It can be so frustrating. You think you’re doing everything right to ensure your curls are healthy but still it seems something is missing. Does this sound like you? Are you experiencing an excessive amount of breakage and wondering what could be the cause? Check out these 10 tips to help prevent natural hair breakage and identify what is the weak link in your regimen:
Reduce or Eliminate Heat
Excessive direct heat changes the structure of your hair strands causing them to become brittle and break off. Stay away from direct heat as much as possible and if you feel you aren’t ready to, try using a lower temperature on your heat styling tools and cut back on the amount of times you use them.
Deep Condition Regularly
Show your hair some love and give it the moisture it needs! Deep conditioning regularly provides your thirsty hair strands the moisture it craves. Try deep conditioning with heat once a week or every two weeks at the least.
Moisturize! (Daily if Needed)
Natural hair is naturally dry! This is because the structure of our curly strands makes it very difficult for our natural oils to reach all the way down to the ends. It is up to us to ensure our hair strands are properly moisturized. This may require daily moisturizing. Keeping your hair properly moisturized will reduce the chances of your hair drying out and breaking. Try the LOC method (liquid/leave in, oil, cream) to effectively moisturize and seal your hair.
Show Your Ends Some Extra TLC
Your ends are the oldest part of your hair and therefore require lots of love and attention. Keep your ends properly moisturized to keep them from drying out and breaking off. Keep your ends tucked away as much as possible to keep them from rubbing on your shoulders or any other objects that can cause breakage.
Get Regular Trims
Your ends are the oldest part of your hair and are exposed to the elements the most and tend to get damaged. Getting regular trims rids split ends that can split further up the hair strand causing more damage.
Incorporate Finger Detangling
Hair tools such as combs and brushes can sometimes cause unnecessary breakage. Using your fingers allows you to feel for tangles and knots that can be missed by a comb or a brush and torn out, causing breakage.
Protective Style
Protective styles are any styles where the ends of your hair are tucked away. This includes buns, twists, braids, wigs, weaves, etc. Protective styling allows your hair a break from all the constant manipulation it endures on a daily basis which can also lead to breakage.
Be Gentle!
Since our curly hair is so fragile, it is very important to be gentle when handling it! This includes while detangling, washing, and styling. Be as gentle as possible with your hair at all times to avoid any unnecessary breakage.
Protein Treatments
Protein adds strength back to your hair and allows it to remain strong and resilient. You can purchase a protein treatment or make one at home with a few household ingredients.
Avoid Too-Tight Hairstyles
Weaves, braids, or puffs that are too tight can cause major tension on your strands that can result in breakage. This is especially true for edges.
