1 One of the main reasons for hair breakage is overhandling of your hair. The dictum that you should brush your hair throughout the day and a 100 strokes is essential, does not hold anymore.Thanks to the pollution levels and also the stressful lives that we lead, our hair is already in a not-so-happy state. And to top this, if you constantly overhandle it by vigorous champi, harsh shampooing and severe brushing -the cuticle will give way and the fragile hair shaft will be compromised. Experts suggest that you should treat your hair gently. When shampooing, do not overscrub your scalp, rather, use your finger tips to cleanse it. Post applying a hair conditioner, gently detangle your hair and only after that, rinse off the products well. Wrap a soft, absorbent microfibre towel to soak up excess water and then let it dry naturally. Apply a hair serum for protection. Once dry, comb through to style your hair.
2 Avoid using heating appliances too often because, when hair comes in contact with high temperature, the cuticle is damaged. Ideally, you must avoid blow-drying very wet hair on very high heat. It is advisable to use a protective leave-in conditioner and serum before you use heatstyling appliances. Using the blowdryer on a cold setting works. Or you could choose a medium-heat setting and turn of the dryer when hair is almost dry -use fingers and a light brush to style it.Go easy on the flat and curling irons (not more than three to four times a month).
3 Using too many hair prod ucts can also damage your hair and lead to breakage. Of course you cannot just suddenly stop using styling products completely, but it might help to minimise their use.Most products like dyes, conditioners, serums, straightening and perming agents are all advanced and made only after a lot of research and development -they are not meant to harm hair. In fact, there are some products that actually enhance the quality of your hair and their usage might protect your hair. However, it is good to keep in mind that the chemicals are not left on for too long or are not used too frequently. You should be careful with some of the products that are not meant for your scalp and roots-apply them only on the shaft.
4 Using excessive coconut or other greasy oils on your hair and scalp and leaving it on the scalp for too long, attracts dirt and grime that block pores and leads to multiple hair problems. It is best to massage in hair oil, leave on for 15 to 30 minutes and then shampoo it all off thoroughly. It is a myth that dousing your scalp with coconut oil and letting it stay that way will promote hair heath.
Also, there are some hairstyles that put a lot of pressure on your hair. Avoid pony tails, hair braids and high buns that are too tight because they tug at the roots unnecessarily. When styling, look for hair-protecting bands and clips.The hair extensions that you use should not be too tight, use ones that are clip ons.