Matted Mending: How to Avoid Damaging Wet Hair

In our busy lives, it can be hard to maintain our hair and stay on top of the best products, treatments and techniques. In fact, there are some times when sticking to a hair-washing schedule can feel like too much to do. Contrary to common belief, when your hair is wet it is actually more vulnerable than you think. How you treat your hair after you step out of the shower can determine the health and look of your hair when you dry, style or tie it up. Let’s take a look at how you can avoid damaging wet hair.

Use a Wet Brush

You have probably come across the Wet Brush brand before as it is one of the only brushes that will detangle your wet hair after a shower with care. Tearing through tangled hair can result in losing more than a few hair strands, and the hair is breaking off mid-strand, rather than the root. This means that your hair is snapping with the force of a strong hair brush, which results in fly-aways and hair sticking out when dry.

Use Hair Oil

Hair oils are a must-have for most hair types. They are most effective in wet hair as they lock in moisture and oil and cling to the wet hair. As the hair dries, it is less brittle and dry and instead has a silkier look and feel. When the hair is lubricated like this, it is far less likely to break and it almost has a protective forcefield around the hair shaft so that hair ties and contact will not damage the hair shaft like it would in its raw state. Tangling is also far less likely when there is a hair oil applied, with the lubrication making hand brushing easier and more effective.

Try a leave-in mask

If you love the way a conditioner transforms your hair, then you are going to love a leave-in mask even more. A leave-in mask will replace a conditioner in the shower, and you apply it once you have washed out the shampoo, and squeezed lots of the moisture from your hair. The idea is not to dry your hair completely, but enough so that you can still go about your evening without the discomfort of wet hair dripping down your neck and face.

You can either apply the leave-in mask with your hands, an applicator tool or a wide-tooth comb. You then want to tie your hair gently and either wash it out in a few hours or leave it in your hair overnight. The latter will have better results, but your hair will love the deep conditioning either way.

Air dry your hair whenever possible

No one can argue that the hairdryer is incredibly efficient, especially when you are washing your hair before going to work or going out. Wherever possible, try and let your hair air dry. Too much exposure to a hairdryer (and any heated hair tool) can make your hair brittle and damaged over time unless you use a quality heat protector. Start thinking strategically about when the best time will be to wash your hair so you can let it air dry – it might be during the day or far earlier in the evening. When you use a Wet Brush on your wet hair, you will find that your hair will dry naturally in an untangled presentation – which is half the battle when preparing your hair!

Silk pillowcase and sleeping cap

The popularity of silk pillowcases has significantly spiked once the benefits have been reported by users. When we put expensive, quality products in our hair, the last thing we want to do is to go to sleep and see those products rubbed off onto cotton sheets and tangle our hair. A silk pillowcase is softer and is less likely to impact your face. You need only look at the marks your pillow can make on your face when using cotton to get an idea of how you are sleeping – but this does not occur on silk.

Another big trend is sleeping with a silk sleeping cap. These are especially effective when you have added hair oil or a leave-in mask to your hair, as your hair goes inside the cap and you will have no chance of touching it overnight and tangling your hair. The sleeping cap is also a great item to have if you style your hair (curls, straighten) and want to keep your hair fresh for the next day. The silk sleeping cap keeps your styled hair safe from your hands and getting tangled.

We are so absent-minded with our wet hair, but there are so many simple ways that we can actually make our wet hair look and feel healthier. Start planning your hair care timelines so you are washing your hair at the right time and implementing the right care to avoid damaged hair over time.