Teach me to break my bad hair habits please

I’m not very good with my hair; I don’t think I’ve taken very good care of it all these years. In fact, I have a few bad hair habits and I’ll talk about these today. Maybe you can teach me something about breaking them or maybe you can learn something from them. Otherwise, well, take it as some silly hair musings then. (#k8SjZc9Dxk__#k8SjZc9Dxk)

Twirling, twirling & twirling
I love to twirl the hair on my left side. It’s something I’ve not been able to stop doing since I-don’t-know-when. It happens mostly when I’m thinking and my fingers will unconsciously move up to touch my hair and soon, I’ll be twirling at them non-stop to the point of “squeezing” them. I’ve known for a long time that this is bad for my hair and it can possibly contribute to hair loss because my actions are causing undue strain on my hair follicles and sometimes I can feel a slight pain even.

Combing, combing & combing
I’ve probably got a OCD complex about my hair. I’ll be checking them ever so often to make sure they’re in place and the first thing I do when I arrive at a destination is to comb my hair. I just can’t stand the idea that they maybe messy. However, I also know that excessive combing and brushing are causing my scalp to produce excessive sebum and making them oilier…but I just can’t stop!

Fingering, fingering & fingering
Okay, I’ve probably kicked about 80% of this habit but for many years, I was always flipping and then running my fingers through my hair. I used to be teased so much about this that I decided to stop but I still do it once awhile, and sometimes, I find myself actually fingering all over my scalp just to feel for the sebum. The thing is, doing that probably contributed to more oil secretion in the end!

Massaging, massaging & massaging
I’ve definitely kicked this habit for good for when I was younger, I thought that massaging my scalp for a good 10 minutes or so was good. Well, it’s good for some people but not me because I have oily scalp. So over massaging, like over combing, will only cause my scalp to produce excessive sebum and making them oilier!

Washing, washing & washing
I wash my hair every day. This is probably quite normal but the thing is, each day, I’ll wash my hair twice. It’s no wonder that my shampoo runs out so quickly and it’s no wonder that my hair is quite dry at the ends. I should try to stop this but I just can’t because I always feel one shampoo doesn’t clean my hair quite adequately.

So anyone of you have such or other bad habits? Or is anyone willing to provide me some free counseling on how I can break these bad hair habits?

Comments

  1. xin says:

    I am addicted to combing hair (like once in every 10 min) ever since I bought my Acca Kappa hair brush, and also to max out the benefits since apparently it will help hair growth.

    And also wash my hair twice a day, but am a convert to bar shampoo now, any other commercial shampoo just give me itch and sting
    xin last post is: Nail Art Tutorial: The Muppets Show

  2. sesame says:

    Okay, you win! Combing every 10 mins is quite a record! Does it really help in hair growth?

  3. jozefin says:

    I tend to use my fingers to feel my scalp as I have dandruff. ? Currently using an organic shampoo but still looking around for a shampoo to cure my dandruff. And I’m not sure if I the dandruff is caused by oily or dry scalp. I wash my hair once every two days.
    jozefin last post is: jozefinfin: Thank you @veemae and @maryfong! <3

  4. Soos says:

    I think I should start doing all those things you are doing – except the washing twice a day. I have very dry, coarse, wavy hair. I wash it every 3-4 days unless it’s really hot and humid. Sometimes I put on a really heavy hair conditioner BEFORE washing it! At work, my hair is on its own unless the front bangs start to do their own thing – otherwise I never have time to fuss with it. At home, I gather it up in one of those spiral rubber bands AND clip my bangs back. The only combing I get to do is BEFORE work. My hair would probably benefit by more combing and/or brushing – distributing the oils from scalp down the hair shaft.
    Soos last post is: Two movies in one week

  5. xin says:

    havent observed obvious result yet, but my hair feels fuller slightly, could be psychological, but i refrained myself from any hair chemical treatment already, hopefully hair will be full in near future, or at least stop the hair fall!
    xin last post is: Nail Art Tutorial: The Muppets Show

  6. fwy says:

    I am not sure if I can give you any good advice but just some hair routine of my own. I don’t even comb my hair, but I will check out the mirror everytime I go to the ladies just to make sure my hair is not messy. I wash my hair once a day unless the weather is unbearably hot but I use a commercial brand of shampoo. I do away with hair conditioners after I cut my long hair & apply rosehip oil to my hairends in the morning as a conditioner instead.

  7. sesame says:

    Hmm…not experienced with dandruff issues so can’t dispense any relevant advice. Probably need an expert to determine for you.

  8. sesame says:

    Haha…but you are so blessed with an abundance of hair! And yes, massaging and brushing/combing will probably help you distribute the oil.

  9. sesame says:

    Okay, if you confirm later…I’ll go and source for that comb. ?

  10. karen says:

    Every day i like combing my hair distributing the oils from scalp down the hair shaft.I use also conditioner every day after i finished using shampoo..
    karen last post is: How Long Should Arizona Residents Keep Records for their Federal Tax Returns?

  11. sesame says:

    Wow, using rosehip oil for the ends! That’s really some nourishment for your hair… ?

  12. sesame says:

    Oh I wasn’t using conditioner at one stage but now I am.

  13. Chris says:

    I don’t wash my hair as often as I should, and it gets tangled and starts to fall out. But to protect it, I rarely use heat on my hair and I don’t dye it anymore. I feel like these have helped a great deal. So I kind of feel like the protective decision-making balances out the neglect. ?
    Chris last post is: NARS Blush Swatches

  14. Catherine says:

    I am also very bad to my hair. I love to touch and mess with my hair. I do the feeling for sebum thing too which really is counterproductive but I can’t help it. I also suffer from scalp problems and I can’t stop scratching which is again one of those things I shouldn’t do. I also think I tie my hair back too much. The only bad hair habit I’ve ever managed to stop is biting my hair. Oh and I stopped brushing my hair a few months ago- just run my hands through my hair to detangle in the morning and evenings now, and use a comb on my fringe/bangs. Only brush my hair before I wash it really. : )

  15. N. says:

    Do you double wash your hair when in the shower?
    N. last post is: Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4) – Short Review

  16. sesame says:

    Yes, I do…actually that’s what I meant but I think the way I wrote it, some people would naturally think I meant I shampoo twice at different times of the day.

  17. N. says:

    Oh! I do the same then. My hair doesn’t get clean enough if I shampoo it once.
    N. last post is: Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4) – Short Review

  18. sesame says:

    Bite your hair? I guess your hair was long then? I used to suck on them when I had longer hair. It was horrible…as in it’s not good from a hygiene perspective.

  19. sesame says:

    *Ahem* I blow dry my hair daily….and I didn’t put it down as a bad hair habit. I color my hair about every quarter….just the roots but still. I wish I can lessen the frequency I wash my hair and so I would love to be in your shoes.

  20. Jasmine says:

    Yes, Sesame! Me too. I am a compulsive hair-toucher and I understand what you mean. Every time I am absorbed in something my left hand creeps up to the same part of my parting to gently run my hand to touch dry, frizzy hairs. I’s usually one or two strands that I am running my index and thumb tip along. I would sometime run it over my nails, resulting in the poor cuticle getting more coarse and damaged.

  21. AT says:

    Me too! I shampoo, rinse and shampoo again. Although I’ll consider that as just washing hair everyday, not twice a day. I think I should pick up the combing habit–I hardly touch my hair other than during washing. It’s so straight that there’s absolutely zero shape to it and nothing much I can do. It doesn’t even get messy or tangled up if I don’t comb it even after bathing or waking up in the morning! How I envy wavy-hair lasses! Beautiful!

  22. AT says:

    And oh, my recent bad habit is peering into the mirror and looking for white hairs and pulling them out. ? It’s bad….I really shld stop (but darn, it can get addictive once you start getting into that!).

  23. fwy says:

    Yup…after using rosehip oil for more than 10 mths on my face, I no longer see any improvement to my skin, so I am beginning to use some 2 mths ago on my hair to see if they will improve my hair conditions.

  24. sesame says:

    Compulsive! Yes, that’s the word! I tried running over with my nails…okay, I don’t really do that but I see what you mean.

  25. sesame says:

    I think it becomes a habit that when the hair is clean even with one wash, I’ll wash it again and it can become drying. How do you manage not to touch your hair? Hmm…I think I keep combing and touching cos I’m self-conscious of my hair.

  26. sesame says:

    Oh, don’t pull your white hairs! Okay, could be old wives’ tale but I don’t pull but trim them.

  27. sesame says:

    I see…very interesting. But I can’t use any oil on my hair…got to get rid of the oil on my hair instead!

  28. Issa says:

    awwww, so sorry to say that I can’t help you because I also have some bad habits about my hair. I just can’t help it….. I always run my fingers on my hair…

  29. sesame says:

    Haha…we’re in the same boat then.

  30. Swati says:

    oh I can relate to the combing disorder….my friend used to comb her hair unstoppably and it ultimately lead to some fungal infection due to which she had to get her complete hair shaven….it was a horrible time for her and that was when we were in final year of high school. She had a bad habit of using any comb which came her way which probably gave her the fungal infection but its scary to think about even now!!!
    Swati last post is: Biore Cleansing Oil-in-Cotton Wipes {Product Review}

  31. sesame says:

    Oh my gosh! That scares me all right and that might stop me from combing my hair so often. I better go check all my combs and brushes!

  32. Amanda says:

    Wow, some of your habits are really quite bad that they might cause you trouble! Sorry to be so frank. My trick to quite bad habits are to imagine how bad I might look if I continue that bad habit. Fear is something you can incorporate into your daily life to get rid of your bad habit ?

  33. sesame says:

    Yeah, Swati’s post freaked me out a little there and maybe jolted me up. And actually writing the post helped a little because I’m now more conscious when my fingers start creeping up to twirl my hair.

  34. Cindy says:

    If you can handle having greasy hair for about a week or two, you should stop shampooing so much. Once your hair becomes used to you stripping it of oil so much, it steps up oil production and just makes it greasier. I stopped shampooing my hair all together and just use conditioner and really rub my scalp well under warm water. I’m not going to lie, my hair was pretty uncomfortable and disgusting for the first 2 weeks I was trying this, but now, I can wash 2-3 times a week with just conditioner and not have my hair/scalp get greasy or itchy.

  35. sesame says:

    Oh no…I can’t imagine doing that. Probably have to stay in and coop up at home. The longest I go without washing my hair is 3 days and I look horrid. Plenty of dry shampoo to the rescue!

  36. michelle says:

    My situation is worse. I first started off innocently splitting a few splits, and after many years it has to the point where I just feel for odd-textured hair and run my fingers on it and it will start breaking, so I’ll rip it off. My hair right now is dry, messy, and I got a small patch where my hair is really short while the rest of my hair is long, and the ends of the hair is really thin. I am really ashamed of my hair and I have been tying it up lately so that people do not notice. I know the only solution is to get it trimmed, but I am really scared of the hairstylist getting mad. It’s not like I dont want to stop! But everytime, they get surprised and yell at me for ruinning my hair. My hair used to be so full that my hairstylist would tease me for having so much hair, but I never took it for granted or complain, but now my hair is super thing,

  37. sesame says:

    Find someone who is well recommended…don’t think the hairstylist would get mad. You’re giving him/her business!

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