Hair damages
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As our hair grow out of our scalp, their shafts are keratinous and no longer alive. So once hair shafts are damaged, they have no way of repairing themselves. A whole variety of internal and external effects can damage our hair and natural wear and tear cannot be avoided also. But you can protect your hair from many damaging elements. Healthy looking hair has a smooth, tightly closed cuticle layer that protects the inner cortex from drying out. Healthy cuticle layer allows hair to maintain moisture balance and provides elasticity, strength and shine. Hair damages can range from uplifted cuticle scales resulting in dullness and decreased shine to bubbled and brittle cuticle and complete removal of the cuticle layer. Damaged hair is dry, porous, weak and hard to manage. Some of the signs of damaged hair are:
Hair looks dull and lack-luster;
Hair feels dry and brittle by touch;
Hair are difficult to comb as they are always tangled;
Hair are flyaway and have split ends;
Hair are hard to manage and may be difficult to style;
Some of the causes of hair damages are:
Excessive brushing and tearing of the hair: excessive brushing or combing, especially when hair are wet can seriously damage your hair. Hair is most vulnerable to breaks and tears when wet. Be gentle and use a wide-toothed comb (not metal though!) or a brush with natural fibres;
Hair pins, clips: these types of accessories clip onto hair tightly to stay in place and often this tightness can cause hair to break. Never use rubber bands to tie ir back. Use a fabric scrunchie or loose fitting comb or clip with rubber padding;
Too much heat: the best advice is to allow hair to air dry and not to use any type of heating tools. However, in reality this is hard to do. If you can’t live without your hairdryer or flat iron, try to use it on the lowest settings possible;
Sun damage: skin is not the only part of the body that needs protection from UV rays. Summer sun worshipers are especially at high risk of hair damages, but UV rays damage your hair every time you step outside into daylight, even in the winter time. There is no need to wear a hat anywhere you go, but definitely be aware of the sun rays and cover up if you’re going to be out in the sun for an extended period of time;
Chlorine and salt water: when swimming in chlorinated or salty water, always wash hair afterwards with some clarifying shampoo. There are even specially formulated shampoos for swimmers. The chlorine and the salt in the water will dry hair out and make them very brittle. Washing out the salt and chemicals of the hair immediately will prevent this from occurring;
Over-perming. you should never re-perm hair until the original perm has grown all the way out. A normal perm damages hair, so a perm on top of a perm is a double disaster;
Over-washing: yes, washing your hair too much can dry out your scalp, cause flakes, and lessen the natural oils on your scalp, protecting your hair roots;
Cold weather: cold weather dries out hair more quickly as there is less humidity in the air. This dryness, combined with the cold makes hair brittle and susceptible to breakage. Weekly deep treatments can help to protect hair from being dried out.
In general damages to the hair may be of natural, mechanical and chemical origin.
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Hair damages
