Stop Hair Damage

In our day to day quest to look beautiful, we often adopt practices which damage our hair in slow yet continuous way. Damaged hair is fragile, frizzy, unhealthy looking and it tends to break easily. If we continue to do these things, they damage our hair to an extent that we eventually see thinning hair or even bald patches.

 

But the good news is that simple changes in your habits and regimen can prevent further hair damage and may even reverse them.

 

Here are few common wrong practices and my advice that can help you to not only stop but also reverse hair damage:

Washing your hair by rubbing shampoo into the length of your hair

Advice:

    • Gently massage shampoo onto your scalp.
    • When you rinse the shampoo from your scalp, let it flow through the length of your hair and resist the temptation to rub.

Skipping the conditioner

Advice:

    • Use conditioner after every shampoo and apply it at the lower 1/4th of hair.

Drying your hair by rubbing with a towel or blower machine

Advice:

    • Wrap your hair in a towel to absorb the water.
    • Let your hair air dry.

Brushing your hair while it is wet

Advice:

    • If you have straight hair, let your hair dry a bit before you gently comb it with a wide-tooth comb.
    • If you have textured hair or tight curls, always comb your hair while it is damp, using a wide-tooth comb.

Using a hot comb or curling iron

Advice:

    • Let your hair air dry.
    • Use the lowest possible heat setting.
    • Limit the time a hot comb or curling iron touches your hair.
    • Use these tools less frequently, aiming for approximately once a week or even less 

Applying styling products that offer long-lasting hold

Advice:

    • Avoid their use in the first place and adapt a hairstyle that does not require these products.

Pulling your hair back tightly, such as in a ponytail, bun, or cornrows

Advice:

    • Wear hair loosely pulled back.
    • Use covered rubber bands made especially for styling hair.
    • If possible, try a different hairstyle that does not pull on your hair.

Coloring, perming or relaxing your hair

Advice:

    • Have less frequent touch-ups, especially when the air is dry.
    • In the winter, have even lower frequency of touch-ups, every 8 to 10 weeks or longer.
    • Have only one service – a coloring, relaxer, or perm. If you want more than one service, perm or relax your hair first, and do it 2 weeks before you color your hair.
    • Use conditioner after each shampoo.
    • When in the sun, protect your hair by using a leave-in conditioner that contains zinc oxide or wearing a wide-brimmed hat.

Brushing your hair 100 strokes a day or tugging on your hair to style it

Advice:

    • That’s a myth. Brush and comb your hair only to style it. Hair never needs 100 brush strokes a day.
    • Use a wide-tooth comb, and use it gently to comb your hair.
    • Avoid pulling and tugging on your hair as you brush, comb, or style it.
    • Remove tangles gently, using a moisturizing conditioner if necessary.

When you must see a dermatologist

If changing how you care for your hair does not help you see healthier hair, you may want to see a dermatologist. Your hair care may not be the root cause of your problem. Seeing a dermatologist is especially important if you are concerned about thinning hair or hair loss. Most causes can be stopped or treated. The sooner the problem is addressed, the better your results.