Dealing with hair breakage can be frustrating. It becomes noticeable when you know your hair is growing at the roots but you’re having a hard time retaining any length because it is breaking at the same rate that it is growing. Even though the most common causes for breakage are dry hair or over manipulation, there are other reasons why your hair might be breaking? This post looks into the reason of hair breakage and how to treat it.
1. Dryness: Reason of Hair Breakage
Dryness is one of the main reasons why hair breaks. Afro curly hair is even more prone to dryness because our curls prevent the natural sebum created by the scalp to run down the entire length of the hair.
You can combat dry hair by using the L.C.O or L.O.C Methods
L = Liquid
C = Cream
O = Oil
Depending on the order of the letters, you will apply either your oil or cream after the liquid.
You can use our Honey Rain Juice (Liquid), Quench (cream), and Grow It long scalp serum (oil) to have a complete routine that will help you adequately moisturise your hair.
2. Heat Damage
Using too much heat or using it too often can damage the hair and make it more prone to breakage. Excessive heat breaks down the hair molecules, making them fragile. Always use a heat protectant to avoid unnecessary damage to your hair.
3. Improper towel drying
This might be a surprise but using regular cotton towels can cause friction, promote single strand knots and lead to breakage. We recommend using an old t-shirt or a special microfibre towel to dry your hair. Also using patting instead of swirling motions can prevent friction as well.
4. Washing hair the wrong way
While shampoos are a great way of deep cleansing the hair and scalp, they can sometimes strip the hair of its natural oil. We recommend using shampoo once or twice a month and use a Co-wash the rest of the time. Our Comb-out Co-wash is the perfect ally to wash the hair without drying it out.
Our Root2Tip Eco customer, C, reviewed our Comb-out co-wash and describes it as having ''Slip Like No Other''. She says ''I absolutely love this product. I've tried so many other co-washes and none keep my hair as moisturized as this one after rinsing.''
5. Terrible Tools
Finger detangling should be your first reflex when it comes to detangling. Your fingers have the ability to feel through the hair, find knots and gently pull them apart. Follow it up with a wide-tooth comb, however, try and avoid fine-tooth combs and bristle brushes.
6. Poor accessories
It can be exciting to style our hair and think of all the fancy accessories we can use to decorate it. However, you want to be mindful of how the accessories attach to the hair and if they are as easy to take out as they are to put in. The last thing you want is to yank out strands of hair when it is time to take the hairstyle down.
7. Over-processing
Over-processing your hair with relaxers or texturisers can also be the cause of hair that is fragile and prone to breakage. Relaxed hair can be well maintained if the process is done correctly. Make sure your hairstylist only relaxes the roots and not the already relaxed ends.
8. Wearing your hair out
If your hair is longer than shoulder length, wearing it down can cause it to rub back and forth on your shoulder which can cause single strand knots and breakage. Wearing your hair out also exposes it to the environment and pollution.
Be mindful of those things when you wear your hair down and switch it up from time to time with a protective style to give your hair a break.
9. Diet: Reason of Hair Breakage
When it comes to hair, we mostly think of what to put on the hair and not always what goes into our body.
A healthy and balanced diet is a great way to help the body create strong hair strands that stand the test of time.
All in all, having a simple routine that avoids too much manipulation and being mindful of the products and accessories you use, is the best way to prevent unnecessary breakage. Root2Tip Eco has amazing products that can help you take care of your hair in the best way possible.
Check out this review of our wash routine: