Hair damage doesn't usually happen overnight. Most damage and breakage come from small habits that add up over time. The good news is that many common causes of hair damage are preventable once you know what to look for.
In our quest for healthy hair, we may put our hair through a lot of manipulation. So much manipulation that we start causing more harm to hair than good. That we damage our hair so it looks the opposite of what we were striving for.
Unfortunately, no matter how many DIY hair treatments, hair masks, or serums you use, there is no way to repair the damage. These treatments and products can sometimes help to temporarily cover up the damage to your hair. They may even help to prevent future damage, but products and treatments can't repair or fix hair when it's damaged.
The best thing to do when your hair is damaged is to let it grow out, trim off the damaged ends, or do a big chop. Whichever way you choose, it's important to start using healthy hair practices, so your new hair doesn't get damaged.
Before we start getting into how we damage our hair, I want to go back to basics and talk about what our hair is. Hair is made up of a strong protein called keratin, which can also be found in fingernails. The proteins are arranged into three layers:
The cuticle, the outer layer, is made up of flat scale-like cells of protein and is the first defense for the hair against heat styling, chemicals, manipulation, etc. When the cuticle is damaged, the scale-like cells tend to stay raised and don't flatten. This leads to a constant loss of moisture in the hair and constant dryness.
The raised cuticle cells also allow the middle/inside layer of the cortex to be damaged. The cortex is the part of the hair that dictates the strands' thickness, color, curl pattern, and other attributes. Damage to the cortex can't be undone.
Related read: Answers To 10 Common Healthy Hair Journey Questions
Before we start getting into how we damage our hair, I want to go back to basics and talk about what our hair is. Hair is made up of a strong protein called keratin, which can also be found in fingernails. The proteins are arranged into three layers:
- The outer layer, called the cuticle
- The inside layer, called the cortex
- The center layer, called the medulla
The cuticle, the outer layer, is made up of flat scale-like cells of protein and is the first defense for the hair against heat styling, chemicals, manipulation, etc. When the cuticle is damaged, the scale-like cells tend to stay raised and don't flatten. This leads to a constant loss of moisture in the hair and constant dryness.
The raised cuticle cells also allow the middle/inside layer of the cortex to be damaged. The cortex is the part of the hair that dictates the strands' thickness, color, curl pattern, and other attributes. Damage to the cortex can't be undone.
Signs hair may be damaged
You can recognize when hair is damaged by how it looks and feels. Damaged hair will typically exhibit some or all of these signs- Feels dry and brittle to the touch
- Start seeing split ends
- It has a rough texture
- There is little to no elasticity
- Pieces of hair easily break off
- Looks dull
Common causes of hair damage
So how do we prevent this damage? We need to know what the cause of the damage is. Many things can damage the cuticle, but here are the four most common:1. Direct heat
By applying heat directly to the hair using heat styling tools, the hair cuticle can crack and lose moisture. This can lead to breakage and split ends. I share more about what direct heat damage looks like and how to help prevent it in How To Prevent And Repair Heat Damaged Relaxed Hair
2. Chemical treatments
The chemicals in relaxers, perms, bleaching, and hair color break and wear down the hair's natural protein bonds, weakening the hair strands. Constant misuse, such as overlapping treatments, can have very damaging effects on the hair, as I share in Prevent Hair Damage From Relaxers, Bleach & Color.
3. Friction
When hair goes through excessive styling, washing, combing, or even unprotected hair rubbing against a cotton pillow, that constant movement or friction of the hair strands is what causes the damage. See more in my post How Friction Causes Hair Damage + Easy Ways to Prevent Breakage.
4. The elements
The sun can dry out the hair, and the wind causes friction and tangles. Find out more in Protecting Relaxed Hair From Sun And Wind Damage.
Sources: http://www.black-hair-report.com/importance-of-the-hair-cuticle.html#sthash.aevVSEhE.dpbs, http://blackhair.about.com/od/blackhairproblems/a/damagedhair.htm
How to prevent hair damage
To keep our hair from being damaged, we need to reduce the amount of heat we use on it, use hair chemicals less or properly, reduce the amount of friction or manipulation, and keep our hair protected from outside elements. Check out these four posts to see how you can do all of these things and keep your hair from damage- How To Prevent And Repair Heat-Damaged Relaxed Hair
- Prevent Hair Damage From Relaxers, Bleach & Color
- How Friction Causes Hair Damage + Easy Ways to Prevent Breakage
- Protecting Relaxed Hair From Sun And Wind Damage
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