Brittle hair: Reasons and how to treat them
In our quest for healthier hair, we often overcare or undercare our hair, leading to dry and brittle hair. Frizzy-looking and shabby hair can be emotionally painful to deal with and it can take months of hair care routines to nourish them back to health. Treat your tresses right by keeping yourself informed about these possible causes for your brittle hair and their treatments.
Getting hair chemically treated too often
Changing the color of your hair every now and then might seem fun, but it damages your hair strands. Every time you dye your hair, your delicate hair strands take a hit. Bleaching can worsen the damage. Getting your hair chemically treated or getting perm treatments too often can leave your strands weak and brittle and more prone to breakage.
Having an unhealthy and imbalanced diet
What you eat and don't eat can have an effect on your tresses. A diet that lacks protein and vitamins can be another cause of dry and brittle hair. Consumption of sugar and bad fats blocks hair from receiving the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. Even munching on your favorite fast food can damage your hair's health.
Excessive stress
There are multiple studies that show the relationship between stress and hair loss. Dealing with excessive stress can make your follicles go dormant causing the hair that's in the middle of the growth cycle to break off. Your hair starts to get thinner and less dense than normal. When stressed, our scalp releases more oil which may disrupt the scalp's microflora balance, thereby causing itching.
Using heated styling tools
If you use a hair dryer, flat iron, or curling iron too often to style your hair, you risk damaging your hair cuticle from extreme temperatures. The cuticle is the outer cellular layer of hair which works as a protective shield. When your cuticle gets worn out, your hair gets more susceptible to breakage. Overexposure to the sun can cause damage to your strands too.
Treatment
Use a mild shampoo that has fewer drying detergents. Massage hair with jojoba or coconut oil. Have a balanced diet - food rich in iron, selenium, folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin D can help keep your hair healthy. Take up stress management classes or meditate. Use your heated styling tools less often. Use a hair-protecting spray to minimize damage.
