Hair Breakage & Growth

Hair Breakage & Growth

Hair breakage:

Healthy hair depends on inner cuticle that is inside overlapping scales that keep strands together. Hair can get separated or dry when those scales fall and this leads to hair damage and breakage. 

What are the causes and how to deal with them?

1. Diet and eating disorders: you have to make sure you get enough zinc, iron, and folic acid in your daily diet. Certain nutrients helps in hair growth, for example, protein and anti-oxidants will decrease hair damage. 

2. Dryness : dry weather, low humidity, and too much heat causes dryness that leads to hair breakage. You can use warm and not hot water when you wash your hair. Try using leave-in conditioners before combing and put shampoo on your scalp only.

3. Over-use of heat, bleaching or relaxers : when you do these things too often, the cuticle will break down and cause hair damage. Try to reduce heat, coloring, relaxers and over-use of  chemicals and give your strands a break from all styling tools at least once a week. You can put a suitable hair mask or use a heat-protecting spray before using heat. 

4. Lack of cutting ends : hair trims help keep your hair healthy and ends having split ends. According to Healthline “When you have split ends, these splits in the cuticle can travel up the rest of the length of your hair and lead to breakage.” Cutting your hair will help prevent breakage and eventually your hair will grow healthier.

5. Over-washing : oily hair can need washing everyday but washing your hair more than once a day can lead to its breakage. If your hair is extremely dry, washing it weekly is enough. Make sure while shampooing to apply it on your scalp and apply the conditioner smoothly from ends to roots. 

There are many more reasons that causes hair breakage like stress, hair-ties and incorrect hair combing. 

How to help your hair grow?

Hair grows from a root at the bottom of a follicle under your skin. The blood in your scalp goes to the follicle and supplies oxygen and nutrients to the hair root, which helps your hair grow.

• Essential oils: using essential oils on your hair will not only smell good but also it will strengthen your hair and help it grow faster. Try using natural oils like Jojoba, Argan, Rosemary, Almond, Peppermint.

• Healthy diet: vitamins and minerals are significant for your body and helps in hair growth. A study from the National Institutes of Health suggested that lower zinc levels may play a key role in hair loss. Let your body consume Omega, Zinc, Iron, Biotin and vitamins C, D, E.

• Use less heat: as we know, heat from straightening, blow-drying and curling irons damages the hair. Try limiting the use of these tools and decrease the temperature of heated styling tools. This will help reduce hair damage.

Eating a healthy diet that includes key nutrients as well as adequate protein is key. Using certain products and treatments may promote hair growth, while dialing back on heat treatments and chemical processing can help, too.