You Might Be Washing Your Hair Completely Wrong

No matter how old you are (or how much you think you know about your hair), there's a good chance you could be washing your hair completely wrong — starting with when you hop in the shower. Believe it or not, there are no hard and fast rules — you simply need to learn to wash your hair when it needs washing (not when your Mom says you should be washing it). "Wash your hair whenever you need to," Amy Abramite, stylist and creative director of Maxine Salon in Chicago, told Shape. "If you're exercising or your scalp is oily, and you need to do so daily, that's fine. If you can go a few days without, great." 

You also need to realize that the temperature of your shower water is actually pretty important. "Water that's too hot will open the hair cuticle and this will allow keratin proteins, your expensive salon color, and natural moisturizing factors to escape," hair stylist, Hollie Rose Clarke, told Glamour. "It means hair loses not just color, but strength, too." 

Another thing you're probably doing wrong when washing your hair is not double shampooing. Yep, according to celebrity hairstylist George Northwood, washing your hair with shampoo twice "will definitely make it cleaner than you can with one." Speaking to Good Housekeeping, he continued, "It will make it feel thicker, and more voluminous — all the signs of healthy hair. It also creates a better surface for the products to work and be absorbed."

And lastly, you need to make sure you only apply conditioner to the ends. "You should start applying conditioner, mid-shaft downward towards the ends," Anthony Cole, lead stylist for Sebastian Professional Haircare, told Teen Vogue. "While the product is still in your hair, use a wide-tooth comb to detangle. You can leave the conditioner in and wrap your hair in a towel for five to seven minutes."