5 Mistakes You May Be Making When Washing Your Hair

If there’s one thing that affects your hair more than anything else at home, it’s the shampoo and conditioner you use.

Using the correct products - ones that are specifically recommended for your hair type, scalp and colour - is the most important part of your routine. Even the best salon colour won’t last, sit properly, or feel right if the wrong products are being used between appointments.

We see it constantly. Hair that fades too quickly. Hair that feels dry, heavy, or never quite right. And in most cases, the issue isn’t the colour itself - it’s what’s happening at the sink.

Once the right shampoo and conditioner are in place, how you use them matters just as much.

Here are five common mistakes we see when washing hair, and why small changes can make a big difference.

Mistake #1: Using the Wrong Shampoo and Conditioner

This is the most common and the most damaging mistake.

If your shampoo and conditioner aren’t suited to your hair or colour, they can slowly work against everything you’ve invested in at the salon. Hair can become dry, colours can fade faster, and the overall result can start to look dull or lifeless.

More expensive doesn’t automatically mean better. The right products are the ones chosen for your specific hair needs - not what smells nice or was on offer at the time.

Mistake #2: Using Too Much Shampoo

Using more shampoo does not make hair cleaner.

In fact, it often does the opposite. Too much shampoo can strip the lengths, irritate the scalp, and cause colour to fade more quickly. Hair ends up feeling worse over time, not better.

A small amount of shampoo, worked properly into the scalp, is far more effective. The scalp is what needs cleansing. When you rinse, the shampoo that flows through the lengths is enough to clean them gently.

Had being washed at Hair By Marta

Mistake #3: Scrubbing the Lengths Like the Scalp

The scalp and the lengths of your hair have completely different needs.

The scalp produces oil and needs cleansing. The lengths are older, drier, and far more fragile. Scrubbing the mids and ends every time you wash weakens the hair, causes dryness, and over time can make colour look flat and tired.

The healthiest approach is simple. Clean the scalp thoroughly, then let the shampoo rinse through the rest of the hair without roughing it in.

Mistake #4: Not Rinsing Properly

If your hair feels heavy, flat, or gets greasy again very quickly, leftover product is often the reason.

Shampoo and conditioner residue can sit on the hair and scalp, weighing everything down and stopping hair from behaving the way it should. This is especially common when people rush the rinse or wash in very hard water.

Taking an extra 30 seconds to rinse properly can completely change how your hair feels once it’s dry.

DS Colour and Conditioner that Hair By Marta recommends

Mistake #5: Applying Conditioner in the Wrong Place

Conditioner is designed for hair that is older and drier - not for the scalp.

Applying conditioner too close to the roots can leave hair feeling greasy, flat, or irritated at the scalp, while the ends still feel dry. This often leads people to think their hair “just doesn’t behave,” when it’s actually a placement issue.

Conditioner should be focused through the mid-lengths and ends, where the hair actually needs moisture and protection.

Final Thoughts

If your hair never quite feels right between appointments, it’s often not the colour.

It’s the routine.

Using the correct shampoo and conditioner, and applying them properly, can dramatically improve how your hair looks, feels, and lasts day to day. Great hair doesn’t start in the salon chair - it starts with what you do at home.