Hair breakage is a concern for many. Nobody likes seeing their hair lose its length and luster before, ultimately, breaking away. Even those who spend a lot of time and money on hair care end up baffled when they see breakage affecting their own locks. In this guide to hair care, I’ve compiled a list of remedies for this very problem, all of them will help you to learn how to stop hair breakage naturally.
I’ll also discuss the most common causes of hair damage and better practices that you can use to prevent hair breakage from becoming a problem in the first place.
The 5 Most Common Causes of Hair Breakage
Fortunately, most causes of hair damage and breakage are caused by how a person treats their hair. This means that there is a great deal that you can do to prevent this problem from impacting the health and appearance of your own tresses!
Consider these five common causes of hair breakage and nix them from your routine if any of these apply.
Excessive Heat-Styling
Sure, it is very convenient to use heat to style or dry your hair. You get fast results and can produce looks that you just can’t without heat styling tools.
While your hair will sustain little harm from the occasional use of blow dryers, flat irons, curling wands and so on, excessive use can cause serious damage.
Try giving your hair a break from heat styling a few days a week to minimize damage. Heat protecting sprays prior to styling and using ceramic styling tools can also help tremendously.
Over-Processing
If you are a frequent user of hair treatments like perms and coloring agents, your hair cuticles have likely suffered some extent of breakdown.
Each treatment might leave your hair feeling or looking better on the surface, but you’re still inflicting damage.
The more often you process your hair, the more damage you are inflicting – that’s just how it is.
Cut down on the processing, leaving a minimum of eight weeks between sessions. This won’t completely prevent damage, but it should help minimize breakage.
Washing Too Often
Your hair’s natural oils play an essential role in the health and moisture of your hair. If you’ve got an oily scalp, however, this could compel you to wash more often than someone with a dryer scalp and hair.
Washing every day, especially multiple times a day, should be avoided in most cases.
If your hair and scalp are on the dryer side, you can likely get away with less frequent washing. Some people can go a week or even longer without washing their hair.
If you’re worried that you may be washing too much but don’t want to feel oily, consider investing in a good dry shampoo.
An Unbalanced Diet
Diets that aren’t rich enough in protein, zinc, iron and folic acid can contribute tremendously to the breakage of hair. It can be difficult to make sure that you get enough of these nutrients in your diet, so the addition of a nutritional supplement could help ease the damage that’s plaguing your hair.
Towel-Drying
It’s nearly everyone’s first instinct to reach for the towel when it’s time to dry their hair after a bath or shower.
It’s pretty much the standard, but that doesn’t mean that it’s healthy for your tresses. After becoming wet, hair becomes ultra-vulnerable to damage. Towel-drying causes damage through the motions used.
Avoid rubbing your hair with a towel. Instead, opt for blotting moisture from your hair if you insist on using a towel.
You could also use a tee shirt or even paper towels to dry your hair, instead. These alternatives are absorbent but do not cause as much harm.
Preventing Hair Breakage and Damage
As is true for many problems in life, prevention is much easier than trying to correct them after the damage is done. You might be surprised to learn that there’s a lot that you can do to prevent and treat damaged, broken hair!
The best way to prevent damage and breakage is to treat your hair well before and after signs of breakage become visible.
To address the causes listed above, as well as how to prevent them from wreaking havoc on your lustrous hair, check out this list of tips.
- Keep hair processing sessions at least 8 weeks apart.
- Avoid drying your hair with towels, if possible.
- Maintain a balanced diet to nurture your body and your hair. Introduce supplements if you need the extra help.
- Take breaks from using heat styling tools every so often.
- Use conditioner after washing your hair.
- Avoid over-washing your hair.
Drying out your hair is the number one culprit behind damage and breakage. If you follow the tips above, you will likely see a drastic improvement in both the look and feel of your hair.
If some damage or breakage is already making itself known or you simply want to be extra proactive about preventing it, the seven easy home remedies below are sure to help.
How to Stop Hair Breakage Naturally?
7 Anti-Breakage Remedies That You Can Make at Home
While there are certainly some top-of-the-line products out there to combat breakage, home remedies are preferred by many. They are easy to make and often cost significantly less than what you’ll find on the shelves of your beauty supply store.
Coconut Oil
Is there anything that coconut oil can’t do? On top of the ever-expanding list of coconut oil’s benefits is the hair-health-boosting qualities of the oil.
The lauric acid present in coconut oil helps to prevent breakage by minimizing protein loss in hair.
Simply massage a small amount of coconut oil into your hair and scalp before washing your hair. The oil will easily penetrate the hair shaft.
Alternatively, or in addition, you can use a few drops of coconut oil post-shower to add shine and strength to your locks.
Eggs
Eggs are a protein powerhouse, making them an unexpected heavy hitter against hair damage.
Simply whisk 2-3 (or more, depending on your hair length) eggs until they’ve achieved a thick consistency. Apply to your hair and let it set for a few hours before rinsing.
Ripe Bananas
Do you have some ripe bananas on hand and don’t feel compelled to make some banana bread? Throw them onto your head instead! The protein and vitamins present in bananas are nourishing to hair.
Simply puree two or more bananas, add one tablespoon of almond or olive oil and then finish the recipe with two tablespoons of honey. Wet your hair with warm water and apply. Leave sitting for 15 minutes (at least) before rinsing, preferably under a plastic cap.
Avocado
Another miracle fruit for hair is the avocado, which is packed with essential fatty acids and nutrients. Remove the pit of one avocado and then mash the avocado together with one egg.
Apply the mixture to hair and leave on for at least twenty minutes before rinsing. You may need to rinse multiple times, but the combined benefits of avocado and egg will leave your hair shiny and healthier-looking.
Olive Oil
To use this moisture-injecting remedy, simply heat up a cup (or more, again depending on your hair length) of olive oil. Do not boil it! Once the oil is warm, apply it to your hair and let it rest for at least 45 minutes.
It’s best to cover your hair with a plastic cap and then shampoo the olive oil out of your hair when it’s time to rinse.
This simple solution is ultra-hydrating and has been a popular home remedy for dry locks for decades.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E capsules can be bought at just about anywhere with a pharmacy section. They are also known to bring about tremendous improvement to the look and feel of skin and hair!
Simply take your vitamin E supplement of choice (capsule) and then put a hole in it. You can use something like a safety pin to do that. Then, simply add the vitamin E from the capsule to your shampoo before your shower.
Aloe Vera
This product of nature is renowned for its incredible skin and hair-saving qualities. It moisturizes, combats against bacteria and can even prevent dandruff!
Simply mix equal parts aloe vera to almond oil and apply it to your hair. Wait at least 45 minutes before rinsing. Don’t have almond oil lying around? The aloe vera won’t do any harm when applied by itself!
Natural Solutions are Often the Best for Putting an End to Hair Breakage
Why spend hundreds of dollars on high-priced hair serums, masks, and other specialized products if you simply don’t have to? Naturally-derived home remedies are well-known by now for their hair-healing properties.
Of course, it is always best to prevent this type of damage from happening in the first place, but this doesn’t work out for everyone all of the time.
Don’t lose confidence over dry, brittle, and breaking hair. Instead, make some changes to your hair care routine! Stick with it, and you’ll be surprised at the results you’ll see in no time.
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