7 weird things you didn’t know were damaging your hair

It's not just the obvious things like flat irons and bleach that can damage your hair. You might feel like you're doing all the right things for your hair but you're still not happy with the results.

Here are some other things you might not expect that are doing damage to your hair and making your hair harder to style. Plus we look at some things you can do to make your hair stronger again.

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Maybe your hair seems dry, feels brittle or you're finding more split ends. Even with regular haircuts, you can't shake the feeling that something else might be up with your hair.

Here are seven things that are damaging your hair that you may not even realise, and I've got some tips to help fix them too.

1. Water

Yes, the same thing that cleans our hair can also damage our hair. Salt water and chlorinated water are the worst offenders. Every time you wet your hair, your colour fades and leaving your hair wet for too long causes the hair shaft to swell, which can cause splits and breakages.

Water is unavoidable, and I'll still style my hair when wet, but it's important that you're not leaving your hair wet all day. This constant swelling of the hair weakens it over time.

Water is the number one reason why you can still find your hair is breaking or has split ends even if you never blowdry your hair. Thanks water.

2. Brushes

It's a myth that you should brush your hair a hundred times a day to have healthy shiny hair. It doesn't help at all. It's also more likely that brushing the wrong way is damaging your hair. This is called mechanical damage.

Again water can be a co-conspirator here. Your hair is more elastic when it's wet. Brushing wet hair vigorously causes it to stretch and break more easily.

Be extra gentle when brushing your hair and it's worth investing in a good quality brush. A trick to help remove knots is to not to try to brush from the root to the ends all in one go. Instead, start detangling at the ends of your hair, brushing small sections. Then work back up to the root to smoothly remove all the knots.

3. Twirling your hair

This bad hair habit can be hard to shake. I know, because I'm always absentmindedly twisting my hair around my fingers.

Dirt from your hands transfers across to your hair making it heavy and limp. The constant touching causes breakage as well. Note to self, Christina, keep your hands out of your hair!

If you got any tips on how to break this habit, please tell me. I've tried putting a note on my desk and asking my friends to stop me when they see me doing it. It's a work in progress.

4. Hair accessories like clear elastics and pretty hair pins

Yes I know, I always tell you to use these clear elastics in braids because they're invisible, but they're not the gentlest on your hair. They snag and cause breakages, especially at the ends of your hair where it's weaker.

Pretty fashion accessories also look great, but they're often poor quality. These sharp clips and pins can pull at your hair and cause breakages when you put them in and when you take them out.

Here's a tip to make these bands and accessories safer to use. When you're removing them from your hair, spritz them with the Schwarzkopf Fibre Therapy Leave In Conditioner Spray and also spray some on the ends of your hair. The bands and clips will slide right out, plus you treat your hair at the same time. It's a win-win.

5. Your handbag

This one was a surprise for me. I mentioned to my hairdresser that I had seen lots of split ends on one side of my head. She asked me: "which side do you wear your handbag?" And I thought, what's that got to do with it? Until she said she'd seen the same issue with lots of her clients.

Wearing a shoulder bag or cross body bag, like me, you're often catching your hair underneath the strap. That regular wear and tear on the same side of your head causes split end breakages. Eventually your hair will just snap off.

You can mitigate the damage by being careful, alternating shoulders and moving your hair out of the way.

6. Your pillow

Not putting your hair to bed properly at night is also causing damage. I didn't really think that my pillowcase would make a big difference until I switched to silk. Not only is it so much smoother on your hair, it reduces frizz and stops those pillow creases forming.

But then sometimes you can forget your own advice. In winter, I switch to cozy flannelette sheets and I also changed my pillow. At first I didn't notice, then I realised my hair was fluffy and starting to split. So off goes that flannelette pillowcase and I'm back to silk.

If a silk pillowcase isn't in your budget, my favourite hack is to buy a cheap vintage silk scarf from an op shop. Tie it around your pillow and you're all set to wake up with great hair.

7. Wearing the same style every day

It may seem easier to wear the same ponytail or bun every day but it's damaging your hair.

Tight hairstyles constrain your hair, and placing your hair band in the same place daily will cause a ring of breakage around your hair.

So it makes sense to try a new hair tutorial and switch up your style. I know a place with lots of inspiration called Hair Romance…

How to strengthen your hair

So there you go – seven weird things you didn't realise were damaging your hair. It's impossible to avoid all of these things, but you can make sure you're taking better care of your hair by being aware of what's causing the damage.

The good news is there's something you can do to put some strength back into your hair and give it more than a fighting chance.

Go beyond the weekly deep conditioning treatment and use a treatment with Plex technology.

Previously, these salon-only treatments were time consuming and expensive. Now the Schwarzkopf Extra Care Fibre Therapy range brings Omegaplex home and I can tell you it makes a huge difference.

Switch your shampoo and conditioner over to this range – and you must try the leave-in treatment. I am obsessed with it and I use it all the time to minimise the damage of the everyday hazards from styling and bad habits we've just looked at.

Have you noticed any other weird things that you think are damaging your hair? And please tell me if you've got any more tricks to stop me from twirling my hair!

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