The inventor of Olaplex told us 3 surprising things that seriously damage your hair.

This isn't just any old scientist. This is the guy who invented Olaplex, friends. 

Yes, really! His name is Dr Eric Pressley, and he is literally The Godfather of the haircare world.

Watch: Living life with and without hair. Post continues below.

So you can only imagine my excitement when I got to catch up with him and chat all about his new haircare brand, epres (you can read my review here). 

Obviously, I couldn't help but steal a few pervy hair tips from him, too. Because if there's anyone who knows hair, it's this guy.

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And yes, his hair looks that perfect IRL.

Now, because all good beauty gals don't gatekeep secrets, I'm going to share some of the most surprising things he told me.

Below, here are three common mistakes we're all making with our hair — and what to do instead.

1. Applying heat to wet hair.

According to Dr Pressley, just because you slather hair protectant in your wet hair, doesn't mean it's invisible. In fact, you'd be surprised at how much damage you could really do.

"With heat protectant — when consumers see that somebody has solved their misuse, they up their misuse. They think, 'okay, I've got a heat protectant on, so I can apply heat directly to my wet hair.'"

"So, heat protectant has allowed or made people decide that maybe they don't have to dry their hair as much before styling it. But, that's not the case."

Anyone else feel seen? SAME.

TLDR; Even if you're wearing heat protectant, applying hot tools like straighteners or curling irons to damp hair is basically just frying your hair. 

So, you're better off drying your hair before applying heat with styling tools, etc.

2. Trying to stretch out your hair wash day.

Washing your hair isn't a one-size-fits-all kind of thing, but according to our expert, a lot of people fall into the trap of thinking there’s only one right way to do it.

"Different hair types can wash their hair at different amounts," said Pressley. "Some people can get away with waiting a week before they wash their hair. For others, maybe not."

"However, more and more people use that as a reason for thinking, 'Okay, well I should only wash my hair once a week.' And they use this as an excuse to do things that are bad for their hair to get to the end of that week, like dry shampoo six days in a row to hold off washing it. The seventh day is not better."

WHOOPS

"For most people, washing your hair every other day or every day is fine — it all just comes down to your own individual hair type."

"But if you're a hair type that can naturally go seven days without washing — that's great. But if your hair type that needs six days of dry shampoo in order for you to stick to washing it weekly, that's not a good idea."

"That's not helpful or good for the health of your hair or scalp."

Meaning? Just because your friend goes a week without washing her hair, it doesn't mean you need to, too. Stick to what works for your individual hair type and concerns.

3. Waiting for your hair to 'look bad' before treating it.

Does anyone else wait for their hair to look like it has the moisture of a dried apricot before hitting it with a mask or treatment? 

Me. This is me.

According to Dr Pressley, upkeeping the health of your hair is something you should aim to do on the regular, not just for when it looks like it's gone to s**t.

"I always recommend doing regular maintenance with your hair so the results are lasting," said Dr Pressley. "If you're using a product like epres weekly, then you're keeping your hair in a great spot all the time."

"Most people like to do the same for their skin, so why not do it for your hair?"

Dr Pressley said, "Keep your haircare routine like your skincare routine. The analogy I use is, you don't wait until your skin looks bad to wash your face. You want to prevent those things from coming. So, try to think of it that way."

Kinda makes a lot sense, huh?

So, there you have it! 

Are you guilty of breaking any of the above hair 'rules'? Because we sure are. Anything else you'd like to add to the list? Go on, you're in a safe space. Share with us in the comment section below.

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