Top 6 Bad Hair Habits to Avoid

Healthy hair often comes down to what we do -- or avoid doing -- every single day, not just the products we use. Dr John Watts, a Hyderabad-based dermatologist, trichologist and hair transplant surgeon, breaks down six common hair habits that quietly damage hair health over time, and explains why avoiding them can save you from bigger problems, and bigger costs, later.

Don't Comb Wet Hair

Wet hair is more fragile than dry hair, and combing it directly can cause real damage. "Whether male or female, this is a bad habit that needs to be avoided as they result in hair breakage," Dr Watts said.

Smartphone Addiction and Poor Sleep

It might not seem obvious, but smartphone use late into the night affects hair health through poor sleep. The body needs adequate rest to release the growth hormones that support healthy hair growth. "Sleeping late in the night or sleeping only for a few hours disturbs our body clock. A study found that before the advent of the smartphone, we used to sleep for an average of 6-7 hours but it has changed," Dr Watts said, urging viewers to cut back on late-night phone use.

Experimenting With Too Many Hair Products

Constantly switching between chemical-laced styling products causes some of the greatest damage to hair, according to Dr Watts. Teenage boys and girls, in particular, tend to get drawn into this habit without realising the long-term consequences for their scalp and hair. "One should avoid or minimise the use of chemical gels or hair masks as they cause more damage in the long run," he advised.

Unhealthy Eating Habits

What you eat matters just as much as what you put on your scalp. Dr Watts noted that consuming unhealthy food is equally harmful to hair health, and this habit needs to be corrected alongside any external hair care routine.

Tight Braiding and Traction Alopecia

Tightly braiding hair into a ponytail -- something both men and women do -- can lead to traction alopecia, a type of hair loss caused by constant pulling on the hair follicles. "You should avoid tight braiding of hair," Dr Watts cautioned.

Combing Too Hard or Too Often

Aggressive or overly frequent combing puts the scalp at risk of injury. "The hair may break due to the pull or traction. The scalp too may sustain injuries," Dr Watts said, urging viewers to be gentler with their hair during daily grooming.

None of these six habits look dramatic on their own, but together they add up to steady, preventable hair damage. Dr Watts's message is straightforward: small daily choices -- how you comb, how you sleep, what you eat, and how tightly you tie your hair -- matter just as much as any product on the shelf.

Most of these six habits are easy to overlook precisely because none of them cause dramatic, overnight damage. It is the daily repetition -- wet combing every morning, late-night scrolling every week, a new styling product every month -- that adds up to visible hair thinning or breakage over time.

Dr Watts's list also highlights a pattern: several of these habits, like wet combing, tight braiding, and rough combing, cause damage mechanically through breakage and traction, while others, like poor sleep and unhealthy eating, work more gradually by weakening hair from within. Recognising which category a habit falls into can help in deciding which change to prioritise first.

This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a qualified dermatologist for diagnosis and treatment.