Hair breakage is a tell-tale sign that your hair is not healthy. Good Hair, a book by Lonnice Brittenum Bonner, features many tips on achieving healthy black hair. Bonner states that “good hair” no longer has to mean hair that is chemically altered or straight, but that it simply means hair that is healthy looking. Healthy looking hair is not hair that breaks easily.
What Does Hair Breakage Look Like?
Wherever you style your hair, whether is be in your bathroom or bedroom, you probably see hair that has fallen from your head. If there are short hairs that look as though they have broken off from the end of the hair strand, that is hair breakage. There is a big difference between hair breakage and hair shedding. Hair shedding is a natural part of your hair’s growing cycle. When your hair is sheds rather than breaks off, the hair strand will be longer and come from the root. There is also usually a white bulb at the tip, which stems from the root. Shedding hair is normal and you shed up to 100 hairs per day. Hair breakage, on the other hand, is not normal.
What Causes Hair Breakage?
There are numerous factors. One major culprit is dry, over-processed hair. Improper hair care, particularly for relaxed hair, causes hair breakage. Poor nutrition and illness is another hair breakage culprit.
How Can I Cure Breakage?
The best “cure” is prevention. Sadly, there is no miracle cure for hair breakage. Bonner states that “If your hair has been over processed or suffered severe heat damage, the only thing conditioners can do is help stave off the inevitable – yes, cutting or a serious trim... if your hair is shot and you continue to abuse it – with heated styling appliances, chemicals, permanent coloring – conditioners won’t save it.”
How can I Prevent Hair Breakage?
- Avoid heating appliances. Bonner advocates avoiding or dramatically minimizing the use of heat. By doing so she states that you will prevent “95 percent of hair loss due to breakage.”
- Take caution with hair relaxers and other chemicals. Hair relaxers weaken the hair strand and also cause hair to be more porous, which thereby makes the hair more susceptible to hair breakage. Avoiding the use of relaxers and other harsh chemicals, such as hair dye, will also aide in avoiding hair breakage.
- Moisturize. Moisturize your hair with a good conditioner. Keep it hydrated!
- Eat healthier. That means plenty of water, green veggies, take you vitamins (such as vitamin B-complex, folic acid, and biotin), and eat lots and lots of protein (hair itself is protein!).
As always, these are just tips and suggestions on how to care for your hair. Of course, everyone's hair is different what you feel may be the best option can be different from the advice suggested here.
- For more on hair relaxers, see Benefits of Using Hair Relaxers.
- For more on dying black hair, see How to Color Ethnic Hair.
Adrienne Christina Miles - Adrienne is a young freelance writer from Washington, DC. She specializes in such diverse topics such as hair care, race issues, music, ...
