When your plan is to grow out your hair, then you know that hair breakage is the enemy. Like growing long healthy hair is not hard enough, now you have to ensure that the hair you do have stays in your head. The thing about hair breakage is that it happens gradually, slow enough to deceive you into thinking that it is not that bad. Talking from experience, unchecked hair breakage can cause you to lose half the volume of your hair over extended periods of time. Since hair is naturally delicate, experiencing breakage does not take much. It can happen simply from sleeping on a harsh pillow cover.You can experience hair breakage from the moment you wash your hair to simply combing it. So how do we prevent our hair from becoming victim to excess hair breakage?
Toss the Towel.
Using a towel to dry out your hair after a wash is pretty common. It even happens in the salon. It is considered the fastest way to dry your hair but at a cost. Rubbing your wet hair with a towel causes the surface of the towel to damage the outer layer of the hair. This causes it to be frizzy and puffy making it more susceptible to breakage. Using a t-shirt instead reduces the rough effects on your hair. Alternatively, you can use a towel to blot out the water in your hair as opposed to rubbing it to get your hair to dry faster.
Split ends need to go
For the longest time, I struggled with the notion that to get long healthy hair, you need to cut it. I mean hair generally grows a quarter an inch per month. What good would it to do to keep cutting the little that grows? However, the truth is, in a bid to hold on to the length of your hair you are doing it more harm than good. Split ends make your hair very susceptible to breakage from simply combing it on a daily basis. Talk it over with your hairdresser and have a regular trim every now and then.
Your hairdresser matters
Talking of hairdresser, he/she plays a huge role in how much hair you lose. Especially if you interact with him/her often. How and when they comb your hair and how they wash your hair can contribute to breakage. It is recommended that they wash your hair in one direction so as to avoid tangling your hair. Using the right combs depending on the needs of your hair is also important. Additionally, they should take their time as they detangle your hair and do it properly. Hasty detangling done the wrong way will see you lose a lot of hair. So share your sentiments with your hairdresser to ensure your hair is protected.
Avoid combing your hair when it is too wet or when it is dry.
This is seemingly another paradox that confuses me. Your hair is weakest when it is at this two extreme ends. When it is too wet, it is easily tangled and combing it will cause damage. When it is too dry, it is extremely brittle and combing it out will also cause breakage. To avoid this two scenarios, use a detangling lotion when your hair is wet. Then use your hands to separate the extremely detangled areas before you comb it out. For dry hair, sprinkle some water on it, then apply oil to seal in the moisture. After a while, you are free to comb your hair.
Protective styling can sometimes do more harm than good
Sometimes the best way to protect your hair from breakage is to avoid excessive washing, combing or even styling. The best way to do this is to go for a protective hairstyle eg braiding and weaving. The trick with protective hairstyling is simple. Ensure that you get it done the right way. A weave which has not been installed the right way can cause major damage to your hair. You can say goodbye to having great edges if your weave is a mess. Also, braiding your hair too tight or staying with your braids too long is basically shooting yourself in the foot. So don’t overstay with your braids and ensure they aren’t too tight.
However, there is need to differentiate between hair breakage and hair loss. Hair breakage is simply losing strands of your hair and happens to the strands of our hair. Hair loss, on the other hand, starts from the root. It leaves you with bald spots on your head and is often an indication of an underlying medical condition or stress. It is important that you get checked if you are experiencing hair loss.
In need of some great hair rinses for your hair, here are a couple of homemade rinses from products easily found in the house. Six Home Made Rinses That Are Great For Natural Hair
