- Celebrity hairdresser, Anthony Nader, revealed what’s ruining your locks
- According to the professional, overwashing is a mistake so many of us make
- His other major errors are using too much heat and rubbing your hair dry
Luscious locks is the goal of many women.
But did you know that some of your common haircare habits are in fact hindering your goals?
FEMAIL spoke to Sydney-based celebrity hairdresser, Anthony Nader – who looks after the likes of Cate Blanchett and Abbey Lee Kershaw – about the six things you need to stop doing to your hair forever for beautiful tresses.
From overwashing to rubbing your hair dry, some of what he says might surprise you.
1. Overwashing
According to Anthony, the first thing we all do too much is washing:
‘In Australia, I believe we wash our hair way too much,’ he told FEMAIL.
‘Instead we need to practise what the chic Parisians do and wash our hair strands once or twice a week max.’
Not only does washing reduce the brightness of any colour you have in your locks, but it also activates the sebaceous glands and tells them to produce more oil while the natural oils are stripped.
All of this means dull, lifeless and somewhat lank locks.
2. Rubbing it dry
You know the drill. You’re in a rush to get into work, your hair is wet and so you start furiously rubbing at it with a towel in the hope that this will speed up the drying process and do your hair no harm.
But, you should stop right there if you believe Anthony, who said rubbing your hair dry is doing it a great deal of damage and not helping get dry quicker:
‘Don’t rub, blot,’ he told FEMAIL.
‘Reason being that when you blot your hair, the water will absorb a lot faster than rubbing.
‘When you rub your strands, not only does this 80s technique cause unwanted hair breakage, but it will also make coloured strands frizzy.’
Something no one wants.
3. Using too much heat
‘No hair needs excessive heat and you’re only doing your strands more harm than good when your heated tools are turned up high,’ Anthony said.
He recommends starting at around 150 degrees to see how your hair is performing, and then ‘go in lots of ten from there’ if it needs it.
‘Highly-coloured, processed blondes should especially heed this advice,’ he added.
Ditch the hot tools and you’re sure to notice an improvement in general condition.
4. Tying your hair too tight
For a time, super high, super tight ponytails were all the rage.
These were often called the ‘Croydon facelift’, after British supermodel, Kate Moss pioneered the style.
However, hairdresser Anthony said that in fact, your love of super tight ponytails has done you no good.
‘Those tight ponytails from your youth will pay you back now,’ he said – adding that they’ll stop baby hairs from growing out.
‘With any hairstyle you do in the future, loosen off the hair band and give those babies a chance to grow.’
5. Combing from the top down
While it might sound logical to comb your hair from the top downwards when it’s wet, in fact the opposite is true.
‘If you start from the top of your crown and drag your comb down, it will be a right old mess by the time you reach the bottom,’ Anthony said.
‘When combing your damp strands, instead grab a wide tooth comb and start from the nape area (ends first), working your way up to the roots.’
The hairdresser said that this will ensure you are breaking as few hairs as possible.
6. Going too hard on the bleach
Finally, the cardinal sin committed by so many women in pursuit of perfect bleach blonde hair is too much bleach.
And Anthony said you need to cut back.
‘There’s no need to have the full service of having bleach applied to your hair strands, as if it’s done right in the first place in the foil positioning, you’re saving extra bucks in the long run,’ he said.
‘Ask your hair colourist’s advice with the bleach and see if you can only have this applied every second or third salon visit.
‘Your locks can only take so much bleach – you don’t want your strands to snap off in the process.’
By Sophie Haslett for Daily Mail Australia