Stop Your Hair Breaking Problems

Hair breakage occurs due to a multitude of possibilities. Heat styling, over-shampooing or even chemical processing can lead to breakage of the hair and impede growth. In order to start the hair on the right track to growth, ceasing or decreasing whatever you’ve done to damage it will help. Healthy ends grow better than damaged ends. Protecting the ends of your hair, which may be prone to splitting, can help aid hair growth as well. With a few tips and pointers you can stop damage and help grow your hair.

Trim Your Ends

To some women, trimming equals cutting, which may as well equal “No, Thank You.” Done right, a trim only removes dead ends, not whole chunks of hair. When you trim proactively, you reduce the chances that your ends become so dry and brittle that a cut becomes necessary. Women who suffer from split ends have to cut them away before they break off on their own. When split ends get out of control, they travel up the hair shaft, making a serious cut more likely. Instead, why not trim the bottom 1/4 to 1/2 inch of hair every two to three months? Trims are more even and less traumatic than cuts that have to be done.

Don’t Brush Hair While Wet

Just say “no” to brushing your hair when it’s soaking wet. Black hair is already fragile  when wet, it’s in its weakest state. It’s fine to comb through your hair while wet; in fact, the ideal state to comb is when it’s saturated with conditioner. But brushing black hair stretches it sometimes to the point-of-no-return. A loud “snap” is the last thing you want to hear while styling your hair.

What about women who want to straighten their hair before flat ironing? Aren’t round brushes made for this? Brushes are okay once your hair is at least halfway dry, but dryer is better. Instead of a round bristle brush, use a paddle brush to smooth hair, but again, wait until your hair is at least 50% dry before tackling with a brush and blow dryer.

Get Some Protein ASAP

Depending on the level of your breakage, a weekly protein strengthening treatment may be perfect, or you may need emergency measures if your hair is breaking at an alarming rate. Usually, chemical damage is behind real breakage emergencies.

It’s important not to overdo the protein because too much can be drying. Alternate mild protein treatments with deep conditioners to keep your hair healthy and prevent breakage down the line.

Ease Up On Heat

High heat = damage = breakage. Frequent heat = damage = breakage. See a pattern here? While curling irons, flat irons and blow dryers make our lives easier, allowing us to wear just about any style we can think up, these tools can also cause irrevocable damage when used too often or incorrectly. Constantly “bumping” your ends with an iron will weaken, thin and break them over time. Using heat that’s way too hot even once can break your hair.

Use other methods of styling, such as wet setting on magnetic rollers or Curlformers. Wet wrap the hair for a sleek look, or wet set with braids and twists for cool waves. Save the heat tools for special occasions, and definitely no more than once a week.

Warnings

Only relax your hair as often as the packaging recommends. Relaxing your hair too often can cause hair damage, including uneven breakage.