Hair
Breakage happens when actual hair strands shred. Usually, healthy hair relies on an inner cuticle with overlapping scales that keep hair strands together. However, strands get dry, separate, and eventually break when the overlapping scales fall apart.
The common causes of hair breakage include a poor diet, stress, heat damage, harsh hair products, over-brushing, over-processing, and improper towel drying. It’s said that hairs at the edge of your hairline are more fragile and thus more vulnerable to breakage if they’re not properly cared for.
It’s easy to tell if you have broken hair. You may notice more split ends or short hairs around your hairline in different lengths. Also, there will be a big difference between your hair’s density at the root and the ends. Besides, when washing your hair, you can easily spot broken hairs in your combing brush, sink, or floor.
Fortunately, there are ways you can prevent breakage and bring out the best in your hair’s current appearance. Here are six tips to consider:
Choose The Right Shampoo
Shampoos are hair care products used for moisturizing and cleaning the hair. Notably, manufacturers are producing various shampoo products to cater to diverse hair types and specific hair concerns.
Pantene hair products are among the common shampoos on the market shelves. Nonetheless, is Pantene good for your hair? Though Pantene shampoo products come with a variety of ingredients that are generally safe to the public, they still consist of harsh chemicals, such as sulfates and benzyl alcohol, that can dry out your hair and cause breakage.
Hence, to prevent hair breakage, it’s best to use a sulfate-free shampoo that has moisturizers intended for your hair type. Particularly, shampoos infused with biotin contain vitamins and minerals that can strengthen your hair strands and promote fullness.
Turn Down The Heat
While heat styling techniques like blow drying or flat ironing can give you a more polished straight hairstyle or the perfect curl, the high temperatures can negatively affect the health of your hair.
It’s said that excessive heating strips moisture from your hair strands, making them dry and brittle. This weakens your strands over time and increases the risk of breakage because hair loses its elasticity.
Thus, to promote healthy hair growth, you should limit the use of hot styling tools. Yet if you must heat style, opt for the lowest heat setting and reduce the times the tools pass through each section of your hair.
And you can protect your locks from the heat by using heat-protectant products. They create a protective barrier that reduces moisture loss during heating, preventing hair breakage.
Get Routine Trims
Split ends in the cuticle can travel up your hair shaft, possibly leading to breakage. Though it may sound contrary to your goal of growing long hair, targeting split ends early can prevent further breakage.
Trimmed hair is less likely to develop brittle split ends, keeping your hair healthy and boosting growth. How often you trim hair may depend on your hair length and texture. Typically, dermatologists recommend scheduling hair trims every six to eight weeks.
Limit How Frequent You Brush Out Your Hair
Excessive brushing puts too much stress on your hair and may cause it to break off. Plus, it leads to the formation of split ends which contribute to further breakage. So, if you want silky and shiny strands, limit the vigorous grooming of your hair. Leaving it alone as much as possible is a better idea.
Mainly, wet hair is more susceptible to breakage, so don’t pull on damp strands using a hairbrush. Instead, consider working a wide-tooth comb through your wet tangles from the bottom to the roots. For tangles that are difficult to work through, you can use a detangling spray or apply a conditioner to loosen the knots.
Consider A Different Hairstyle
Using specific hair accessories such as clips, hairpins, and rubber bands to hold your hair tightly in place can take its toll on your strands and cause them to break. In addition, tight ponytails, braids, and cornrows can put too much tension on your hair, increasing the risk of extensive breakage.
Thus, to prevent having weak hair and boost growth, it’s best to limit the use of hair accessories and consider wearing styles that don’t pull on your hair. You can switch things up by wearing your hair down, having a messy ponytail, or a loose low bun. And if you have to use hair accessories, go for pins with balled ends, hair clips with rubber padding, and fabric hair ties.
Avoid Coloring Your Hair Too Often
Chemicals in hair dye may affect proteins and lipids present in the hair that are essential for healthy hair. This leads to changes to your hair shaft’s inner and outer structure, making your strands weak and more vulnerable to breakage.
Additionally, coloring your hair more frequently can affect its ability to retain moisture. When your hair becomes dehydrated, it gets stiffer and can easily break. Besides, dying involves heavy combing and rubbing, which can contribute to further breakage.
If you have to color your hair regularly, you can do it in four to six weeks intervals or longer to preserve the integrity of your hair.
Conclusion
Hair breakage can be very frustrating, especially if you’re trying to achieve a healthy hair journey. Fortunately, there are ways you can prevent hair breakage and maintain gorgeous and shiny strands. That includes stopping habits like excessive heating, over-brushing your hair, and frequent coloring. Also, choose the right shampoo products, get routine trims, and consider a different hairstyle. For more information on preventing hair breakage, consider consulting a specialist.
