Edwin Paul Stylist Shares Advice to Save Hair from Drying, Curling

No matter who you are, you likely have experienced a bad hair day, when your bangs fall flat, the hair on top of your head stands up straight for some odd reason, or the bounce completely leaves it with the arrival of humidity.

But with all of those bad hair days a near certainty, it's important not to invite even more into your life due to damaging coifing practices. Grosse Pointe Woods  hair stylist Jessica Daniels talked about some tricks to avoid hurting the health of your hair and scalp.

• Don’t brush your hair right before you get highlights or color. It’s best to leave well enough alone so that your scalp is saved from discomfort. 

“Brushing stimulates the scalp, and then it can get irritated when the color is put on," Daniels said.

• Be gentle when brushing wet hair. Daniels warned that many people rush through brushing their hair after a washing. During the washing process, particularly with longer hair, the strands can get quite tangled. 

Daniels recommends you use a brush with ample spacing between the bristles to minimize the damage. "People have a tendency to lose more hair when they brush it wet," she said. Keep your hair on your head instead of left in the brush!

• Use a heat protector tonic if you use the blow dryer, flat iron or curling iron. The heat can be very damaging to your hair, even though it is meant to help you style it. 

"Apply a good heat protector before using your flat iron or the dryer," Daniels recommended. "If you do this, and you see a puff of smoke, that's OK. That means you're burning the product instead of your hair." If you didn't use a heat protector and see a puff of smoke, that's bad. "That means the heat is burning your hair, possibly right down to the cuticle." Daniels also recommends using a styling brush with boar bristles. These do not conduct heat, saving your hair from more damage as you try to get that special look.

• If you use a conditioner, look for one that is water based. Some products are silicone or protein-based, which, in the end, can damage your hair because it creates unnecessary buildup that may eventually crack. And when that cracks, so will your hair. Conditioners with some protein is OK, but if you have healthy hair already, you don't need the added protein, she said. 
• For those who want a deep conditioning treatment, Daniels recommends to opt for a heavier conditioning mask that you can use once or twice a week and rinse off. This will give you the conditioning you want without the added risk.

With these easy tips, you can minimize the damage done by styling and keep your hair looking fantastic. And who doesn't want that?