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Lots of people suffer from hair breakage, so it bodes the question - how to prevent hair breakage? Well, there are some very simple steps you can take to prevent hair breakage during the day and then again throughout the night as you sleep.
In this article, we explain how to prevent breakage in fine hair, thin hair, thick hair, and all types of hair, to help you boost your hair's health and overall strength this year.
What causes hair breakage?
Before explaining how to prevent hair breakage, we need to look at what causes breakage. Well, several things can lead to hair breakage, namely:
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Heat styling: Always blow drying and styling your hair on the hottest heat setting can cause breakage.
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Dehydration: Potentially caused by the weather or by a poor diet, dehydration can make your hair brittle and may cause it to break.
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Overwashing: Washing your hair too frequently can also cause it to break.
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Sun and heat damage: The sun's UV rays are damaging to your hair, and if you spend a lot of time outdoors, UV rays can be one of the biggest causes of hair breakage.
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Chemicals: Natural hair products are much better than chemically induced products that can cause breakage and damage to your hair.
How to prevent hair breakage naturally - 5 steps
Above are five of the most common causes of hair breakage. To help you combat these issues and prevent hair breakage, here are five simple steps to implement in your haircare routine:
Step 1. Dry your hair with lower heat
Using a dryer with an adjustable heat setting is one of the easiest ways to prevent head damage. For instance, the Laifen Swift Special comes with three adjustable heat settings, enabling you to dry your hair on the low, medium, or high setting.
The Swift Special's brushless ionic motor is capable of drying your hair 5.5x faster than similar products, meaning you don't need to compromise on speed when drying on a lower heat setting. The simple act of switching to the Laifen Swift Special dryer means you can protect your hair from breakage caused by heat styling.
Step 2. Keep your hair hydrated
When your hair dries out, regardless of what causes it to, it can become brittle and is much more prone to breakage. This is because the structure of the follicles weakens and when you then wash and brush your hair, it can break.
To avoid this, you need to keep your hair hydrated. Using a nourishing, vitamin-laden leave-in conditioner is a great first step. Look for conditioners with ingredients like jojoba oil or Argan oil to add much-needed moisture to your hair.
Alternatively and if your hair is particularly dry, consider treating yourself to a hair mask to add much-needed moisture to your locks to prevent further breakage.
Step 3. Wash your hair less frequently
Washing your hair too often can lead to hair breakage. But what is too often? Well, experts recommend that you should only wash your hair 2-3 times per week.
This is the optimal amount of time to ensure you keep your hair free from dirt and debris while also preserving its essential natural oils.
If you wash your hair more frequently than this, consider reducing the number of times each week that you wash with shampoo and conditioner, and you may notice an improvement in the strength of your hair as a result.
Step 4. Protect your hair from UV rays
Research has shown that UVB radiation can cause hair protein loss, which may lead to shrinkage and breakage overtime.
While being out in the sun once in a while isn't necessarily bad for your hair, spending lots of time outdoors in direct sunlight can be more of a problem.
Therefore, if you live in a particularly hot country or are going on vacation, make sure you pack a hat to protect your hair from harmful UV rays.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19138021/
Step 5. Stop using chemically-enhanced products
Chemicals are a big problem in hair products and they are one of the leading causes of hair breakage. This is because they can affect the structure of your hair and can break or damage your hair follicles.
Therefore, one of the easiest ways to prevent hair breakage is to stop using products with harmful chemicals like sulfates and alcohol.
While reading the label of every hair product that you buy can be time consuming, we recommend buying natural, organic hair products where possible. The more natural a product is, the better it is likely to be for your hair.
How to prevent hair breakage while sleeping - 3 things to try
Granted, you need to also protect your hair from breakage while you're sleeping. After all, you move around a lot in your sleep and many women suffer hair breakage as a result. Here are 3 super simple things you can try if you want to protect your hair from breakage while sleeping:
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Avoid tight hairstyles in bed: Tight hairstyles can cause your hair to weaken and break at night, due primarily to friction with the pillow. So, consider tying your hair loosely in a top bun or wearing it down at night to prevent unnecessary friction.
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Switch to a silk or satin pillowcase: Silk and satin pillowcases are a better option than cotton alternatives because they are much smoother and cause less friction. Though slightly more expensive, these materials can help to prevent hair breakage during the night.
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Hydrate your hair before bed: We recommend adding a leave-in conditioner or applying a hair mask before you go to bed. While it's not a good idea to go to bed with wet hair, adding hydration to your hair before bed is a great way to prevent breakage throughout the night.
The bottom line
Hair breakage can be a problem, but it's not an insurmountable one. When it comes to how to prevent breakage of hair, there are so many simple steps you can take to boost your hair's health and strength. We hope you use our helpful tips above to improve the way that you look after your hair to see the results that you desire this year!
