5 Things Your Stylist Wishes You’d Stop Doing to Your Hair

I love my job, I really do. But after 20+ years behind the chair, there are a few things that make me want to scream into my round brush. Let’s talk about the habits that drive stylists everywhere insane and what you should be doing instead.

1. Washing Every. Single. Day.

Unless you’re rolling in mud or your scalp pumps out oil like a fryer at McDonald’s, there is no reason to shampoo your hair every single day. Your scalp naturally produces oils that are meant to nourish and protect your strands. When you constantly strip those oils, your scalp often overcompensates by producing even more, which makes you feel greasy faster. Overwashing can also leave your ends brittle, fade your color more quickly, and irritate your scalp.

The truth is your scalp health is directly tied to your hair health, so treating it with balance matters. Washing two to three times a week is more than enough for most people. In between washes, dry shampoo is a lifesaver, and co-washing (using conditioner instead of shampoo) is a gentle way to refresh without stripping everything away. What’s a co-wash? Good question…that’s a whole post of its own.

2. Box Dye Crimes

I know the temptation. It’s cheap, it’s fast, it’s right there in aisle seven whispering your name. But box dye is not your friend. Those one-size-fits-all formulas don’t care about your hair’s texture, porosity, or history. They’re loaded with strong chemicals, and many contain metallic salts that can react badly if you ever decide to bleach your hair afterward. Sometimes that reaction is smoke, breakage, or even chemical burns.

Box dye also loves to leave behind patchy, uneven color that makes my job harder [and way more expensive] when you eventually come in for a fix. A $12 box can easily turn into a $600 correction. Covering grays at home once in a while? Okay, fine. But just know this: once you go drugstore, you’re in a monogamous relationship with drugstore color. Don’t ask me to add highlights and give you the perfect custom blonde in one sitting. I will stage a messy break-up scene at a restaurant.

Leave the heavy lifting to a professional who can customize color for your hair, not a generic mass-produced formula. Or stay committed to box dye, that’s your choice. But you can’t have both.

3. Skipping Heat Protection

Let me say this loud: stop raw-dogging your hair with hot tools. Curling irons, flat irons, and blow dryers get hot enough to literally boil the water inside your hair shaft. Without protection, you’re breaking down the keratin proteins that give your hair strength, and you’re fading your color faster than you realize. You might not see the damage right away, but over time it adds up as dullness, brittleness, and breakage. The solution is ridiculously simple: use a heat protectant, it takes two seconds to apply. Think of it like SPF for your hair…you wouldn’t lay out in the sun without sunscreen, so why are you curling at 400 degrees without a barrier? Also, why are you curling your hair at 400 degrees?! drop it down to 350 or 300 for fine hair.

4. Brushing Like You’re Mad at It

The way you brush your hair matters more than you think. When you yank a brush through tangles like you’re beating a rug, you’re breaking it. Hair is especially fragile when it’s wet, which makes aggressive brushing even more damaging. Add extensions into the mix, and one bad rip can undo hundreds of dollars’ worth of work. Brushing should be patient, gentle, and strategic. Start at the ends, detangle slowly, and then move upward. Use a wide-tooth comb in the shower with conditioner for slip, or wait until your hair is mostly dry before brushing it out. Brush it like you’re petting a cat you don’t trust yet, not like you’re scrubbing a dirty dish.

5. Expecting Miracles Overnight

Here’s the cold, hard truth: hair grows about half an inch a month. That’s it. No serum, no bullshit gummy vitamins, no TikTok “hack” is going to change biology. I wish it were different, but it’s not. What does work is consistency: regular trims, the right products, and a healthy lifestyle that supports growth from the inside out. Protein, iron, vitamin D, and zinc all play a role in keeping your hair strong. Stress, sleep, and hormones matter too. If you’re impatient? Extensions are your miracle cure. They can give you instant length and volume, but they’re not an excuse to ignore good habits. Extensions are the express lane. Nutrition, trims, and proper care are the long game. You need both if you actually want healthy hair.

(look out for ‘How to feed your scalp for healthy growth’ coming out soon)

Final Word

I want you to win. I want your hair to be strong, shiny, and healthy. But you’ve got to meet me halfway: ditch the bad habits, commit to the good ones, and trust the process. Hair doesn’t thrive on quick fixes, but with time and care, it’ll give you everything you’re hoping for.

So, which one of these are you guilty of?

(No judgment… but also, yes, I noticed.)