10 Hair accessories that are damaging your hair and scalp

Damage Control: 10 Hair accessories you should really stop using

MF editorial team

23 Jun 2017

1/10
Hats
Straw hats, in particular, should be avoided, as your hair can get caught in between the gaps in the material and you may suffer from hair loss due to this. In general, hats can make your scalp accumulate grease faster as it prevents sufficient airflow and breathability.
2/10
Ornante clothing
Clothing with embellishments such as sequins will create friction when your hair is let down and loose. This can promote the appearance of split-ends. Be careful of ornamentation such as pearls, glitter, and coarse fabrics. Your hair may cling to these.
3/10
Hairpins
Pay close attention to the quality of the hairpins you use. To make sure they don’t end up damaging your hair, ensure that they have a plastic end cap and that they are protected by a film so they don’t end up tugging and clamping on your strands. If this is the case, you should throw them away and find better ones.
4/10
Plastic brushes
Bristles made of plastic can irritate your scalp and cause unwanted static. Swap them out with ones that have bristles made of natural materials such as wild boar hair.
5/10
Clip-in hair extensions
Clip-in extensions can weigh down your real hair and damage your scalp in the long run. They might end up pulling out your hair and leaving noticeable bald spots and gaps. If you are a fan of these extensions, be sure not to use them every day, especially if you already have thin hair!
6/10
Elastic bands made of ‘snagging’ material
Elastic rubber or bands with small bits of metal are to be avoided. Your hair can get caught and tugged out painfully when you try to remove such bands. Constantly tying up your hair in elastic bands in styles that are too tight will also aggravate hair loss. Choose bands made of softer fabrics to limit friction.
7/10
Metal accessories
Clips and ornaments with metal “teeth” will damage the roots of your hair. Instead, try wooden accessories - they tend to be less aggressive on your scalp.
8/10
Velcro curlers
The fact that they cling to your hair and treat it harshly will only serve to cause a decline in your hair health, especially if you already have frizzy or wavy hair.
9/10
A fibrous towel
There are soft towels and then there are towels that feel pretty rough on your skin… you know the ones. Such scratchy towels are fine, of course, but using them to rub at your hair vigorously after your shower will only end in the fibres getting caught and damaging the cuticles. You may have heard this: don’t rub! Always gently squeeze your hair if you are drying it with a towel! Even the fluffiest towel can damage your hair if you use enough pressure!
10/10
Bags with shoulder straps
If you have long hair, using bags with any sort of strap that goes over your shoulder — such as backpacks, sling bags, messenger bags, and even bags with thin chain straps — will have the tendency to trap hair and cause breakages, crinkling, and damage. If you’re the type to use such bags, make sure you have your hair tied up first, so there is no chance of your tresses getting caught under a heavy weight.

Hair not in tip-top condition? These accessories might be the cause.

We all love our hair, don’t we? It’s what gives us character. You might be the type of person who spends hours upon hours each week taking good care of your precious tresses with all the right conditioners and serums, so why spoil all your hard work with the wrong accessories? Indeed, there are many things we should banish from our hair routine. Some may even surprise you.

Taking care of your hair is not a simple task, of course, and using accessories will make things just a little bit easier. However, habits such as using a rough towel to rub at your hair and scalp as soon as you get out of the shower is a bad way to start with proper haircare. Reduce the damage done! Discover 10 accessories you need to banish from your life if you want to have beautiful hair!

Angela Goh & Kahina Boudjidj

Photos: Getty Images

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