13 Stylist-Approved Tips to Perfect Your Hair-Care Routine
Originally published November 1, 2021 by and for Self
Get the best hair of your life by avoiding these common mistakes.
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Get the best hair of your life by avoiding these common mistakes. 〰️
We all want our hair-care routine to help our hair live its best life—whether that means shiny, bouncy curls; full, non-broken strands; or glorious natural hair. And great hair starts with having a personalized hair-care routine. Think of it like a basic set of principles you use to take care of your hair each day and/or night, customizable for your hair type and goals. If you’re thinking wait, I don’t have one of those, don’t worry! It’s not like you’re born knowing how to take care of your hair! For most people, it takes a little trial and error to figure out the best hair-care routine since there’s no universal approach that works for every hair type, texture, length, or style. But if you really want to know how to get healthy hair, ask the pros. Or have SELF do it for you. Below, we spoke to knowledgeable hairstylists and asked for their tips for healthy hair, how to nail down the best hair-care routine for your hair type and texture, and what kinds of mistakes can sabotage even the best hair-care intentions.
What should a hair-care routine include?
There are four main elements in most people’s hair-care routines, according to celebrity stylist Mia Santiago: cleansing, conditioning, heat-styling, and air-drying. This doesn’t mean your hair-care routine needs to have all of these components. For instance, you may never use heat on your hair. But since these are the mainstays of most people’s hair-care routines, we’re going to cover them all. And once you know the best hairstyling products and techniques for these processes, get ready for your dream hair to follow.
According to Santiago, the number of steps and the techniques you may need to follow in each of these components is based on hair type: thick, fine, or somewhere in-between (Santiago calls it “baseline”).
Cleansing: For all hair types, the goal of the cleansing should be scalp-centric. “Hair health starts at the scalp,” explains Santiago. “So it’s important to get it completely clean and clear of build-up.” For folks with fine hair, this isn’t usually too difficult, though Santiago recommends being sure to work the lather up past the nape of the neck as people often miss that spot. For those with thicker hair, wet it, then comb it out and split it into sections so that when you apply your shampoo—a hydrating one is always best—it’s able to penetrate the scalp.
How often should you wash? That depends on your hair texture as well—more on this later.
When it comes to products, texture again is key. Thicker-haired people should “use moisturizing products, and follow up with the hair oil of your choice,” says King Carter, a celebrity stylist who’s worked with Duckie Thot and Megan Thee Stallion. Those with finer hair should avoid oils and try to find a volumizing shampoo.
Conditioning: Always follow cleansing your hair with a conditioner to restore the moisture that shampooing strips away. For finer-haired folks, Santiago recommends applying conditioner from the ends to the tips of your hair, avoiding the roots where things can get greasy. For thicker hair, a good deep conditioner is a must. For people in that baseline category, pile on or scale back the conditioner based on how thirsty your hair gets.
Heat-styling: No matter what kind of hair you have, if you use hot styling tools (such as flat irons, diffusers, or curling irons), you need to be using some kind of thermal protection. (Here are heat protectants to try.) And make sure to follow other heat styling rules that will help protect your hair, like using the lowest heat possible to get the results you’re after. Or even air-drying! Which brings us to our next point.
Air-drying: It’s good to give your hair a break from heat too, but if you air-dry your hair, that doesn’t mean “just leave it alone.” If your hair is thicker, you’ll want to use a heavier product to lock in moisture and get the style you’re trying to achieve: Think thick creams and oil-infused gels. Finer hair needs a lighter product, like a mousse, to lift from the roots and add texture. Whatever products you reach for, don’t go back in and mess with it once the air-drying is complete if you’re trying to keep your hair looking a very specific way. “That can make it frizzy,” explains Priscilla Valles, a celebrity stylist who has worked with Megan Fox and Khloé Kardashian.
How do I keep my hair healthy with a daily hair-care routine?
On a day-to-day basis, you want to watch out for build-up: both from product and from the oil your scalp naturally produces says Santiago. These are signs it’s time for a wash day.
How often you wash your hair is ultimately up to you, although your hair type does come into play. “For those with coarser textures, I would recommend washing once a week,” says Carter, “whereas finer textures should wash every two or three days.” Factors like humidity, temperature, and how much you’re working up a sweat should also come into consideration, as an increase in moisture may signal a need to wash more often. Other signs your hair needs to be cleansed include if it gets too dry (for thicker hair) or too greasy (for finer hair/oily scalps).
One way to refresh between washes is to use dry shampoo—don’t fret, curly-haired friends, there are options out there for you too nowadays—to add shine and suck up oil. Or you can apply baby powder. “I love applying it before bed,” shares Santiago, “because the baby powder absorbs all the build-up while I sleep and my hair is so much bouncier in the morning.”
Some people love washing their hair at night and sleeping on it damp, but experts are a bit divided on whether it is bad to sleep with wet hair. Carter recommends against it, since “wet hair is more prone to breakage.” Santiago prefers to sleep on wet hair, though: She likes to shower in the evenings and sleeps using a microfiber towel pillow cover which dries your hair while you sleep and protects your pillow. Be warned: Folks with fine hair might find that their hair goes flat overnight, so test it to see if it works for you.
What are bad habits for your hair?
The texture of your hair should dictate your hair routine more than anything else. But there are still some habits that everyone, regardless of their hair type, should steer clear of. Obviously, no one is perfect, so no shame if these habits make an appearance in your own hair-care routine pretty often. These are just some general guidelines and tips for healthy hair.
1. Being reactive instead of proactive.
Don’t wait until you see something “wrong” to start really taking care of your hair. “A mistake some people make is obsessing with products while not committing to the day-to-day,” says Vernon François, who has worked with Lupita Nyong’o and Amandla Stenberg. By treating your hair routine as a habit—not just paying attention to it when you reach a state of mega-damage—you’ll be setting yourself up for infinite good hair days.
2. Yanking a brush through wet hair.
The detangling struggle is real, whether your hair is thin or thick, but that doesn’t mean you should be rough with it. According to Kelly Hunt, who has worked with Amber Valetta and Karina Smirnoff, “It’s not a good idea to brush wet hair with any old brush. A wide-tooth comb is a better bet, but my favorite is the Tangle Teezer ($11, Amazon). It’s shaped like a little foot and fits in your palm. It doesn’t pull or tug on the hair and can be used on any texture or length.”
3. Ignoring your hair at night.
You can multitask while you rest. “It’s a great time to use products like dry shampoo because they work while you’re asleep,” explains Santiago. On the flip side, don’t forget you can do damage while you sleep too. “Sleeping in a ponytail causes breakage right at the crown of the head, or wherever the elastic is placed. If you like your hair off your face, sleep in a loose braid off to the side, secured right at the end as loose as you can,” says Johnny Stuntz, who has worked with Anna Kendrick and Kelly Osbourne. If your goal is to keep your curls intact overnight, try sleeping in a satin bonnet or pineappling your hair with a satin scrunchie.
4. Not getting regular trims.
Even if you’re trying to grow out your hair, regular trims help keep your hair healthy. Michael Dueñas, who has worked with Padma Lakshmi and Zoe Levin, adds that regular trims can keep you from harming your hair by messing with its ends. “You wouldn't believe how many women I see pulling on their split ends,” he says. “You're actually shredding the hair, and creating a more uneven split end that’s harder to fix. Instead, snip it off with very sharp scissors.” And make an appointment to get a haircut ASAP. “Regular maintenance and professional haircuts actually promote hair growth,” says Carter.
5. Over-shampooing oily hair.
While it’s tempting to scrub a scalp that produces a lot of oil every day, it’s not the way to go, according to L’Oréal Paris creative director of Style & Color Jonathan Colombini, who has worked with Kim Kardashian and Kendall Jenner.
“Don’t shampoo your hair daily if it tends to get oily fast. This leads to excess oil production making it more oily and weighs it down. I recommend dry shampoo on non-wash days.”
Jonathan Colombini | Owner, John Henry Salon
6. Heat-styling unsafely.
It might seem counterintuitive (and inconvenient), but it’s technically best to do any heat styling when your hair is already dry. (This is why figuring out great air-drying techniques can be so handy!) “In order to use heat without damage, the hair has to be completely dry,” explains Bobby Eliot, who has worked with Hailee Steinfeld and Jena Malone. “Using heated styling tools when the hair is still wet literally fries the hair.” Another major bad habit is heat-styling many days in a row. This can be super damaging,” says Michelle Sultan, who has worked with Zendaya, Naomi Campbell, and Venus Williams, “and causes the hair to dehydrate resulting in brittle, damaged, and broken hair.” So try to heat style just once or twice per week, if possible. And, of course, don’t forget the heat protectant!
7. Detangling the wrong way.
Believe it or not, there is a right way to brush your hair: No matter what your hair texture is, you should start from the bottom up. "My biggest pet peeve is when people start at the root when brushing or combing. You can literally hear the hair breaking!” says Michael Long, who has worked with Lizzy Caplan and Alexandra Daddario. “Instead, start at the ends and remove the tangles there first. Then work your way up towards the root. That way, you’re reducing split ends and frizzy broken bits."
8. Applying product incorrectly.
The product’s instructions are there for a reason. “I constantly see my friends, family, and clients mist aerosol products like dry shampoo and hairspray, but with the can two inches from their heads,” says John D, who has worked with Amy Adams, Lea Michele, and Drew Barrymore. “Instead, give the can a good shake for better product distribution, then extend your spraying arm out all the way and spray away. Aerosol products work best when they’re exposed to air before they reach the head.”
9. Applying too much product.
Since scalp health is so vital to hair health, if you’re piling on the product, you may actually be making it harder for your hair to grow. “The whole point of washing your hair is to break down build-up,” explains Santiago. So keeping an eye on how much product you apply daily is important.
One product a lot of people overapply is dry shampoo. “If you use dry shampoo or texturizing spray more than twice a week, you’re likely dehydrating your scalp, which can make the hair weaker and more prone to breakage,” explains Sunnie Brook, who has worked with Katie Lowes and Anna Faris. If your hair starts to look weighed down or starts breaking, you’ll need to scale back. But what if you’re trying to minimize wash days and cut down on your dry-shampoo usage? In that case, reach for products to keep your hair strong and hydrated, like refreshing sprays. You can also try co-washing (washing your hair with only conditioner, some of which are formulated with cleansing properties that are gentler than shampoo and specifically meant for co-washing). This will accomplish the dual goals of breaking up build-up and restoring moisture.
10. Being rough when drying wet hair.
Overhandling your hair, especially when you step out of the shower, could be responsible for some of your least-loved hair qualities like dullness. “It drives me crazy when clients towel-dry their hair by messing it up in every direction,” shares Toni Chavez, who has worked with Bella Thorne and Nicola Peltz. “It roughs up the delicate cuticle.” This can lead to dryness and dullness. It’s best to towel dry hair gently, Chavez says, by wringing your hair out, moving downwards from root to ends.
11. Overmanipulating your hair.
Next time you notice your hair seems limp or dull, John Ruggiero, who has worked with Kate Beckinsale and Gigi Hadid, suggests swapping out a visit to your stylist with a little more TLC. "Try fewer washings, less heat styling and blow-drying, and more deep conditioning. Hair looks fuller when it’s healthier and stronger." Bottom line: The less you fuss with and manipulate your hair, the better.
12. Not considering products like extensions.
We can do a lot of damage to our hair trying to get it to look the way we want it to (you always want what you don’t have, right?). One option if you’re trying to grow your hair, or if you want more volume, is using extensions instead of chemicals or heat. “Fine hair clients stress their hair out with heat and products to make it appear thicker,” says Valles. “Extensions will actually be less stressful to your hair.”
13. Trying to force your hair to be something it’s not.
This is good advice for everyone, but especially for curly-haired folks and anyone struggling in the age of the Instagram hair-fluencer. “One thing I wish some people would stop doing is speaking about their hair negatively; unruly, misbehaving, and so on,” says François. “Our choice of language, how we speak about our hair’s texture, frames the relationship we have with it. It’s all interlinked with seeing, accepting, and embracing, the true beauty of the hair texture you were born with.”
That doesn’t mean you can’t experiment with new looks! But if you’re trying to heat and style your hair into submission to the point that you’re causing significant damage instead, it’s worth really exploring what kinds of styles might make you feel great without requiring so much manipulation. Remember, the goal is knowing how to take care of your hair so it’s as healthy and happy as possible.
