Having a bad hair day can steer anyone into a negative mindset, but did you know it could be more than an occasional problem? Hair can suffer from breakage and damage from various things and this sometimes can lead to hair loss which is even more tragic and terrifying.

When it comes to understanding hair breakage, damage, and loss it is important to single out the reason why this may be happening. Stress, certain hair care products, lack of hair care regimens, and what you eat can attribute to whether or not you have healthy hair. If you are stressed out, use products like boxed hair dye on the regular, and avoid the hair salon for trims, you may be stuck with hair that needs some help.

Stop Stressing

Stress is one of the biggest factors in human health that can readily affect every organ and function in the body. Hair is included in this psycho-physiological system. When you get stressed the cortisol hormone floods the body. This constant supply of cortisol wears out the hair follicle faster, causing them to reach a resting stage where they come loose from the scalp.

The good news is that hair will usually regrow when the stressors are gone and the person has returned to a level of homeostasis both in mind and in body. This is an odd reason for hair to act up, but it should be noted and ruled out before considering any serious measures to fix damage, breakage, or loss.

Hair Care Product Don’ts

A lot of the hair care products that are found on drugstore and grocery store shelves are cheap and easy to find. Unfortunately, this also means that the ingredients are full of chemicals and additives that are really bad for your hair. Some of the worst products you can use on your hair from the store include:

  • Boxed Hair Colour. Boxed hair colour contains chemicals and additives such as metallic salts that bind to the natural keratin in the hair. The dye will then alter the hair color in an unnatural way by coating it with pigment thus causing damage throughout the strand.
  • At Home Bleach or Lightening Kits. If you want to lighten or bleach your hair it is best not to do it at home. These kits are the absolute worst in both quality and procedure. The ingredients will damage your hair every time you use them. These kits can cause extreme frizz, stripping the hair of natural moisture. This can lead to further breakage, damage, and hair loss that can be permanent.
  • Perm Kits. The chemicals in these kits can be flat out dangerous to your health, not just your hair. Some of these chemicals can cause nausea and headaches on top of damaging your hair. Perm kits can burn the hair and if over-processed can permanently damage hair strands. Not to mention most perm kits do not curl the hair evenly, causing a chaotic look that cannot be easily fixed.
  • Chemical Straighteners or Hair Relaxer Kits. These also have chemicals and additives that are dangerous to your overall health. If done incorrectly the damage that these chemical hair treatments will cause can be substantial and long-lasting.

These type of hair products have chemicals and additives that will strip the hair strand to its core in various ways. This will cause breakage, damage, and potentially could end up in hair loss that is permanent. It is best to avoid doing these types of hair treatments unless in a professional hair salon setting to limit the amount of damage done to the hair.

Not Caring for Your Hair

Cut It

It is recommended that you get a trim or a full haircut every six months, even if you are growing it out. This helps to eliminate split ends that will otherwise keep splitting up the strand and can reach the follicle, itself, causing it to die and come loose from the scalp.

Wash It

Use more natural daily hair care products to eliminate dangerous sulfates and extreme Ph balancing that leaves hair in sad shape. Don’t wash your hair every time you shower. This sounds odd, but when you shower and wash your hair too frequently then it strips the hair of natural oils that protect the strand and shaft from dryness and damage.

Moisturize It

This is especially important if you live in a hot and dry climate. The hair needs to maintain inner moisture in order to produce a healthy gloss and shine. Use natural moisturizing products in your hair in a regimen that works for your type of hair. Neglecting to keep moisture in the hair will lead to breakage, damage, and hair loss that can sometimes be permanent.

Brush It

It is best to keep your hair well maintained to prevent rat’s nests, matting, and other tangles. While over-brushing can cause damage (no need to use 100 brush strokes), not brushing your hair can lead to damage caused by having to detangle the hair eventually. Tangled hair also doesn’t grow as well and will lead to tension in the scalp that can pull or break hair easily.

Wear It

How you wear your hair also can affect how healthy the hair will be. If the hair is worn tightly to the scalp or pulled into a tight bun this can cause breakage, damage, and loss to the hair. Traction alopecia is a temporary type of hair loss that is caused by a chronic ponytail or bun wearing. Keeping the hair wrapped up so tight creates tension on the hair and can cause breakage, damage, or will eventually pull out the entire follicle. If this continues, the hair follicle will eventually not even return leading to permanent hair loss.

Conclusion

A lot goes into taking proper care of your hair so you don’t become the victim of breakage, damage or loss. Stress, cheap hair products, and lack of proper hair regimens will add to the likelihood that your hair will become damaged. There are steps you can take to get your hair healthy again including limiting stressors, avoiding damaging chemicals in products, and adding a trim to your schedule every six months.