10 Reasons Your Hair Might Be Damaged (and How to Fix It!)
If you’re trying to grow your hair healthy and long, the key is to prevent damage. Healthy hair growth is a two-step process:
- Promoting growth
- Protecting your hair to retain length
For the longest time, my hair seemed to hit a plateau and wouldn’t grow past shoulder length. No matter how hard I tried, it just wasn’t progressing. After some frustration, I decided to dive into research and discovered something important: I was unknowingly sabotaging my own hair growth by making a few common mistakes!
Below, I’m sharing 10 ways you might be damaging your hair without even realizing it, along with tips on how to protect it better.
1. Using Too Much Heat
Heat styling is one of the quickest ways to cause long-term damage to your hair. Blow dryers, flat irons, and curling wands can strip your hair of moisture, weaken the protein structure, and lead to split ends or breakage. Excessive heat can also cause your hair to lose its natural elasticity, making it prone to snapping.
Solution:
- Limit heat styling: Whenever possible, opt for air-drying your hair or use heat-free styling methods. I swear by the Rev-Air , it has been a gamechanger in drying my hair.
- Heat protectant sprays: If you must use heat, always apply a heat protectant spray or serum before styling to shield your hair from damage. Look for products with ingredients like silicones or keratin for added protection.
2. Not Eating Enough Nutrients
Your hair is directly impacted by what you put in your body. If your diet lacks certain vitamins and minerals, your hair may suffer. Key nutrients like iron, zinc, and biotin help promote healthy hair growth and strength. A deficiency in these nutrients can lead to thinning hair, slower growth, or hair loss.
Solution:
- Eat a nutrient-rich diet: Aim for a balanced diet that includes foods high in:
- Vitamins: A (for scalp health), C (for collagen production), D (for hair follicles), E (for scalp circulation), and B-complex (especially biotin and B12).
- Minerals: Iron (for oxygen-rich blood flow to the scalp) and Zinc (for cell reproduction).
- Protein: Your hair is made of keratin, a type of protein, so it’s crucial to consume enough protein-rich foods like lean meats, legumes, and nuts.
- Healthy fats: Omega-3s in foods like avocados, flaxseeds, and fatty fish help keep your hair nourished.
- Hair-boosting smoothies: You can incorporate all of these nutrients into a single smoothie! Consider adding spinach, berries, avocado, nuts, and seeds to create a hair-healthy blend.
3. Skipping Detangling
One common mistake I made in the past was rushing through my hair care routine, especially when it came to detangling. If you don’t properly detangle your hair before combing or styling, you risk tearing your strands when they get caught in knots. Detangling ensures that the hair is smooth, preventing unnecessary stress on the strands. Check out this post on how to detangle natural hair without breakage.
Solution:
- Gently detangle: Always detangle your hair first using your fingers or a wide-tooth comb. Work through the tangles from the ends up to avoid causing tension at the roots.
- Detangle while damp: It’s easier to detangle your hair when it’s slightly damp, either after a wash or a pre-poo treatment. You can use a detangling spray to help with slip.
4. Over-Combing Your Hair
It’s easy to get caught up in the habit of constantly combing or brushing your hair, but doing so too often can lead to hair breakage and thinning. The more you comb, the more friction you create, and this can result in strands breaking off. Plus, combing through hair that hasn’t been detangled can exacerbate the problem.
Solution:
- Don’t over-comb: Try to minimize how often you comb your hair. Instead, focus on detangling when necessary and styling with minimal manipulation.
- Gentle tools: Always use wide-tooth combs or detangling brushes to avoid causing excessive tension on your hair.
5. Wearing Tight Hairstyles
Tight hairstyles, like ponytails, braids, or buns, can put a lot of stress on your scalp and hair follicles. If you’re constantly pulling your hair back too tightly, you could develop traction alopecia, a form of hair loss caused by the tension from tight styles. This is particularly damaging to your hairline.
Solution:
- Opt for loose styles: Keep your hairstyles loose, especially around the scalp. Avoid tight ponytails or braids that could cause unnecessary stress on your hairline.
- Alternate styles: Give your hair a break by alternating between updos and wearing it down. This reduces the chances of constant tension in one area.
6. Leaving Your Hair Unprotected for Too Long
I used to be one of those people who would go for months without protective styles, thinking my hair would be fine. However, leaving your hair exposed to the elements (wind, sun, pollution) and manipulating it frequently can cause it to become dry and brittle, leading to breakage. Without protection, your strands are more vulnerable to damage.
Solution:
- Use protective styles: Styles like braids, twists, or buns can shield your hair from daily wear and tear.
- Avoid prolonged exposure: Don’t leave your hair out for months without a protective plan. Give it a break with a good protective style every so often.
7. Using Products That Aren’t Right for Your Hair Type
Not all hair products are created equal, and just because a product works well for someone else doesn’t mean it will work for you. For instance, coconut oil is a favorite for some, but for others, it can cause dryness and buildup. It’s important to be in tune with what your hair needs.
Solution:
- Know your hair: Pay attention to how your hair responds to different products. If you notice that a product causes dryness, frizz, or breakage, stop using it and look for alternatives.
- Experiment with ingredients: Some ingredients may work better for your hair than others. For example, try products with oils like argan oil, jojoba oil, or shea butter if coconut oil isn’t cutting it.
8. Over-Moisturizing
Too much moisture can cause hair to feel soft but weak. Over-moisturized hair can also become frizzy, stretchy, and break off easily. Your hair needs balance—too much moisture can dilute the protein structure, leading to limp, fragile hair.
Solution:
- Balance moisture and protein: Ensure you’re maintaining a good moisture-to-protein balance in your hair care routine. Deep conditioning treatments with both moisture and protein are ideal for healthy, strong hair.
- Watch for over-moisturizing: If your hair feels limp, soft, and stringy, it might be a sign of over-moisturizing.
9. Too Much Protein
Protein is essential for strengthening hair, but overdoing it can lead to protein overload, which causes hair to feel hard, brittle, and prone to breakage. Just as too much moisture is bad, too much protein can make your hair fragile and prone to snapping.
Solution:
- Space out protein treatments: Protein treatments should be spaced out, depending on your hair’s needs. Typically, once every 3–4 weeks is enough for most hair types.
- Moisturize after protein treatments: After a protein treatment, follow up with a deep moisturizing treatment to help restore balance.
10. Not Protecting Your Hair at Night
While you sleep, your hair is vulnerable to friction with your pillowcase, which can cause breakage, tangling, and moisture loss. Cotton pillowcases, in particular, can absorb moisture from your hair, leaving it dry and brittle.
Solution:
- Use a satin or silk pillowcase: Satin and silk are gentler on your hair, reducing friction and helping retain moisture.
- Wear a satin or silk bonnet: Protect your hair at night by covering it with a satin or silk bonnet to prevent tangling, breakage, and moisture loss.
I’ve made every one of these mistakes, and it took time for me to realize the damage I was doing to my hair. But once I started adopting these practices, I saw my hair grow stronger and healthier.
If you’re serious about growing your hair, keep these 10 tips in mind, and you’ll be well on your way to healthier, longer hair.
If you found this post helpful, don’t forget to share it with your fellow naturalistas. And if you have any questions or tips to add, drop them in the comments!
