Common Types of Hair Damage & How to Prevent Them
Do you experience any of the following hair challenges?
1. Regular breakage outside of the normal shed hair and occasional breakage
2. Dull hair that has no natural shine/sheen
3. Difficulty retaining length (outside of intentional hair cuts)
4. Uneven fullness from root to tip
If you answered yes to any of these, then this post is for you.
Healthy hair should be strong, stay moisturized and flexible/bend without breaking. In our post about the basics of hair and scalp, we said hair is a dead fiber and there is nothing that an be done to permanently repair it. Every time your hair is handled, it is exposed to wear ad tear that can cause some degree of damage. So, maintaining your hair to retain length and/or to look good to the naked eye is the closest we can get to “healthy hair”.
Some exceptions to this occur with scalp and hair loss issue. For more on navigating scalp damage and hair loss, visit this article.
Related Article: How to Feel Fabulous when Coping with Hair Loss and Scalp Damage
Damaged hair refers to the way your hair looks and feels. Blow drying, pressing, curling, straightening, and coloring are some of the common causes major hair damage. Hair damage occurs for all hair types and textures from regular handling. So, if your hair is dry, brittle, has lots of split ends and so forth, it is visibly damaged. The reverse is healthy hair that looks and feels good and is not easily broken from regular/normal manipulation.
Common types of hair damage include (but are not limited to)…
Chemical damage from color, perms, relaxers
These types of chemical processes change your hair shaft forever and make the cuticle weaker. Chemical hair damage leaves your hair weaker and makes it even more sensitive to water, sun and heat. It tends to be drier and more prone to breakage.
The effects of permanent hair color on a strand of hair.
This image shows a strand of hair that has been treated with permanent hair color. Do you notice how the color penetrates all the way to the medulla (inner layer of hair).
To minimize the negative effects of chemical processes do your research beforehand. Work with an experienced stylist and have a game plan for caring for your hair.
Poor nutrition
If you aren’t eating a balanced diet, your hair may suffer for it. To minimize the effects of poor nutrition on your hair, consume a balanced diet. Adequate amounts of water, fruits, protein, vegetables, and whole grains are needed so your body has enough nutrients to deliver to the scalp and follicle.
Related Article: What to Eat for Radiant Skin
Physical damage from over manipulation and hair tools
Hair tools serve a purpose but can also be damaging to the hair when used incorrectly and too often. The image below shows the effect of hot ironing on wet hair (l-r bubble hair (spaces within the hair shaft), frayed hair, splitting hair)
To avoid hair damage from over manipulation
– finger comb (especially if your hair is kinky, curly or coily)
– moisturize your hair before combing or brushing so hair is more pliable
– air dry your hair or use lower heat settings with a diffuser attachment
– use a seamless tooth comb with wide teeth to minimize snags and damage to the outer cortex of the hair
Well that’s it for the hair damage round up. If you found this article helpful, just click here to share it. What type of hair damage would you add to the list? Do you have any tips for protecting your hair?
Click to Tweet: Is your hair dry, constantly breaking, not growing? Put an end to hair damage with these tips from @senicanaturals.
Recommended Products: Senk Conditioner & Shampoo Bar Set, Senk Shampoo Bar, Senk Conditioner & Hair Lotion
Recommended Reading
Common Types of Hair Damage & How To Prevent Them
3 Hair Teas for a Healthy Scalp
Best of Hair Part 2: Hair Care Routine + Maintenance
Best of Hair Part 1: Anatomy of Hair + Scalp Dermatitis
Natural. Beautiful. You®,
Benardett, Creator of Sénica® Body Care Products
www.senicanaturals.com
References/Image credits
Hair dyes – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Bubble hair – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
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