Discover the everyday habits that may be secretly damaging your hair and learn how to protect your strands for healthier, stronger hair.

We all strive to have a healthy, strong head of hair. But sometimes, the things we do day-to-day are secretly working against us. Damaged hair doesn’t always come from an extreme bleach session or an intense salon treatment. Often, it sneaks in through our small, overlooked daily habits. By understanding what weakens your hair and making a few changes to your daily habits, you can protect your strands and help them thrive.

In this article, we’ll break down what damaged hair really looks like, explore what’s working against your hair’s health, and explore the everyday routines that may be causing more damage to your hair than you realize. Read on to find out if your daily habits are secretly sabotaging your strands and learn how to turn things around.

Damaged hair is much more than just split ends. It’s your hair’s protective outer layer, called the cuticle, being worn down, raised or broken, resulting in the inner layer being exposed. When the cuticle is healthy, it lies flat, reflects light and locks in moisture properly. When the cuticle is compromised, your hair becomes rough, dry and prone to breakage. Common signs of hair damage include:

• Persistent dryness.
• Brittle texture or strands snap easily.
• Dullness or lack of shine.
• Excessive tangling or knotting.
• Unmanageable frizz.

Hair can be damaged from both internal and external stressors. While age and genetics do play a role in your hair’s health, daily habits tend to do the most harm. Habits that may be damaging your hair include:

• Frequent heat styling.
• Overprocessing with dyes, chemicals or relaxers.
• Using shampoo or cleansers with harsh ingredients.
• Wearing tight hairstyles that put too much tension on the hair follicle.
• Exposure to the sun, wind, chlorine or other environmental pollutants.

While there are many factors that cause your hair damage, excessive heat and chemical treatments are at the top of the list. Everything from flat irons and curling wands to bleach and coloring agents, these factors can drastically weaken the structure of your hair by breaking down protein bonds and stripping away essential moisture from the hair. These effects are often permanent and cumulative, especially without proper protection or aftercare.

Although hair damage may seem scary, with a little awareness and few adjustments to your daily routine, you can stop damage before it starts. Here are seven sneaky, everyday things that may be sabotaging your healthy hair journey:

1. Rough Towel Drying: Rubbing a towel roughly against your hair creates friction that weakens the hair shaft, especially when wet. Instead, gently pat or squeeze with a microfiber towel or a soft cotton T-shirt.
2. Daily Styling with Hot Tools: Blow dryers, flat irons and curling wands strip moisture from your hair. If used daily or excessively without heat protectant, they can severely damage the cuticle. Try limiting your use of heat tools and always apply thermal protection like Pantene Heat Primer Thermal Heat Protectant Spray.
3. Wearing High-Tension Styles: Constant tension or too much tension from tight hairstyles can lead to breakage and even traction alopecia. Try wearing looser styles to reduce strain on your strands.
4. Brushing Wet Hair: Wet hair has more elasticity and is more vulnerable to breakage. Rough brushing or using the wrong hairbrush can cause your hair to tear. Use a wide-tooth comb or a brush designed for wet detangling, beginning at the ends of the hair and working your way up to the roots.
5. Skipping Regular Trims: Split ends travel upward and can worsen damage. Getting regular trims every six to eight weeks will keep your hair looking and feeling its best.
6. Using the Wrong Shampoo: Products with harmful ingredients or alcohols can strip the natural oils from your hair and scalp. Choose shampoos that are sulfate-free and suited to your hair type like Mielle Babassu Conditioning Sulfate-Free Shampoo suitable for all hair types.

You might be using a shampoo that’s too harsh for your hair type. Try switching to a sulfate-free formula and follow-up with a moisturizing conditioner.

Not always. Air-drying can cause frizz if the hair tends to stay wet for too long. Blow-drying on a low heat setting with protectant can actually be gentler.

Look for products with ingredients like argan oil, shea butter, keratin and biotin. Avoid sulfates, drying alcohols and heavy silicones.

When you unlock your hair’s secrets, you unlock its full potential. Take the HairCode quiz to learn more about 1b hair, and all hair types.