And while some are obvious, you may be surprised by others.
Here are a few tips on how to reduce minimize damage and keep hair healthy looking all year long.
Frequent Washing
Yes, washing your hair is damaging.
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Even just getting hair wet can lead to more breakage!
Solution:Wash you hair less.Dry shampoosare a good option for spot treating on those in-between days.
Brushing Wet Hair
As previously mentioned, wet hair is more susceptible to damage than dry hair.
Wet hair is more elastic and more likely to break.
Even brushing dry hair excessively is damaging since brushes and combs can snap or break hair.
Solution:Be gentle with wet hair.
Use your fingers or a wide-tooth comb to remove tangles.
Towel Drying
Yep, towels can damage your hair.
Have I mentioned that wet hair is more susceptible to damage?
Solution:Blot your hair with a towel instead of rubbing it to remove moisture.
Blow Drying
No surprise here, heat causes damage.
The effect of this flash drying is that the cuticles become dry, rigid and brittle.
When the hair flexes, the pressure causes the cuticles to crack.
Combing hair with this degree of cuticle cracking causes significant breakage.
Solution:Ideally, don’t blow dry your hair.
Of course, this isn’t a realistic option for many women (including me!).
Additionally, use the low heat option on your dryer to further minimize damage.
Flat Irons/Curling Irons
These jot down of appliances can damage your hair in a different way than blow dryers.
Ironing dry hair causes cracking along the edges of the cuticles, which can lead to chipping.
Ironing wet hair causes the moisture to burst out in little steam explosions.
This causes a bubbling and buckling of the cuticle that appear as tiny hair blisters under magnification.
Both types of damage can lead to breakage and split ends.
Solution:Iron damage can be reduced by using conditioners formulated with ingredients like cetrimonium chloride.
Products labeled specifically to protect against heat are a good option.
Of course, not using an iron is the best solution.
For more science based beauty tips check out theBeauty Brains!
