The 9 Habits Hairdressers Want Us To Break In 2026

A guest wears black oversized Michael Kors coat, black faux fur scarf, black sheer mesh floral lace midi Michael Kors skirt, shiny black Michael Kors leather bag. Kate Bartlett wears black sunglasses, silver earrings, dark gray oversized knit Michael Kors sweater, light gray long sleeve Michael Kors sweater, dark gray midi Michael Kors skirt, white leather Michael Kors bag with silver chains, outside Michael Kors, during the New York Fashion week Fall/Winter 2025 on February 11, 2025 in New York, New York — (Image credit: Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)

Are you guilty of trimming your own fringe, skipping heat protection or curling your hair more often than you know is good for it? I’d put money on your hairdresser wishing you’d break that habit.

Now, look, nobody is perfect, and most of us can probably admit to neglecting our usual healthy haircare steps from time to time. But if there’s one group of people who know the best hair practice inside out, it’s professional hairdressers. And just as make-up artists will tell you to clean your brushes regularly and nail techs will stress the importance of daily cuticle oil for nail health and longer-lasting manicure, hairdressers have a wishlist of things they wish their clients would stop doing.

Which is exactly why I pinged off messages to some of the country’s leading hairstylists and colourists—who work with hair every single day of their lives—to find out which habits they’d love them to break in 2026. Consider this your ultimate list of haircare resolutions for the new year…

9 habits that hairdressers want us to break in 2026

1. Overusing purple shampoo

“Purple shampoo is overused and can create dull blondes, which is such a shame because it’s all about shining bright with blondes. Pantone Colour of the Year is all about white, and the only way for that blonde to be shining bright white is if there’s a tiny bit of yellow in there. If we go too OTT on the purple shampoo, what happens is it goes too ash and appears silver. Silver is darker in colour than white; it’s a very fine line, so I’m really trying not to push the purple shampoo with my clients and just try to tone naturally as much as possible.” — Jordanna Cobella, Creative Director & Owner of Cobella

2. DIY 'fixes' and under-moisturising

“I would like clients to stop doing things themselves—cutting little strands that they think ‘were in the way’ or ‘so small it won't make a difference if I just get rid of’—this actually prevents them from getting the end look or style they want because their hair is now uneven, making some styles or cuts impossible.

“And if someone's growing their hair, it makes such a difference in hair quality if they are keeping up with regular treatments, which allows their hair to be soft and stay healthy. With Afro hair, moisturising treatments are so important because their hair is always in need of some type of moisture. A lot of people use oil at home, but it just sits on top of their hair without strengthening it. Textured and Afro hair needs deep conditioning and a good trim if you really want it to grow." — Lorraine Dublin, celebrity hairstylist, educator and co-founder of My Hair Bar

3. Waiting to ‘fix’ rather than prevent issues

“Prevention is key when it comes to looking after your hair; don’t wait until it needs fixing. Use heat with protection, not as therapy. Address scalp issues early [rather than] ignoring them—treat your scalp as an extension of your skin, so cleansing and nourishing is key. Protect your hair at night and never sleep on it wet. And give hair recovery time between colour, heat and trims. I cannot stress this enough, remember that your hair fibre is actually dead, so preventing damage is always going to be better than trying to fix it!” — Adam Reed, ARKIVE salon and headcare brand founder

4. Rough towel drying

"Mine is when people towel-dry their hair too roughly. I think it should be a gentle movement, especially when the hair is shorter. People really rub hard, but it really opens the cuticle. You can really see it sometimes, where people have created a matted feeling in the hair. So be more gentle with more of a pressing [motion]." — Philipp Haug, cofounder of Haug London Haus

This was a popular one among hairdressers. “Mine would be when the clients scrub their hair dry with the towel, especially on coloured hair. It ruffles the cuticle, it can break it, it can pull it. When the hair is wet, when you’re fresh out of the shower or bath, it’s at its most fragile. So when clients get the towel and scrub the hair, rather than squeezing, it’s damaging the hair—and if it’s been bleached, it can break the hair. You need to be much more careful, and I see it all the time. It can ruin all of the baby hairs around the hairline and at the back, at the nape of the neck.” — John Alfred, hairstylist and colourist

5. Expecting someone else’s style to be replicated perfectly on your hair

“I love helping people dream, that will never change. But in 2026, I’d love for clients to arrive with more openness about their hair and where it is, what it needs and what it wants to become. Your dream style is always possible, but not always in the way you first imagine. Some of my best work has come from moments where a client and I let go of a fixed reference and instead work together, hand in hand, to solve their hair in front of us. When we’re less wedded to what doesn’t exist and more excited by what does, we create new hair realities and looks we couldn’t have even fathomed at the start. More of that energy for 2026.” — Charlotte Mensah, Hair Lounge founder and author of Good Hair: The Essential Guide to Afro, Textured and Curly Hair

Dublin agrees: “Stop using TikTok or YouTube for advice on what to do to your hair, please talk to real people who can see what your hair needs. It’s not the client’s fault, but sometimes people come in and say, ‘I saw this transformation on YouTube or TikTok’—but they have completely different hair, so sadly, we won't be able to always get that end result. Please phone or come in and see us first so we can tell you what's possible.”

6. Overwashing

“In 2026 I’d love clients to break the habit of overwashing, as it strips the scalp’s natural oils which can lead to dryness and dullness. Instead, I recommend using more gentle formulas like amika’s Normcore Clean Shampoo and Conditioner, which help maintain moisture balance while keeping hair fresh between washes. A big habit that I’d also love clients to leave behind next year is heat styling without protection. Excessive heat causes long-term damage, and heat protectants should never be optional in my opinion.” — Tobias Bell, hairdresser and amika styling partner

7. Only treating hair from the outside in

“The habit I’m hoping my clients will break is to stop trying to fix hair from the outside alone. In 2026, the habit to break is neglecting the scalp and the body beneath the hair. Hair thrives when the foundations are supported through internal nourishment and quality scalp care—daily rituals that make a huge difference over time.” — Kieran Tudor, award-winning hairstylist and co-founder of Centred

8. Air drying

“Stop letting your hair air dry! So many of us avoid using a hair dryer on wash days and instead opt for air drying, believing this is ‘better’ or ‘healthier’ for the hair—but would you believe me if I told you it actually isn’t? Our hair is much more fragile and vulnerable when wet; it can actually stretch an extra 30% of its length when wet. And so, with the added weight of the water stretching the hair, plus the water molecules swelling the hair strands from the inside out and putting strain on the hair, it’s no wonder that hair actually doesn’t ‘like’ being left wet for long. Always apply your heat protection without fail [before drying].” — Chloë Swift, hairstylist and haircare expert

9. Haircare being an afterthought

"Treating their hair as an afterthought rather than their finest accessory. So many people invest in skincare yet rush their haircare routine. I want to see a shift towards intentional gentleness: using quality detangling brushes, like Manta or Tangle Teezer, choosing treatment-focused products, like Olaplex and Oribe, and breaking the cycle of overwashing, which strips natural oils and dries the scalp. It’s also time to rethink heat and chemical exposure, so minimising extreme heat styling and protecting hair before diving into chlorinated pools—a Malibu C Swimmers sachet works wonders for any discolouration. When we treat our hair with the same care we give our skin, the transformation speaks for itself." — Marley Xavier, celebrity colourist based at Hershesons London

Lucy is a freelance beauty editor and contributor at Marie Claire, and has also written for titles including Cosmopolitan, Refinery29, Glamour and woman&home. She was previously Marie Claire’s junior beauty editor. During her career, she’s covered everything from backstage beauty at fashion week to interviews with famous faces like Drag Race royalty and Little Mix. As for her beauty ethos, she’s a big advocate for not having to spend a fortune on beauty products to get good results. When she’s not got beauty on the brain you’ll probably find her reading or Netflix-ing.