.

Either way, it’s best to both brush and detangle your hair while it’s dry. It’s counterintuitive, but there’s a good reason for this. This method helps your hair detangle before it is in its most weak state - when it's wet.

As we’ve said before, excess water can be seriously bad for your hair. Rinsing your hair for too long, whether it’s conditioner or shampoo, can be one of the many ways you could be washing your hair wrong. Experts suggest limiting rinse time to a maximum of one minute or so per phase.

Assuming you’ve gotten the suds out of your hair, you’re probably good to go. On a similar note, some people notice that rinsing off their shoulders separately can help reduce shoulder acne. After all, hair products might be good for hair, but they can hurt sensitive skin—and that means they need to be cleaned up.

Last but not least, you don’t really use the right tools to keep your hair clean.

Not all shampoos and conditioners are built equally! Each product works best with a specific hair type, and if you’re using the wrong type, you’re potentially hurting your hair. That’s why hair care specialists are so particular about the products they use.

But, shampoo and conditioner alone aren’t the be-all and end-all of hair washing supplies. If you’re not getting a nice hair-drying turban that reduces stress on hair that’s drying out, you’re still not washing your hair in the best way possible. Our suggestion? Go with the original Aquis hair turban; they invented it and it remains the best because it works.

Make no mistake about it, not having good tools to keep your hair looking great is a clear indicator that you are washing your hair wrong. Good hair supplies aren’t always cheap, but they are always worth it. Take a look at your hair, and ask yourself something: isn’t it time you invested a little more into it?