Are You Actually Damaging Your Hair Every Time You Wash It?
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I hear it all the time from my chair here at Urban Texture. A guest will be thrilled with their fresh balayage or custom blonding, look in the mirror, and say, "I just wish I could make it look this good at home!"
It's a question I love getting. Because the secret isn't some complicated styling trick. It's in the simple, foundational things you do every single day.
Last week, I had a client named Jessica come in for a color correction. She'd gotten beautiful highlights three months ago at another salon. But when she sat in my chair, her hair looked dull, brassy, and damaged.
"I don't understand what happened," she said, genuinely confused. "I baby my hair. I use expensive products. I barely use heat. Why does it look like this?"
I asked her to walk me through her washing routine.
"Well, I wash it every day," she started.
That was problem number one.
"I use really hot water because I heard it opens the cuticle so the conditioner works better."
Problem number two.
"And I towel-dry it really well before I blow-dry."
Problem number three.
Jessica wasn't doing anything outrageous. She'd just been given bad advice over the years, and those small daily habits had completely destroyed her color and damaged her hair.
So many people invest in beautiful hair colour and treatments, which we absolutely love to provide. But then, without realizing it, they undo some of that beautiful work with their daily habits. The truth is, many of the expensive corrections we perform could be prevented with a few small tweaks to your routine at home.
My name is Christine, and I specialize in blonding and colour corrections. My goal isn't just to give you amazing hair for the day you're in my chair. It's to empower you with the knowledge to keep your hair healthy and gorgeous until your next reservation. Let's walk through the real foundations of daily hair care.
Are You Actually Washing Your Hair Wrong?
For years, we've been taught to lather up our hair from root to tip. It's time for a little reset on that idea. Your shampoo has one primary job: to cleanse your scalp.
Think of it like this: your scalp produces oil and collects product buildup. Your ends are typically drier and need moisture. So why would you treat them the same?
How to Actually Shampoo Your Hair
Before you even add water, give your scalp a gentle massage with your fingertips to loosen any buildup. Once your hair is wet, apply a small amount of shampoo, like one from our Surface line, directly to your scalp. Here's the critical part: use lukewarm water, not hot. Super hot water feels nice, but it can strip your hair of its natural oils and cause your colour to fade faster. Lukewarm water is perfect for cleansing effectively without being harsh.
Use the pads of your fingers to gently massage the shampoo into your scalp in circular motions. This stimulates circulation and lifts away dirt and oil. The lather that runs down your hair is more than enough to cleanse the lengths. If you use a lot of dry shampoo or styling products, a second shampoo can make a world of difference. The first wash breaks down the product, and the second one fully cleanses the scalp.
The final step is the one most people rush: rinsing. This is a big one. Any shampoo left behind can lead to a dull film on your hair. Make sure you rinse until your hair feels squeaky clean.
I changed Jessica's entire washing routine. Cooler water. Shampoo only on her scalp. Conditioner only on her ends. Washing every other day instead of daily. Thorough rinsing.
She came back six weeks later and her hair looked completely different. Shiny. Healthy. Her color was still vibrant.
"I can't believe it was that simple," she said. "I was destroying my own hair and I had no idea."
Browse our professional products to maintain your hair between appointments.
Conditioning: For Your Ends Only
Conditioner is meant to restore moisture and smooth the cuticle, primarily on the mid-lengths and ends of your hair where it's oldest and driest. Applying it to your roots can weigh your hair down and make it feel greasy faster. Work it through with your fingers or a wide-tooth comb, let it sit for a minute or two, and then rinse thoroughly.
How Often Should You Really Be Washing Your Hair?
There's no single right answer to this, but here's a general guide based on your hair type. And remember, here in Calgary, our wild weather swings play a big role.
For fine hair, your hair can get weighed down by oils easily, so aim for washing every other day, or about two to three times a week to maintain volume. For thick or coarse hair, your natural oils take longer to travel down the hair shaft, so you can go longer between washes. Twice a week is often plenty. For curly hair, moisture is everything for curls, so washing just once a week, or even less, can help preserve your natural hydration and curl pattern. For colour-treated hair, to protect your investment and keep your colour vibrant, try to wash a maximum of two times per week with a colour-safe shampoo.
A note for my fellow Calgarians: That dry air we get from October all the way to April means your hair is thirsty. You might find you can stretch the time between washes in the winter. And when that rare humid summer day hits after a storm, you might need an extra wash. Listen to what your hair is telling you.
I have a client named Rachel who was washing her color-treated hair every single day because she thought it looked greasy otherwise.
"But the more I wash it, the greasier it gets," she complained.
I explained that she'd trained her scalp to overproduce oil by stripping it daily.
We gradually stretched her washing schedule. Every other day for two weeks. Then every third day. Within a month, she was washing twice a week and her hair looked better than ever.
"I actually have less oil now than when I was washing daily," she told me. "How does that even make sense?"
It makes sense because you stopped stripping your scalp and forcing it to overcompensate.
Are You Drying Your Hair All Wrong Too?
How you dry your hair is just as important as how you wash it. Aggressive towel drying is one of the biggest causes of frizz and breakage I see.
Smart Drying Techniques
Your regular bath towel has rough loops that can snag and rough up your hair's cuticle. Instead, gently squeeze out excess water with a soft microfiber towel or even an old cotton t-shirt. Just blot, never rub.
If you're letting your hair air-dry, which is a great way to give it a break from heat, apply a leave-in conditioner and try not to touch it too much as it dries. If you're blow-drying, a heat protectant is not optional. Section your hair and use a nozzle to direct the airflow down the hair shaft. This helps smooth the cuticle for a shinier finish. For our Calgary climate, an ionic blow dryer is a must-have tool to combat the intense static we get in the colder months.
I had a client named Michelle who would vigorously rub her hair with a towel after every wash. She'd been doing it for 20 years.
Her hair was constantly frizzy and breaking at the mid-lengths.
"I thought rubbing it dry was faster," she said.
I gave her a microfiber towel and showed her how to gently squeeze and blot instead.
Three months later, her breakage had significantly reduced and her frizz was almost gone.
"Such a small change," she said. "Such a huge difference."
What Should You Do With Your Hair at Night?
You have a routine for your skin at night, right? Your hair deserves one, too. Tossing and turning on a cotton pillowcase can cause a surprising amount of friction and tangles, especially if you have extensions.
A loose braid or a gentle bun on top of your head, secured with a silk scrunchie to prevent creases, can significantly reduce morning tangles and breakage. A satin or silk pillowcase allows your hair to glide over the surface with much less friction than cotton. It's a simple switch that makes a huge difference. Nighttime is also a great opportunity to let a leave-in conditioner or hair serum work its magic, nourishing your hair while you sleep.
I have a client who wakes up every morning with a massive tangle at the nape of her neck. She'd been cutting it out with scissors because she couldn't detangle it.
I asked what she slept on. Cotton pillowcase.
I told her to switch to satin and put her hair in a loose braid.
The tangles stopped immediately. "I've been cutting out tangles for five years," she told me. "All I needed was a $20 pillowcase."
Why Does Calgary Water Make Everything Harder?
Living in Calgary means dealing with two specific hair challenges: our notoriously hard water and our dry climate.
The hard water here is full of minerals like calcium and magnesium. Over time, these minerals build up on your hair, creating a film that can make it feel dry, look dull, and even alter your beautiful colour. It can also prevent your hair products from working properly.
That's why we often recommend our guests come in for a clarifying or chelating treatment every few months. Our Head Spa service is a wonderfully relaxing way to get a deep scalp detox and remove that mineral buildup, letting your hair's natural shine come through again.
I had a client move here from Vancouver. After three months, her blonde looked completely different. Dull, almost greenish tint.
She was panicking, thinking her hair was damaged.
I did a clarifying treatment. All that mineral buildup washed away. Her blonde came back instantly.
"It was just Calgary water?" she asked, relieved.
Just Calgary water. It's a real challenge here.
Is Your Daily Routine Actually Protecting Your Salon Investment?
Building these simple habits into your daily routine is the single best way to protect the investment you make in your hair at the salon. It ensures your colour stays vibrant, your strands stay strong, and your style looks fresh between visits.
We believe that great hair care is a partnership. We do our part in the salon, and we want to give you the tools and knowledge to do yours at home. When you understand the why behind these foundational steps, you can keep that just-left-the-salon feeling for weeks.
Jessica, the client who was damaging her hair with daily hot water washes, is now one of my best success stories. She comes in every 12 weeks for color maintenance. Her hair stays healthy between appointments because she finally knows how to care for it properly.
"I used to think expensive products were the answer," she told me recently. "But it was never about the products. It was about how I was using them."
Exactly.
If you're not sure where to start or want a personalized routine for your hair type, let's chat. We'd love to welcome you for a consultation.
You can find us at Urban Texture Hair Studio, #320-12024 Sarcee Trail NW Calgary AB T3R 0J1. Give us a call at (403) 398-8260 or make a reservation online. We can't wait to help you achieve your best hair ever.