A few years back my naiveté led me to take the first available hair appointment at a local salon. What started out as a pleasant exchange with my “fabulous” hair stylist ended in wisps of hair flying off the round brush (not the way I prefer to get a hair-cut). Epic hair disaster notwithstanding, I felt sorry for the guy, paid him, and spent the next year in hair recovery.
This, of course, is the extreme way to cause hair breakage, or trichorrhexis nodosa. More commonly, hair breakage is less dramatic and the result of being born with genetically vulnerable hair, age, and environmental factors. Typical environmental offenders include dehydration, chemical over-treatment, excessive heat-styling, and over-zealous brushing. That’s right. You can brush yourself bald!
Here’s what you can do to strengthen those delicate, keratin locks and avoid a hair catastrophe of your own:
1. Be Choosy
- Ask around and find out what stylists people consistently love.
- Check into your stylist’s certification and training.
2. Cool It
- Give your hair a break from heat styling. Limit this to every other or every third day if possible.
- If you have fine hair, set your curling iron at 300 degrees or below to prevent over-heating and damage.
3. To Poo or Not to Poo
- Limit shampooing to every other or every third night. This allows natural hair oils to accumulate on your roots and protects you from additional dehydration.
- Wash your hair at night and let it air dry. Pinterest has some amazing style-while-you-sleep options, which have the added benefit of shortening your morning routine.
- Use a dry shampoo. This will minimize greasy scalp issues and freshen up your hair aromatics (hairomatics) on your No-Poo days.
- Joico has one I absolutely love.
4. Give Your Hair a Chemical Vacation
- This may mean complete avoidance of chemical processing or going with a slightly darker look so you can avoid the harsh, stripping effects of highlights.
5. Brush your hair when it is almost dry starting from the ends and working towards the scalp.
- Hair is much more vulnerable to breakage if you brush through it before the shaft has had a chance to close.
- Take your time and avoid over-brushing.
6. Do Deep Once a Week
- Aim for a deep conditioning treatment on the bottom half of your hair once a week.
7. Avoid Ponies
- Certain types of hair may not be able to tolerate the sheer force of a pony tail. If the breakage is occurring at the level of your pony tail binder, either wear it looser or opt for a braid instead.
8. Take Your Vitamins!
Breakage is permanent. With a growth rate of 6 inches per year, it takes a long time to regain those lost inches, so prevention is key. If the above recommendations aren’t making a difference for you or you think you have an underlying medical problem with your hair, schedule a general dermatology visit with us. As the experts in diseases of the skin, hair, and nails, we know what laboratory tests and pertinent physical exam findings can help us get to the “root” of your hair problems.
Bottom line: Give your hair a break already! 🙂
Can you trump my epic hair disaster? Share your story with us. The best hair fiasco wins a 3ml of Latisse® (prescription product to grow your eyelashes longer, thicker and darker)
– Rebecca Reinke, PA-C
