Magnify Your Shine

Every time your hair is tugged, rubbed or even styled, it gets a little more frayed. Here’s how to fight the friction – and get your smooth back.

- Kylie Gilbert

On any given day, your hair likely gets a quick towel dry, is pulled into and out of a ponytail a few times, and then nestles into your pillow – all typical habits in which you don’t give a second thought. But here’s the rub: “These movements create friction,” says hair stylist Eva Scrivo, owner of the Eva Scrivo Salons in New York City. And this repeated daily friction can cause a lot of damage over time. “Eventually, your strands fray and ultimately snap,” says Martina Spinatsch, a hair scientist at Schwarzkopf hair care.

Friction also makes strands feel rough, tangle easily and form split ends. “I don’t think a lot of us realise just how fragile hair really is,” Eva says. “We should be treating it as gently as a favourite dry-clean-only blouse.” To do that, you need to make some simple shifts to your routine.

Be especially kind to wet strands Hair stretches up to 30 per cent when it’s wet, making it more susceptible to breakage, Eva says. Rather than aggressively rubbing it with a towel to dry it, wrap the towel around your head and squeeze out the excess moisture, says Herbal Essences celebrity stylist Charles Baker Strahan.

The detangling tool you reach for is also key. “Using the wrong one is like cutting a tomato with a dull knife – it’s ineffective and destructive,” Eva says. Opt for a wide-tooth comb or a brush made for wet hair, which has super flexible bristles. Slowly work your way through, section by section. “Be particularly conscientious with your ends – they are the oldest part of your hair, so they’re most susceptible to damage,” Martina says.