It can be really frustrating to see the broken hair strands on your comb and realize that your hair is gradually losing its volume and former appeal. By now you must have put all efforts to get beautiful and healthy hair, and to your utter disappointment, not one of them has been successful in preventing hair breakage. So, it is the right time to find out the root causes of this problem so that you can choose the right hair care products for your hair.
What Causes Hair Breakage?
Hair breakage is the first sign that the hair follicles are becoming weaker, which in turn can be caused by a number of factors. Sometimes, it can be a result of the aging process, while in certain instances, it can be caused by some skin diseases like scleroderma. More commonly, it is caused by split ends, overstyling, frequent blow drying and shampooing, chemical hair treatments including perms and relaxers, exposure to excessive heat from flat irons or hair straighteners, wearing too tight ponytails and other hairdos, rough combing or brushing, brushing hair when it is wet and excessive exposure to sunlight.
Using hair dye is another major cause of dry and brittle hair, which is more prone to breakage. Therefore, one should always be careful while choosing a hair dye. Hair dyes, which are free of ammonia and enhanced with natural proteins and vitamins would be less harsh on your hair. However, a little dryness is unavoidable, no matter how good the quality of the hair dye is. Sometimes, it can be caused by hormonal imbalance and low level of the testosterone hormone. It is a well-known fact that diet plays an important role in hair growth and a poor diet not containing enough vitamin, minerals, and proteins can make the hair strands weak.
Hair Breakage Prevention
As dry hair is more likely to break easily, moisturizing is the first step to prevent this problem. This is particularly true for African-American hair. This type of hair is dry and curly, which makes it more prone to breakage. Moisturizing will make hair smooth and soft by replenishing the lost moisture. In this context, hot oil treatment needs special mention, as it can provide not only the much-needed oil and moisture to the hair strands, but can also supply them with important vitamins like vitamin E for hair growth. Natural oils like coconut, olive and almond oil are best for giving your hair a hot oil treatment. You just have to warm any of these natural oils and then gently massage your scalp with it. Leave it for sometime and then wash it with a gentle shampoo.
In addition to natural oils, you need to apply a good conditioner, especially after shampooing your hair. Always use a moisturizing conditioner that can penetrate the hair shafts to make them stronger. Along with conditioning, regular cleaning is also important. But do not use harsh shampoos, as they can cause excessive dryness of the scalp and hair. People with dry hair should also avoid daily shampooing. Herbal shampoos with natural ingredients are best for dry and curly hair. Next, you have to be very careful while handling your hair. Do not brush your hair harshly, always remove the tangles by using a wide toothed comb. While combing your hair, start from the end to remove the knots and tangles and then gradually work your way up. Regular hair trimming is very important to protect your hair from breakage. When you do not trim your hair for a very long time, the ends of the hair follicles tend to become thinner, which eventually result in split ends.
A healthy diet would go a long way to make your hair strong and lustrous. It has been found that vitamins and minerals can play a crucial role in this. Vitamin E and vitamin C, as well as zinc and silica, are some of the essential vitamins and minerals that your diet should include if you wish to have strong and beautiful hair, free of breakage and split ends. Apart from vitamins and minerals, your diet should also include protein and calcium rich foods like egg, milk, green vegetables and fruits.
You can protect your hair from dryness and the resulting breakage by using the right type of hair care products, restricting the use of harsh chemicals, choosing the hairstyles that do not put much stress on your hair, and eating a healthy diet. These few simple tips will not only help you to tackle this problem, but if done regularly and properly, will leave you with shining, lustrous hair that will be the envy of everyone.
