How to Know If Your Hair is Damaged?

I am sure like everyone else, you too want to sport great hair. If you want to look gorgeous, it’s imperative that you take care of your hair.

Most people tend to damage their hair when they try different stuff such as hair colors, bleach, straighteners, etc. Not just this, something as simple as a blow dryer and other hot tools like curlers can also damage your hair.

Good hair care can help you tackle all such problems but how exactly do you find out if your hair is damaged or not?

So, here are some common signs of hair damage that can help you better assess your hair condition:

Signs Of Damaged Hair

Hair Loss and Thinning

One of the most worrying signs that something is amiss with your hair is hair loss or thinning. Now, losing a few strands daily is normal but losing excessive hair is a clear sign of damaged hair.

Thinning is another sign of an impending problem. More often than not, thinning is followed by hair loss, which at times gets unmanageable.

Thinning of hair could stem from a number of causes that could include stress, age, and even certain medications. Not just this, you could also experience hair thinning as well as hair loss postpartum or after childbirth. As a matter of fact, it is very common for women to lose hair post-pregnancy.

When experiencing hair thinning you should take care of your diet. If it is deficient in proteins and minerals, you must make sure that you modify it accordingly so that you get enough of both these through your diet. You must consult a dietician who can chart out the daily diet for you.

Keeping your scalp clean is also crucial. You must make sure that the pores are not clogged and this is possible by washing them regularly. In my opinion, it is best to use a herbal shampoo that is gentle on your hair.

If however, you feel certain medications are to be blamed for your hair loss or hair thinning, consult your doctor and he may prescribe an alternative.

Split Ends

Split ends are another common indication of damaged hair. It goes without saying that split ends occur when the ends of your hair look dry, brittle, or frayed.

The most probable cause of split ends is exposure to extreme weather. Blow-drying and straightening may also lead to split ends and so can curling.

Most stylists recommend trimming your hair to get rid of this problem. Trimming along the length of your hair not only helps you get rid of split ends but also stimulates hair growth.

Furthermore, in order to prevent splits ends from occurring you should try to keep your hair well-hydrated and the best way to ensure that is with the help of oil that has hydrating properties.

Not just this, in order to ensure proper moisture in your hair avoid using hair tools that work by heating up your hair. These could include tongs, curlers, straighteners, blow-dryer, etc.

Breakage

Yet another sign of damaged hair is breakage which occurs due to reduced elasticity. When this happens your hair gets fragile so much so that they cannot withstand stretching.

This usually occurs as a side effect of hair coloring or other kinds of chemical hair treatment such as perming etc. What you need to understand is that these chemicals can strip your hair of their strength and elasticity making them more susceptible to breakage.

Even though the best way out is to avoid hair color and chemical treatment but if you really want to go through these treatments, you need to make sure that you prepare your hair beforehand so that they can withstand the onslaught of such chemicals.

In order to do so, make sure you use a good deep conditioner or maybe even use a leave-in conditioner to offer layers of protection. Such conditioning will not only prevent your hair from getting tangled but will also offer protection from UV rays, etc.

The underlying fact here again, is that better conditioning will keep your hair well hydrated and moisturized to prevent breakage.

Dry and Dull Texture

Another clear sign that your hair might be damaged is their dry and dull appearance. This again is clearly indicative of lack of moisture.

The best way to tackle dry hair is with the help of a good moisture routine. You need to re-examine your hair wash routine in such a case. If you have dry hair it is quite possible that you have been washing your hair more often and conditioning them less frequently. This can actually strip your hair of their natural oil.

In order to restore your hair health, you need to wash them less often and condition them more. It is not a bad idea to wash your hair with a moisturizing shampoo and a good conditioner once a week.

If however, you need to wash your hair a couple of times of a week because of your work environment, its best to apply a conditioning masque at least once a week.

If you are someone who has to travel a lot then you need to use a conditioning spray that also offers UV protection.

At the same time, it is also important to check the quality of water with which you wash your hair. If the water is hard, it can make your hair dry, dull and can also lead to hair loss. Thus, you must try to use a filtered shower head to combat this problem.

Patches of Short Hair

Patches of short hair are caused by harsh chemical treatment of hair such as all-hair bleach or color.

In other words, this condition characterized by patches of short hair can be described as an aggravated form of hair breakage. One of the best ways to handle this problem is with the help of a good protein regime.

Apart from harsh chemicals, excessive heat applied to hair through various hair styling tools could also be at blame and so could be excessively tight hairdos.

I must mention here that if you feel excessive heat is the cause of the problem that you need to avoid using such tools. However, if you must use them, then you should apply a heat protectant or nourishing oil to prevent any potential damage to your hair.

On the other hand, if the root cause lies in a tight hairdo, it would be best to change your hairstyle and let be somewhat loose.

Excessive Tangling

Besides the signs mentioned above, excessive tangling is also indicative of your being damaged.

But how does tangling actually occur?

Let me explain…

Damaged hair lack moisture and as a result, the outer layer of your hair shaft is rough and somewhat raised, rather than being smooth and flat. Thus, your hair get more susceptible to forming knots with other strands resulting in tangling.

Apart from moisturizing your hair properly, it may also be worth avoiding surfaces that cause friction. A silk pillowcase is a perfect example of a smooth surface that does not cause any friction. At the same time, you must try using a microfiber towel to dry your hair.

What you need to keep in mind is that your tresses are in a highly vulnerable state when they are wet and thus, you need to be gentle with them, if you want to avoid hair fall or hair breakage.

Test For Your Hair

The biggest dilemma for people when learning if their hair is damaged is recognizing the signs of damage and their extent. Doing this will help you find the right way to treat and repair damage to your hair

Here is an easy way to test the state of your mane if you are on the quest to figure out your hair’s health levels. Follow the two steps given below.

1. Try pulling at each end of a lock of hair with two fingers. Hair that is healthy and unaffected by external elements such as excessive ironing, lack of a good diet, and increased exposure will expand quickly to around one-third of its initial length. Protein loss could be the cause of your hair snapping. It’s a symptom of dehydration if it extends but doesn’t return to its normal size.
2. Try pulling a portion of hair down the hair around an inch long to the tips with two fingers. Pay attention to the composition: is it straight all the path right near the downward as well?

Damaged hair danger indicators include a rough surface with knots and portions that snap from under pressure. 

Other ways of detecting hair damage have loomed for lack of shine. If your hair isn’t shining as it used to, there might be some internal damage going on that needs to be addressed. 

A common way to detect hair damage is to look out for extreme breakage when combing your hair or right after a wash.

Conclusion

Taking care of hair and prevent damage is possible when you are aware of the root causes of the problem.

Through this article, I have tried to list the most probable causes of hair damage as well as ways to prevent them. I am sure you should be able to take better care of your hair if you follow the tips above.