A lot of us struggle with weak hair. The hair just seems to be falling off no matter what we do and we have no idea how to deal with that. Top hairstylists have tricks that they use and when you learn what tricks those are, you will know how to strengthen hair.
Signs of weak hair
- There is hair always stuck on your hair tools, combs, and brushes.
- Your scalp is extremely sensitive during combing.
- You have a receding hairline.
- You notice a lot of hair at your bathroom drain on washday.
- Your hair has very noticeable split ends.
What causes weak hair?
Knowing the causes of weak hair is the first step to strengthening hair since you will avoid the cause in the first place.
1. Chemical relaxers and hair dyes
Everyone knows that hair relaxers and dyes weaken hair. The chemicals in these products work to soften the hair and make it thinner. Repeated relaxing and dyeing, especially using harsh hair chemicals usually weakens the hair a great deal.
2. Extreme heat
We can’t avoid using heat on our hair every once in a while. You might need to attend a high-end work meeting, a wedding or a very professional event where your natural kinks and curls might look out of place. Using heat every once in a while is okay. Overdoing it will definitely weaken the hair. Heat will deform the keratin protein that your hair is made from.
3. Harsh hair products
The reason why top hairstylists recommend that you check the ingredients of your products and do your research before making a purchase is because they know the implications of using some products. Harsh hair products will not only weaken your hair but most likely affect your scalp as well which does not help the case much.
4. Hot water
It is not recommended to use hot water when washing your hair. Professional hairstylists recommend lukewarm water. Hot water is not ideal because it strips hair of its natural oils thus drying it out and eventually weakening it.
5. Too much washing
Hair should be washed at most twice in a week which is still too much. Most top hair stylists recommend washing your hair once in two weeks especially if it is chemically relaxed. This highly depends on your natural hair properties, but in general less washing is better.
6. Genetics and hormones
Sometimes weak hair might be genetic or be caused by hormonal changes in the body. If you inherit that gene from a parent, it might be hard to do something about it but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try. Dealing with the hormone problem will in turn help with hair strengthening.
7. Over styling
Wearing your hair in too tight a style or wearing it in the same position might cause it to weaken. This is because of the pressure at the ends that are pulled too tight.
8. Friction
Rubbing your hair with a towel after washing, sleeping on a cotton pillowcase, and wearing rough hats and caps might lead to weakening of hair due to too much rubbing and moisture loss due to the adsorbent material that hair is rubbing against.
9. Smoking
Anything that is bad for your health is definitely bad for your hair. This is common knowledge and should not be assumed if you want strong hair and a healthy body in general.
How to strengthen hair
1. Eat right and drink more water
Eating the right foods and drinking more water is one of the simplest ways to give your hair strength. Eat foods rich in Vitamins A, C, and E, iron, Omega-3, and protein while drinking at least 3 liters of water a day. This will strengthen your body which ultimately work to strengthen you in general and your hair in the process.
2. Trim ends regularly
Most people prefer not to trim their hair. What these people do not know is that split ends do not just end naturally. Their length increases which weakens and breaks hair. Getting rid of split ends by getting regular trims which assure you of an end to hair breakage and thus strong hair in the future.
3. Sleep on a silk pillow case or sleep with a silk scarf on
Silk will not absorb your hair oils. Cotton and other materials will absorb your natural hair oils. Dry hair is weak hair. You will notice a huge difference in your hair strength if you start sleeping with a silk scarf on or on silk pillow cases.
4. Do not over wash
Washing hair means subjecting it to shampoo, heat for drying and probably other chemicals that you might use. Shampoo might leave your hair clean and smelling nice but overuse will weaken the hair strands. The rubbing motion when washing and drying is also not recommended if you are looking to achieve hair that is strong.
5. Moisturize
This can’t be emphasized enough. Dry hair is weak hair. Moisturizing both your hair and the scalp ensures that your hair is not thirsty. This is a good thing because hair will be strong and healthy oiled strands are less prone to breakage. Some people add oil to their hair to moisturize it.
6. Avoid heat as much as possible
It is common knowledge that heat weakens hair. The more you expose your hair to heat, the weaker it becomes. Opt for other options of drying your hair and use minimal heat if you have to so that you can preserve the strength of your strands.
7. Check your hair product ingredients
Ingredients such as sulfur don’t make it to the list of hair friendly products. Try as much as possible to stay away from such ingredients. Research on what is hair friendly and what is not then be extremely choosy on what you let through your strands.
8. Choose your hairstylist wisely
We all have a hairstylist that we prefer when looking for a certain look. It is important that you go for someone who knows what they are doing and has preferably gone to a hair college. The products used, way of washing hair, tools used, and styling techniques all have an effect on whether your hair stays strong or weakens more after every hair salon visit.
9. Use conditioner and hair treatment regularly
Washday should have hair conditioner and treatment incorporated into it. The conditioner is to make hair softer and thus give you an easy time when combing and avoiding damage caused by combing through tangled hair. Hair treatment basically nourishes the hair to provide and maintain strength.
10. Do not over style
Have you ever seen hair that is too tightly styled that someone’s eyes become smaller and the forehead bigger? Hair styles that strain the hair roots ruin the hair by weakening the roots and the positions where the hair bands are regularly tied.
11. Use hair combs and brushes made of quality material
Plastic is not very much recommended by top stylists; especially for natural hair. Buy quality hair brushes and combs to avoid damage that comes with regular use of combs that strain the hair strands. Fiber made hair brushes are the best.
12. Go natural
Use hair chemicals and dyes only if you need to. Going natural is definitely not easy considering the amount of work that you will have to put in to maintain your hair. It is very much worth it because the chances of the strength of your hair strands being compromised are minimal.
13. Use protective styles
Braids, weaves, wigs, and other hair additions can work in your favor. This is especially if you have been exposing your hair to harsh conditions and are working on getting it back to its healthy state. Using braids and weaves minimizes the amounts of heat you use on your hair as well as the number of times you need to wash your hair and this is definitely good for you.
14. Avoid harsh weather conditions
Too much sun, extreme wind, and rain are some of the weather conditions that weaken hair over long exposure. Try and limit the amount of time that your hair is exposed to these conditions.
15. Do not over brush
Brushing your hair will always rid you of some strands. Imagine doing this up to 5 times a day. Try and brush your hair at most twice a day if you must. To avoid over brushing, always try to keep things simple and neat.
16. Oil your scalp
Essential oils such as coconut oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, among others will work wonders for your hair when used on your scalp. Try and oil your scalp regularly. Oil in the scalp translates to oiled hair and thus general health and strength of your strands.
Conclusion
Remember that strengthening your hair is not rocket science. All that you need to do is know what weak hair looks like, know what causes the weakness and find ways to get rid of the weakness causes in the first place. In no time, you will be saying goodbye to weak hair.
