The One Thing Never To Do When Washing Your Hair

Haircare is at the top of most people's priority list, and while coloring and styling is of utmost importance, we often forget that good hair is made in the shower. Washing your hair usually feels more like a chore than a form of pampering, and since it has become a mundane part of our daily routine, we often breeze past our wash regimen without giving it a second thought (guilty as charged). To maintain strong, healthy hair we must always remember the one thing you should never do when washing your hair: condition your roots. This might seem a bit surprising, but it's actually a huge no-no.

If this is the first time you are learning of this "no conditioner in the roots" rule, don't worry because you are certainly not alone. After all, you apply shampoo to your entire head, so doing the same with your conditioner seems perfectly normal, right? The truth is, though, applying conditioner directly to your roots will do more harm than good, according to celebrity stylist Kitty Nadel. "If your hair is fine or thin, the nutrients from conditioner will weigh the root down. Throw in a naturally oily scalp and your root won’t have any volume," Nadel told SheFinds.

As a fine-haired gal who has long been obsessive about maintaining voluminous hair, I can attest to this from personal experience. My hair gets oily rather quickly, and with conditioned roots I'd practically have a wet head by the end of the day.

So if you've been washing your hair all wrong for years, here a few things you should be doing to get it right.

1. Apply Shampoo To Your Roots

While conditioner builds up moisture in your scalp, shampoo removes excess oil when applied to the roots, thoroughly cleansing your hair and allowing natural oils to be secreted, according to The Beauty Snoop.

2. Apply Conditioner To Your Ends Only

The ends of your hair are the oldest hairs and therefore need the most treatment. Applying conditioner to the tips will restore nourishment, according to StyleCaster, leaving a silky smooth finish.

3. Be Patient With Your Conditioner

While it's tempting to quickly condition and wash your strands, it's much more beneficial to leave conditioner in your hair for roughly five to seven minutes, according to Teen Vogue. You can wrap your hair up in a towel while you wait, before rinsing it out.

4. Spray A Post-Wash Hair Protectant

What you do post-shower is just as important. Applying a heat protectant spray on wet strands will help protect hair from blowdrying, curling, ironing, and any other hot tool styling you may be doing, according to Teen Vogue.

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