You love experimenting with different hairstyles, from tight braids to slick ponies. But did you know some damaging hairstyles might look chic but are hurting your hair? Yes, these hairstyles exist, and you might be causing more harm than good without knowing it. Still, there are preventative measures you can take to help your hair recover.

1. Wearing The Same Ponytail Every Day

We know the ponytail is easy to control dirty hair, leaving you with a polished look. But, yes, there is a huge BUT they are one of the most damaging hairstyles.

Wearing the same ponytail daily stresses the same spot, eventually causing your hair to snap and break off at the base. So, while occasionally pulling your hair into a loose ponytail to go to the gym is okay, using it as your go-to hairstyle can become problematic.

The same rule applies if you wear a bun, but you are not doomed if you cannot go without your bun or ponytail. You can ditch those elastic bands and change them up with a fabric-coated hair tie to give a secure hold and gentler on the hair.

2. Braids

Braids is a hairstyle dating back to the time of 3 500 BC and is not going to be banished completely. Instead, you want to ease them up a bit. Pulling your hair back too tight breaks away from the roots, resulting in hair weakness and follicle damage.

So, wear your braids loose from the start. You do not want them to cause tensile stress that occurs with constant tugging on your hair. These braids do more harm than good and depend on how tight or heavy they are.

The stress weakens the follicle, resulting in hair loss. Some conditions are severe, like traction alopecia, which occurs when braids are worn too tight for too long. Still, there is hope in wearing braids without taking too many risks.

The best way to achieve this is to avoid wearing the braids too tightly on the scalp and take breaks between them. Also, moisturize your scalp with essential oil before, during, and after wearing your braids.

The rule is to do things in moderation, wearing your braids comfortably and not too tight, causing stress on the scalp.

3. Wearing Wet Updos

Another damaging hairstyle, along with buns and ponytails, is wearing it when wet. When wet, hair is very delicate, like a wet ponytail, and when it dries, it pulls more. This can result in hair thinning.

Never tie up your hair wet; if you do not believe us, just check your elastic tie when you remove it. You get hair stuck around it. So, when thinking of wearing your hair dry, those weak points will weaken when wet.

It asks to snap off as you twist, stretch, and pull your damp hair into that updo. If you already have delicate ends prone to breakage, they suffer the most as you secure your hair with bobby pins or a tight elastic, forming more split ends.

Your wet hair tied up results in increased tension as it dries and is not worth a glistening wet updo that looks cute. Use a shine spray instead for a glossy shine complimenting your updo.

4. A Blowout Preserving Bun

While sleeping with a bun helps preserve a salon blowout, it can cause more damage. When you go to bed, ensure you wear your hair without tension.

A bun can still form tangles on the hair while you sleep, and rolling around causes more friction. If you love sleeping with a bun, we recommend swapping your cotton for satin or silk pillowcases.

Your hair will glide along the material and avoid friction, leading to breakage.

5. Wearing Pin-Straight Hair

We all love a smooth, pin-straight style, but it comes with a price. The more you straighten your hair, the more bonds start to break.

Using multiple heats passes changes the inner hair molecular structure, opens the outer cuticle layer, enters inside, breaks the bond, and forms split ends.

If you cannot go without straightening your hair, we recommend adding amino acid-rich products to your hair care routine or getting a keratin treatment instead.

These products and treatments will help make straightening your hair easier without breakage.

6. Hair Extensions

It is essential to take care of hair extensions to prevent damage. Even with the best application, hundreds of hairs can tug at your natural hair.

The weight of the added strands pulls your hair close to your scalp, causing breakage. The same applies when you do not care for them. They start causing knots in your new hair growth and break where bonding has been used.

We recommend wearing semi-permanent hair extensions that do not require glue or clips. You can also opt for an extension-style headband with an invisible wire and mold on your crown.

7. Chemical and Color Treated Hair

Color-treated hair is one damaging hairstyle that causes more trouble than good. To help reduce hair damage, choose a color close to your natural hair when lightening. If you are going gray, we recommend keeping your base color lighter and applying colors as the seasons change.

8. Long Locks

Yes, long locks are always in style, but also adversely affect your hair texture. You can thin it out with long, heavy hair to remove some weight.

You also find that parting lines become permanent when you add weight and length. The hair ends become fragile and knot quickly.

Still, if you have incredibly long locks, get regular trims every eight to 12 weeks to keep those ends looking healthy and fresh.

What Are The Least Damaging Hairstyles?

If you want a style that does not place stress on your strands, we recommend the following:

• Embrace your natural texture with loose waves with minimal heat to help reduce damage.
• You can keep your ponytail low and loose to reduce tension on the hairline.
• Wear looser braids that do not pull your hair.
• Go for a messy updo that does not need over-tightness.
• Keep things short and sweet to help reduce the risk of damage to your hair compared to longer styles.

Wrap-Up: Make a Statement Today

You can make a statement with your hairstyle without compromising the health of your hair by choosing the right style to wear. Choose a gentler style and use any of the above damaging hairstyles to keep your hair happy and healthy.

Embrace the options provided and reduce tension while minimizing heat. Do not wear the same style daily. If you are unsure what style suits you best, consult a stylist. They will be more than happy to help.

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