The Seven Deadly Hair Sins

In hair care, there seven deadly hair sins that can really make your hair life miserable. We'll walk you through them and give you quick tips for avoiding them! Are you guilty of these hair sins?

   1.      Pride 

   We’re not talking about genuinely being proud of what you’ve got—no, this deadly hair sin happens when you know that your hair is damaged or in bad shape, but you refuse to part with the split or bad ends to “save face.” It’s okay to admit that . . . hey— you messed up. Maybe you were using too much heat  . . . or perhaps that lighter hair color set you back a bit. Admit when you are wrong, and cut your losses— literally!

   2.      Envy 

   You’re on Youtube and beauty blog overload. The constant barrage of amazingly gorgeous hair (that looks nothing like yours) can send almost anyone over the edge!  Becoming green with envy over another person’s hair success will only set you back. Channel the resentment into something positive. Study their techniques and methods so that you can find something that works for you.

    3.      Lust 

   Lust in hair care is just like lust in the real world. It makes you go after a hair product based solely on its superficial characteristics and physical appearance (price, color, brand name, smell) instead of valuing it for what it is inside (ingredient-wise/how it responds to YOUR hair). You may even “cheat” on a proven, long-term relationship brand or staple product in a quest to feel the rush. Stay loyal to the products that are working for you. If it ain’t broke— you know the rest! Falling for this one naturally leads to the next deadly hair care sin: avarice.

   4.      Avarice (Greed) 

   This deadly hair sin happens when you actually find a product or technique that works for you, but you need more! You’re no stranger to product hauls. You need the next best conditioner. The next best curl defining gel. The next best flat iron, etc. when what you have is already working pretty well. This hair sin will lead you to stockpile products that you never intend to use because, well . . .you just gotta have ‘em! Give your pocketbook a rest and work with the products you have before feeding the desire for more, more, more!

    5.      Gluttony 

   If your deadly hair sin is gluttony, you probably have a complete lack of self-control or balance in your hair care—especially when it comes to chemical treatments and heat use. Excessive coloring, chemical straightening, thermal straightening treatments, and basic blow dryer and flat iron use are common traps. If you’ve got all of these factors going on at once, then you are probably REALLY in trouble! Remember balance! Too much of anything is well—too much! 

   6.      Sloth 

    Sloth kicks us in the rear when we have no hair care routine at all. You’re not organized and you’re all over the place. And guess what? Your hair looks like it, too!  You haven’t researched your products, you haven’t done any due diligence—you’re just doing stuff willy-nilly or because you favorite beauty guru said that THIS is THE thing. Commit to kicking the lazy habits and getting your hair back on course!

    7.      Wrath 

    This deadly hair sin is what you feel when you hit a plateau or wall in your hair care regimen, and it’s usually a result of haphazard hair care. You don’t have a real hair care plan, and it shows. Your products aren’t working like they used to, your hair isn’t as thick or shiny as it once was, or you’re shedding like an Irish Setter. Any number of things could be happening. The Solution? Get back to basics and focus on a basic cleansing and deep conditioning hair care regimen! 


If you're battling these seven hair sins, there's still time to change! Follow us on twitter @haircarerehab for more great hair care tips!

Welcome to Hair Care Rehab!

Is My Hair Damaged?

Our hair is super fragile, and much of the day-to-day styling stress we encounter from things like blowdryers, curling irons, straighteners, perms and hair colors can lead to unwanted damage. So how do you know if your hair is really damaged? Test your hair with the following questions:

Is your hair breaking? 

When our hair is healthy, breakage is minimized almost to the point of nonexistence. There may be occasional periods of breakage, especially when detangling is not handled gently, but for the most part, hair breakage is not a large concern for the healthiest heads of hair. 

      Does your hair have sheen or shine? 

The hair’s cuticle should lie flat so that light is easily reflected from the hair’s surface. The flatter the cuticle’s scales, the smoother the surface of the hair strand will be. If your hair is curly, coily, or highly textured, your shine will be there—but because of its natural bending and twisting, these types of hair just reflect light in a more scattered, matte kind of way. This type of shine is referred to as “sheen.” Shine and sheen should be present from roots to tips. If your hair is damaged, you’ll notice less sheen and shine, especially near the ends.

Is your hair progressively gaining length?

Unless the hair is intentionally cut, hair should be accumulating length (or volume) over time.

Does your hair look full from roots to ends?

Hair may be naturally thick or thin, but relative hair thickness should be somewhat consistent from roots to ends, even with layering.

   Does your hair have consistent color from roots to ends?

The consistency of the hair’s color and wave/curl pattern from roots to ends is also a strong indicator of the hair’s condition. Reddened or lightened hair (by this I mean hair that naturally grows in dark but lightens along the length) is a possible sign of damaged hair. Wavy or curly hair that becomes straighter or stringier near the ends is probably dealing with damage.

Learn many more key tips for identifying hair damage in our forthcoming book, Hair Care Rehab: The Hair Repair Manual which will be available soon!