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Right after you step out of the shower, one of the first things you do is vigorously pat and squeeze your wet hair with a bath towel or attack your knots with a brush or a fine-tooth comb. But when your hair is drenched, its outermost layer — made up of flat, overlapping cells — swells up, which temporarily weakens the structure. During this vulnerable state, these moves can actually end up breaking off or splitting the fragile strands. Yikes.
The good news: It’s easy to adopt a do-no-harm hair-care philosophy for your wet hair. Simply follow these steps to ensure your mane stays healthy and strong.