Bad Beauty Habits Experts Wish You’d Stop in 2015
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Our bad beauty habits can really cause a mess for the professionals who have to correct them. Just think of the hairstylist who has to deal with heat damage or the dentist with an overzealous teeth-bleaching client. Here’s their moment to plead their case for you to stop bad practices to make both your lives better. Really, help them help you.
Put away the flat irons: “Stop using flat and curling irons on your hair. Hair wasn’t nearly as damaged fifteen years ago as it is now and that’s due to everyone ironing their hair like they brush their teeth. It’s even more damaging than bleach because you do it every day. If you can’t stop, turn them down to their lowest setting and work as quickly as possible.” – Chaz Dean, celebrity hairstylist
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Stop rubbing your eyes without washing your hands: “Rubbing your eyes is an instinct that we pick up as babies, but your eyes are an open membrane that easily absorbs germs and bacteria, and constant rubbing can cause infection and/or irritate lash follicles, which causes lashes and brows to thin. Avoid doing it and, if you just can’t help it, keep your hands and face clean.” - Jo Mousselli, creator and CEO of Xtreme Lashes
Over-washing is over: “Over-washing is a common mistake, but cleansing hair more than once a day strips hair of its natural oils. Hair should be washed every other or even every third day. If you need that clean feeling, dry shampoo can be an amazing alternative.” - Vanessa Fernandez, senior stylist at Butterfly Studio Salon
Related: Habits of models with gorgeous skin
Don’t pick your hangnails: “Stop the habit before it begin by keeping your hands and nails moisturized at all times. If you notice a hangnail coming on, immediately soak it with Vitamin E or coconut oil, and reapply often. The hangnail will soon soften so you can trim it with a cuticle scissor or nipper.” – Skyy Hadley, celebrity manicurist of As U Wish Nail Salon
Cease daily blowouts – “We live in a society where blowout bars only perpetuate an addiction to perfect hair. Instead of restyling daily, give yourself a perfect blowout twice a week, then maintain in between by applying dry shampoo to your roots, which absorbs oil and maintains volume as the days stretch on. A little undone is chic and modern!” - DJ Quintero, senior stylist at Serge Normant at John Frieda Salon
Change facial cleansing brush heads and washcloths regularly: “I think people forget to change washcloths or brush heads because they’re too busy. Set your smart phone to give you a reminder to pitch the dirty brush head or change your washcloth on a regular basis.” - Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi, Co-director of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery in Washington, DC.
Related: The best products for curly hair
Clean your makeup brushes: “Dirty brushes can cause breakouts, and you won’t get a true application if your brush is covered in multiple colors. Makeup tools should be washed weekly, with the exception of brushes or tools that touch liquid or cream products, which should be cleansed more frequently. Be sure to lay them flat to dry; never leave them standing up wet.” - Sonia Kashuk, makeup artist and Founder of Sonia Kashuk Beauty
Stop over-bleaching your teeth: “Like Matt Dillon in There’s Something About Mary, over-bleaching can be a nightmare: too much bleaching dries out the enamel rods of the tooth, which leaves your teeth chalky white and super sensitive. The best way to kick the habit is to simply follow the instructions.” - Dr. Marc Lowenberg, cosmetic dentist of Lowenberg, Lituchy & Kantor
Don’t over-pluck your brows: “People who pluck their own brows always make the mistake of over-plucking the ends first, which makes the brows look short and the face look wider. Try going to a professional for maintenance, or if you can’t resist only remove strays from below the brow bone, not above. That way brows won’t lose their overall shape.” - Umbreen Sheikh, founder of Wink Brow Bar
Banish smoking, alcohol, and diet sodas: “The worst beauty habit is smoking, but next to that is excessive alcohol and diet sodas. You have to stop! Diet sodas are the most acid-producing, horrible thing you can do to your face and anything that can clean the chrome on your car is going to be horrible for your complexion. It creates acidity within the body that affects the basal layer of skin as it does every organ, so you won’t make good skin.” – Dr. Jeannette Graf, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at The Mount Sinai Medical Center.
