Top 10 Salon Mistakes – PRO HAIR Tips to Prevent Damage
3 min reading time
Learn from PRO HAAR experts the 10 biggest salon mistakes that damage hair—and how to avoid them with knowledge, precision, and the right products.
Top 10 Salon Mistakes That Damage Your Hair (and How to Avoid Them)
Even in the best salons, mistakes are sometimes made that can permanently weaken hair.
Not because of bad intentions, but because of haste, wrong order or incorrect product combinations.
The experts at PRO HAAR share the 10 most common salon mistakes – and how professionals can avoid them to make every treatment safer and more effective.
1. Too high a temperature when styling or blow-drying
Heat above 200°C burns the keratin in the cortex.
✔ Hair loses elasticity and breaks easily.
Prevention: Use thermal protection and limit temperature to 160–180°C.
2. No pH neutralization after coloring or straightening
After chemical treatments the pH remains too high.
✔ Cuticle remains open → hair becomes rough and dry.
Prevention: Always seal with an acidic sealer or pH spray (pH 4.0–4.5) .
3. Too much overlapping coloring
✔ Repeated application of color to already colored hair damages the cortex.
Prevention: touch up roots only, refresh lengths only with a demi-permanent or pigment mask.
4. Bleaching without a test strip
✔ Each hair reacts differently to oxidation.
Prevention: Always test a small strand beforehand to check elasticity and pigment.
5. Incorrect mixing ratio when coloring or straightening
✔ Too much oxidant or reducer disrupts the balance.
✔ Hair becomes weakened or has uneven results.
Prevention: Always use accurate scales and follow technical data sheets.
6. Insufficient preparation of the hair
✔ Products are applied directly without cleaning.
✔ Silicone or oil residue prevents absorption.
Prevention: Use a pre-treatment shampoo to purify the hair before treatment.
7. Incorrect order of products
✔ First oil, then mask → oil blocks absorption.
✔ Protein first, then hydration → too stiff hair.
Prevention: follow the correct order: cleanse → restore → hydrate → protect.
8. Allowing the application time to be too long
✔ Over-processing weakens bonds and makes hair porous.
Prevention: Use a timer and check the locks regularly during the processing time.
9. Insufficient rinsing of products
✔ Residues from shampoo, mask or colour may cause irritation or damage.
Prevention: Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water until completely clear.
10. Advising incorrect aftercare
✔ Customer does not receive a plan for home.
✔ Result fades quickly or becomes unstable.
Prevention: Always provide personal aftercare advice and a PRO HAIR care routine .
Bonus Mistake: Thinking All Hair Is the Same
✔ Every hair type – blonde, Asian, curly, thick – reacts differently to chemicals and heat.
The true professional does not look at colour or length, but at structure, pH and resistance .
Conclusion: craftsmanship is in the details
The difference between a good and an excellent salon lies in knowledge and precision.
Those who avoid these 10 mistakes will not only protect their hair, but also their reputation.
At PRO HAAR we always say: safety is the foundation of beauty.
