YouTube is awash with beauty advice ranging from how to properly apply eyeliner to the best strategy for detangling hair. While makeup tips are relatively harmless, the wrong hair advice can have a disastrous impact.
Can you straighten wet hair? Here’s 7 wet hair sins you should avoid that many blogs promote.
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1. Can You Straighten Wet Hair?
After you go swimming or take a shower, your hair might seem more manageable. But this can be extremely misleading.
The urge to do things like apply a flat iron or curling iron to your hair can cause really serious damage. Wet hair is far more vulnerable to damage than dry hair.
Your hair has protein bonds that are weaker when the hair is saturated with water. While this seems to equal sleeker hair, it’s really a sign that the hair is on the brink of breaking.
Adding a drastic change in temperature like heat only ensure that breakage happens faster. Never straighten your hair while it’s wet even if you’ve towel dried it thoroughly.
2. Detangling Wet
Let’s be clear. It takes the same amount of time to detangle your hair wet as it does when it’s dry.
The myth that detangling in the shower is one of the leading cause of hair damage everywhere. The truth is that standing in front of the mirror instead of the shower head when you comb out your hair won’t cost you any time.
Instead, it’ll earn you stronger locks since your hair hates being tugged while it’s wet. Use detangling products if you’re convinced your dry hair just won’t cooperate with a detangling.
3. Not Having Detangling Equipment
Sometimes detangling your hair before a shower isn’t enough. You might encounter new tangles once you begin the shampoo process.
Make sure you have the right wet hair tools before attempting to work through any tangles while in the shower. These tools aren’t strong enough to use while your hair is dry, but they’re perfect for molding to your hair’s needs once it’s saturated with water.
These are the only tools that should touch your hair when your shampooing or conditioning. They’re a unique exception to detangling hair wet, and are only recommended after you’ve taken out the major tangles while it’s still dry.
The bonus of using wet hair detangling brushes and combs is that you’ll have less work when you exit the shower. Simply and go to get a sleek look.
For natural hair, you can apply a light leave-in after you exit the shower to smooth out any frizzies. As your hair lifts with the humidity, it’ll produce well defined curls.
4. Aggressive Brushing
You are not at war with your hair when it’s tangled. Yes, it’s annoying and you’d probably rather be doing a million other things.
But taking your time to patiently work through your hair is a form of self care. Your hair is an extension of you.
Be gentle in how you approach it especially when it’s wet. A special wet brush isn’t an excuse to rush through the detangling process.
If you brush too aggressively, you’ll tear at your hair. Start at the tips and work your way gently up to the roots. Hold on to the section of hair where you’re brushing to ease the tension.
5. Rubbing Too Hard
Another wet hair mistake is towel drying or rubbing too hard. You want to get the conditioner all throughout your hair, but you don’t have to over handle your hair in the process.
This is a major mistake for natural hair. You assume all your hair wants is more moisture, but it also wants a gentle touch too while it’s still saturated with water.
If you have heavy hands, try using a leave in spray instead of rubbing in conditioner. Use a terry cloth towel to gently blot your curls until it’s not dripping. You can find out more about towel options on this site.
Once the drip is gone, you can opt to blow dry using a diffuser or sit under the dryer until your hair is mostly dry. If you’ve handled your hair well in the shower, a wash and go is definitely a viable option.
Some people use a t-shirt to dry their hair to avoid the hair breaking.
6. Styling Too Soon
Rushing through your hair routine helps no one. Your hair will thank you for waiting to use heated tools until after your hair is completely dry.
There’s no exceptions to this rule. Some curly girls might argue that they only need to add a few touch ups to the ends using a curling iron.
But even the tips aren’t a good idea until you’re sure the dampness is gone. With leave in conditioner, it’s easy to get tricked into thinking hair is dry when it’s really still damp.
What you’re feeling is the heat of the product and not your own hair strand. Hot hair does not equal dry hair.
7. Wet Ponytails
We all know at least one person who can take a blowtorch to their hair and never seem to experience any damage. You watch in awe as they sport sleek ponytails straight out of the shower with little gel or product added.
Unfortunately, most people can’t boast these exceptional genes. Hair is delicate.
Don’t pull your hair into a ponytail or bun until you’re sure it’s dry. This might mean having to use a product, but products used on dry hair makes it easier to avoid damage.
The Wet Hair Deal
Can you straighten wet hair? Absolutely not and let’s never go there again.
Keep anything hot, harsh or too aggressive away from your hair when it’s sopping wet. Wet hair just wants the gentle touch of a gentle towel or t-shirt before getting released to the elements.
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