Overstyling your hair? Prevent damage with these tips

Hair can make or break your look, and who doesn't want every day to be a good hair day? But, using excessive styling products can damage your hair in the long run, even if they tame your mane temporarily. Praver Kachroo, founder and CEO, Evolvere Salon Solutions gives his top tips to prevent hair damage by excessive styling and product use.

1) Choose the right shampoo: Pick the shampoo that suits your specific hair type. Shampoos that are free of paraben, sulphate and sodium chloride are recommended.

2) Condition after shampoo: Condition your hair after every hair wash. Conditioning leaves hair smoother and softer and also reduces breakage as it becomes easier to detangle after applying conditioner. It is also important to regularly deep-condition your hair.

3) Don't use heating iron on wet hair: Wet hair is much more fragile, so using heat on wet or even slightly damp hair will do more harm than on dry hair. Make sure hair is completely dried out before using any product that emits direct heat onto it.

4) Don't use too much heat: Excess of anything can harm - and it applies to your hair too. In order to fast forward the process, people generally use more heat than what is required to curl/ straighten hair. Avoid this by using the correct heating iron, with a temperature control button and use low or medium modes.

5) Using heat protection serum: Heat protectant serums/sprays create a kind of a shield on hair cuticles. These products don't save your hair completely but it may reduce damage by 50 per cent, if one is using heat irons.

6) Start brushing from the bottom: Brushing hair from the bottom will reduce breakage and can also avoid weakening the roots. Starting to detangle hair from the bottom and working your way up will leave you with much healthier and stronger hair.

7) When outside in the sun, protect them with leave-in conditioner: The leave-in conditioner can act as a barrier against the heat and create a safety layer to protect hair against damage.

8) Visit a professional salon regularly for anti-damage treatments and useful advice.