When you think of damaged hair, images of bad dye jobs and heated battles with your curling iron most likely come to mind. However, there are less obvious crimes you may be unknowingly committing against your locks! These are some of the most common causes of hair damage and what you can do to treat or prevent it:
1. Stressing out
Stress is unavoidable in everyday life, but too much of it can disrupt your hair’s growth cycle and actually lead to hair loss by the handful. One way to alleviate the impact of these stresses in your daily life is to meditate. Taking just 10 minutes a day to practice simple breathing exercises has many proven health benefits, including managing stress levels.
2. Brushing excessively
That’s right, you can actually treat your hair too well! Brushing helps with evenly distributing oil along your follicles, but overdoing it can damage your hair’s cuticle and cause breakage. Keep your hair healthy and happy by giving it just a few good brushes.
3. Towel drying
You step out of the shower, grab your towel, and proceed to vigorously rub your wet hair against it. Sound familiar? You may be drying your hair, but the friction actually roughens up your cuticles, giving it unwanted frizz and leaving it vulnerable to breakage. Hair is also weakest when it’s wet, so instead, dry your hair by gently squeezing it with a towel and using a wide-toothed comb to get rid of excess water.
4. Wearing tight hairstyles
Tight twists, braids, and ponytails look chic, but at a cost. Pulling your hair back that tightly creates tensile stress that can lead to permanent hair loss. To prevent this painful tug-o-war on your tresses, opt for looser styles that let your hair breathe.
5. Skimping on the shampoo
You might have heard that shampooing less is better for your hair, but be careful not to hold out for too long. Oil can build up at the roots and cause inflammation, which stunts your hair growth. Thinning hair can also be caused by this oil and cholesterol buildup, which is a problem that shampoo can’t fix. A scalp treatment such as our Panthenol-DX Follicle Detoxifier may be the solution you need to pave the way for healthy hair growth.
For more information and advice on haircare, check back on our weekly blog and be sure to follow us on Facebook here: http://facebook.com/scalpmed
