How to Stop Hair Breakage

Nowadays, many people lose their hair. Some people lose only half of one hair, this is called hair breakage. It doesn’t matter if only a few strands of hair break off each time you comb your hair. However, it would be stressful if you find that your hair is breaking more often than it used to, then you need to take action.

1. Learn the Difference Between Hair Breakage and Hair Loss

The first step is to understand the difference between hair breakage and hair loss. Hair breakage occurs when the shaft of your hair breaks off at the point of stress. However, hair loss happens when the follicle itself is lost or damaged.

Hair breakage is often caused by physical damage due to improper styling habits and practices, such as over-processing, heat styling, or harsh brushing. On the other hand, hair loss can be due to a variety of reasons such as genetics, infections, hormonal changes, and even certain medications.

2. Learn the Difference Between Hair Breakage and Hair Shedding

It’s also important to know the difference between hair breakage and hair shedding. Hair shedding is a normal process where your hair follicles go through a growth cycle. At the end of the cycle, the old hairs fall out to make way for new ones. 

You may shed hair every day, between 50 and 100 hairs on average. However, you should be concerned if you notice quick thinning or a continuous loss of more than 100 hairs every day.

Hair shedding is different from hair breakage because it’s a normal, healthy process. In contrast, hair breakage is caused by damage to the shaft or follicle, which can lead to thinning and eventual hair loss. Hair breaking occurs when the actual strand shreds or snaps in two. You may not see whole hairs on the ground, but rather small fragments of hair.

3. Identify the Cause of Your Hair Breakage

The next step is to identify the cause of your hair breakage. If you’re not sure what’s causing it, ask your stylist or dermatologist for their professional opinion.

There are many reasons why hair might break. It could be due to over-styling, using the wrong type of shampoo or conditioner, or even just Genetics.

1. Improper Styling Habits and Practices

If the cuticle is seriously damaged, the diameter of the hair will be reduced and the toughness of the hair will also be reduced. Therefore your hair would be easy to break. Also, your hair will also become easy to break if you don’t pay attention to the care of the hair. For example, your hair’s elastic will be deformed if it is often pulled.

In addition, frequent perming and dyeing of hair, excessive friction, tight braids, wind and sun exposure, etc. will also cause the hair to lose moisture and become dry and easy to break.

2. Health Problem

Protein deficiency will affect the synthesis and quality of keratin, human hormones and some genetic characteristics will also inhibit the hair follicle cells’ hair growth ability. 

This kind of situation is not only easy to break the hair, but also easy to fall out together with the roots. Such as nutritional alopecia, androgenetic alopecia, mental alopecia, seasonal alopecia, etc.

3. Poor Diet

Hair is easy to break and difficult to grow if you don’t have a healthy diet. Eating a balanced diet is important for keeping your hair healthy. Make sure to include plenty of protein, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids in your diet.

You can get protein from meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and beans. Good sources of iron include dark leafy greens, red meat, and fortified cereals. You can find omega-3 fatty acids in fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and sardines.

How to Prevent Hair Breakage

Now that you know what causes hair breakage, you can take steps to prevent it.

1. Pay Attention to Sun Protection

Sunscreen is definitely the top priority to protect the hair, but many people don’t pay attention to it. Like the skin, the scalp and hair are also afraid of the sun. For those who are bald or have thinning hair, their scalp is more susceptible to irreversible damage from exposure to the sun UV radiation.

2. Not Perm and Dye Hair

Don’t often dye your hair, perm your hair, straighten your hair, etc. These are all very damaging to our hair. Frequent dyeing and perming will make the hair texture rough, making the hair easy to break when combing. If you want to perm or dye your hair, it is best to go to a professional salon.

3. Change Your Styling Habits

If you want to stop your hair from breaking, you need to change your styling habits. Avoid using tight ponytails, braids, or buns as these hairstyles that pull on the hair can cause breakage. Also, avoid brushing your hair when it’s wet as this can cause breakage.

Instead, let your hair air dry whenever possible. When you do need to style your hair, use a wide-toothed comb and be gentle. Start from the bottom and work your way up to avoid putting too much tension on your hair.

If you must wear your hair in a tight style, be sure to take breaks so that your scalp and hair can recover. You should also avoid using heat styling tools such as straighteners, curling irons, and hair dryers. 

4. Eat More Foods Rich in Protein, Iron, and Vitamin C

Protein is an essential ingredient for human life and growth, which can maintain cell function. Vitamin C can promote collagen synthesis and make hair strong and elastic. 

Iron is an important mineral for human health. It is an important part of hemoglobin and myoglobin, which can transport oxygen to cells and tissues. A lack of iron can lead to anemia, making hair dry, brittle, and easy to break.

5. Don’t Get Out or Sleep When Your Hair is Wet

When the hair is wet, it is the most vulnerable, because the cuticles are not completely closed at this time. If you sleep at this time, the unclosed cuticles will rub against each other seriously, and the cuticles will be seriously damaged overnight, and even hair loss will occur directly.

This is also the reason why some people wake up in the morning and find a lot of hair on their pillows. Waiting for your hair to dry completely before going to bed or going out is also a basic common sense to protect your hair.

6. Not Stay Up Late

If you sleep late at the night, the skin of the face is oily and the scalp is also oily. Staying up late not only hurts the body, but is also detrimental to hair growth. Therefore, try not to stay up late to ensure the quality of sleep.

7. Reduce Your Stress from Work and Life

When we are under a lot of pressure, it will also affect our hair, making the hair easy to break. Therefore, when we are working or living, we must learn to relax and adjust our mood.

8. Avoid Over-washing Your Hair

Washing your hair too often will also make your hair dry and easy to break. Try not to wash your hair more than 2-3 times a week. When washing your hair, be sure to use a mild shampoo and conditioner. Also, don’t forget to use a leave-in conditioner after washing your hair to keep your hair hydrated.

9. Choose the Right Hair Care Products

Use a mild shampoo and conditioner that is suitable for your hair type. In addition, you can use some hair care products that contain natural ingredients to make your hair shinier and less likely to break.

If your hair is dry and easy to break, you can try using some coconut oil or olive oil to nourish your hair. These natural oils can help to make your hair softer and less likely to break.

If you want to keep your hair healthy, you need to use the right products. Avoid using shampoo or conditioner that contains harsh chemicals. Instead, look for products that are sulfate-free and gentle on your hair.

10. Properly Care for Your Hair

Don’t overdo it when caring for your hair. Too much combing will damage the hair, making it easy to break. In addition, pay attention to the following points when combing:

• Use a wide-toothed comb instead of a fine-toothed comb
• Comb from bottom to top, not from top to bottom
• Be gentle when combing tangled hair

11. See a Dermatologist

If you’ve tried everything above and your hair is still breaking, you should consult a dermatologist. They can rule out any underlying medical concerns and provide you with valuable ways on how to keep your hair from breaking.