How to Strengthen Your Hair, According to Experts

Table Of Content

• What Causes Hair to Break (And How To Stop It?)
• Using a Healthy Washing Technique
• Include vitamins in your diet
• Prevent Heat Damage
• Hair products and styling
• Wet Hair Assessment

But if you have hair that is overly stretchy and has what seems to be too much elasticity, don’t fret. If your hair is healthy and has good elasticity, it should bounce back to its original shape and length before you tugged on it. I mean, it’s pretty difficult to not notice your hair feeling gross and gummy every time you shower.

What Causes Hair to Break (And How To Stop It?)

Certain nutrients help your hair grow and stave off breakage from damage. Make sure you’re getting enough zinc, iron, and folic acid in your daily diet. It might be painful to part with your hair especially if a lot of it is affected, but it’s the only way to return to normal healthy hair. She has been leaving on deep conditioning treatments overnight, which was causing her hair to suffer from over-moisturization. Once a week, treat your hair to a nice protein-rich deep conditioning mask, like the SheaMoisture Manuka Honey & Yogurt Hydrate + Repair Protein-Strong Treatment.

Using a Healthy Washing Technique

The hair breakage you experience is often a result of an imbalance between moisture and protein elements that make up your hair strands. Just like the rest of your body, your hair needs moisture to stay healthy and excessive processing like keratin treatments, relaxers and hair coloring can dry out your hair and lead to breakage. Valeriya Chupinina is the beauty assistant at Cosmopolitan with five years of experience researching, writing, and editing skincare stories that range from gray hairstyles to hair toners.

Include vitamins in your diet

Simply letting hair grow long without frequent trims can also lead to split ends. Although breakage may be unavoidable over time, there are certainly ways to curtail it, but the key is to prevent it in the first place. A scalp detox is a process of deep cleaning the scalp to remove product buildup, dead skin cells, oil, and dirt. These factors can lead to an itchy or dry scalp, dandruff, or scalp odor. A scalp detox can be achieved using pre-shampoo cleansers, scalp scrubs, serums, masks, and chemical and physical exfoliants. "This will help prevent a type of hair loss called traction alopecia, which can happen from repetitive tight hairstyles."

This is especially important if you have curls and want to avoid curly hair breakage since your hair type is more sensitive and hair damage from heat can affect your curl pattern over time. It also helps prevent split ends and restores tons of moisture; happy reviewers (with all hair types and textures) rave about how well it works and the impressive effects they notice even after one use. Damaged hair can take on many forms, such as frizzy hair or split ends, that eventually lead to your hair breaking off.

Prevent Heat Damage

Hair breakage results from the hair’s chemistry being thrown off balance. We’ll also show you how to organize your natural hair regimen to mitigate these issues effectively. In this article section, we will teach you how to effectively identify the difference between moisture-based and protein-based hair problems. The two examples perfectly illustrate what ensues when the balance between moisture and protein is tipped too far in one direction. Women with color-treated or relaxed hair will require more proteins since the processes of color-treating or relaxing hair compromise the protein structure of your hair. To maintain the moisture in your hair, we recommend sealing in the moisture with a heavier product.

Hair products and styling

It possesses antifungal and antibacterial properties (9) that prevent hair breakage and dandruff. (6) Applying eggs to your hair can boost the softness and health of your hair. Moreover, eggs possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that help control scalp inflammation and hair damage. As for hot tools, used in excess at high temperature settings, they can "burn the hair, which will cause split dry ends or cause the hair to break off mid-shaft," says Hurtado. Incorporating anti-breakage products to your routine does just that—it adds an extra step.

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The hair products you use are key weapons in the fight against breakage. Since damaged hair tends to be dry, it's important to keep it moisturized to replenish the strand. But before you dunk your hair in a vat of Jamaican black castor oil, take your hair texture into consideration. Unfortunately, treating damaged hair is a lot more labor intensive than preventing it in the first place.

In most cases, hair breakage is temporary, and people can repair their hair and restore its strength by using products and home remedies. There’s a multitude of evidence showing links between stress and hair loss, but it’s also known that stress can lead to hair breakage. When you add protein to your hair, especially to damaged hair, you can think of it as patching a hole in a shirt with a different type of fabric (or the same fabric if you’re getting a keratin treatment). Over-moisturizing your hair happens when you have too many hydrating ingredients in your products without strengthening proteins to balance them out.

You can think of a hair trim like you would skin exfoliation — in both instances, you may need to remove some of the old cells to help new ones grow. When you have split ends, these splits in the cuticle can travel up the rest of the length of your hair and possibly lead to breakage. One older 2009 clinical trial found that brushing less frequently led to reduced hair loss in women. The problem with hair ties is they pull on your scalp and hair cuticle. You may even notice some hair falls out every time you undo your ponytail. Unusually dry hair may be one of the precursors to damage and breakage.

If a strand breaks without stretching very much, it may need more moisture. It’s infused with yogurt extracts, which are rich in protein to fortify weak hair. It also has argan oil to add extra shine and bounce to your mane. On wash day, switch to the OGX Anti-Breakage Keratin Oil Shampoo and Conditioner. It’s made with Olaplex’s patented molecule that repairs the structure of overly processed strands from the inside out.

Products that people use for coloring, perming, or relaxing the hair contain chemicals that can weaken the hair and make it more likely to break. This is because some eating disorders cause malnourishment, such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa. In such cases, hair follicles don’t have the nutrients they need to produce new hair, and the process is terminated altogether.

Keep time in mind when looking for a product, since some require more dedication than others. When time is of the essence, reach for the Amika Kure Multi-Task Repair Treatment, which works in just 60 seconds and delivers seriously impressive results after just three uses. The Shu Uemura Silk Bloom Treatment Hair Mask, on the other hand, requires the formula to sit in the hair for up to 10 minutes. Product like K-18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask, however, can stay in your hair and doesn't have to be washed out. It may say "blonde" in the name, but this newbie is actually a good choice for anyone who lightens their hair (and lest we forget that hair bleaching is a prime cause of damage).

Hair breakage occurs when the hair shaft breaks, which then leads to split ends and shorter strands of hair. If you transition back to your natural hair shade, you can give your roots a break from all the chemical processes and give it a better shot at recovering from breakage. Using hot tools on your hair every day can eventually lead to breakage.

If your hair has a balance of moisture and protein, your hair will finally get the strength and elasticity it needs to bounce back to its original shape when you do the “stretch test”. But another thing you should incorporate into your hair care routine is a bond-building treatment. Many times, overly stretchy hair is caused by both extreme hair damage and over-moisturizing.

How to Prevent and Stop Hair Breakage: 9 Home Remedies

Table Of Content

• Moisturize the scalp and hair with nourishing products
• Apply essential oils
• Why You May Want to Detox Your Scalp
• What other common types of hair loss are there?
• Why and How to Do a Scalp Detox

Stress is a health issue as well and, yes, it can affect your hair, too, Dr. Hartman tells us. New York City-based dermatologist Neil Sadick, M.D., FAAD, previously told Allure that he found in clinical research that stress can do physical damage to your hair. "Increased levels of stress hormones — mainly cortisol — disrupt the hair cycle," Sadick explained. So, if work is super hectic or you're going through an emotionally traumatic event and you're experiencing breakage, you may want to talk to your doctor about whether or not stress is your main problem.

Moisturize the scalp and hair with nourishing products

You may even notice new hairs that break off in the middle of the growing cycle. Instead of rubbing water out of your hair, blot an absorbent towel around your hair instead. You can also leave a towel in your hair as a temporary measure to absorb excess water. Also, be sure you shampoo gently at the scalp and apply conditioner smoothly from your ends to your roots. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends extending the time between your sessions to 8–10 weeks, if possible.

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Apply essential oils

"There are a few key vitamins and minerals that should be on your radar to support healthy hair and a healthier you overall," Dr. Yadav says. Dr. Yadav also mentions zinc, iron, and selenium as three more important nutrients to have in your diet to keep your hair strong. Exfoliating products, which remove dead skin cells from the top layer of skin, can help keep the scalp healthy and clean. These products might also prevent hair follicles from clogging and remove hair products, oil, debris, and dead skin buildup. Ahram notes that "a healthy balanced diet with fats and proteins helps promote hair growth." She says the most essential nutrients for hair growth and strength are vitamin B, Vitamin D, zinc, biotin, and iron. Most of us expose our hair to heat styling in some way, from diffusers to curling irons.

Why You May Want to Detox Your Scalp

Regardless of whether it’s healthy or not, a strand of hair pulled by both of its ends will most likely break, depending on the amount of pressure applied. In the event your hair breaks when wet, how it breaks under the conditions should be a clear indication of whether more protein or moisture is needed to regain optimal moisture-protein balance. Your hair’s moisture content depends on the amount of protein it contains.

Briogeo Don't Despair Repair Rice Water Protein + Moisture Strengthening Treatment

Another terrific way to moisturize the hair while targeting the top of the head specifically is to give yourself an oil massage on the scalp. And never, ever point your blow dryer’s hot air directly into your roots. But sadly, they might be the reason why your hair is breaking off at the top. This can cause so much stress to the top of your head, encouraging breakage. Tight ponytails, hair extensions, and weaves are a no-no if you want to keep the hair at the top of your head from breaking off. If you don’t want to change your hair color, consider using root concealers instead, like sprays and powders.

What other common types of hair loss are there?

Rigorous editorial guidelines, industry recognitions, and features in numerous media outlets evidence his expertise. Kenneth’s commitment to transparency, quality, and empowerment has positioned him as a trusted voice in the field, empowering readers to confidently embrace their natural beauty. Welcome to our FAQ section, where we address your questions about hair breakage.

Excessive protein structure will only make your hair rigid, decreasing its elasticity. If your hair breaks with little stretching or tension, then this is a sign that there is an overabundance of proteins and very little moisture. It is almost impossible to wet assess your hair by simply holding one strand and pulling it on both ends. This process would create ‘undue’ stress since no single strand of hair is ever truly subjected to that kind of tension at any given time. Hair that’s shifted too far to either side of the optimal balance – either too much moisture or too much protein – will eventually break. Hair that’s well proteinated will absorb moisture more efficiently since water molecules readily bind to sound protein structures within the hair.

Heat Styling

But keeping your hair moisturized, avoiding high heat settings, and handling your strands with care when wet can keep hair breakage to a minimum. The long answer is that taking care of your hair thoughtfully will prevent breakage from occurring anyway. Adopting healthy habits in your hair care routine can not only help eliminate breakage, but it can prevent it from occurring in the first place, too.

Or you over processed parts of the hair which had already been bleached in the past. Do all of them together and you should notice a real difference over time. Plus if the hair has been bleached or lightened, it will be thinner anyway. Lisa is a wellbeing and beauty influencer with a focus on mental health and a large and engaged audience on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

If you're not sure if you're dealing with shedding or breakage, Fitzsimmons recommends looking at the hair lost to determine the cause. "When you shed hair, you will often see a small bulb-like attachment on the bottom of your hair strand that you won't see with hair breakage," he says. "That little bulb usually indicates that it has come directly from the scalp, having essentially been shed off."

Trim your hair every 6 months to prevent hair breakage or to reduce split ends. Avoid rubbing your hair with towels when dry to prevent breakage. You may use cotton shirts to dry your hair as they are soft on the hair.

It’s good practice to wait around four to six weeks (or longer) between hair dye sessions to preserve the integrity of your hair. Additionally, a glossing hair care system is a great way to get shiny hair. Spray the glossing treatment all over wet strands and leave on for one to three minutes (don’t rinse it out). Then follow up with conditioner, rinse and style your hair as usual. Contrary to what you may have been told as a kid, brushing your hair 100 times a day is not the route to shiny, silk strands — it’s the opposite.

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is popular as a hair rinse as it makes the hair soft and less prone to breakage. It contains pH-balancing properties that help maintain hair and scalp health and anti-fungal properties (8) that work by reducing dandruff and flakiness. You can check for hair breakage or damage by examining your hair for the appearance of small white dots or split ends anywhere through the length of your hair.

The 13 Best Hair Masks for Growth in 2024, According to Experts

Table Of Content

• Best Deep Conditioner for Fine, Damaged Hair
• Best for Color-Treated Hair: Madison Reed Bonding Time Bond Building Treatment
• The 12 Best Bonding Treatments For Your Best Hair Ever
• Best leave-in protein treatment
• Best Overall: Virtue Split End Serum

That’s because factors like genetics, your nutrition, stress and anxiety, and changes in your hormones, metabolism, or medications can all contribute to thinning hair. And the cause of your hair loss can help you determine the right ingredients for you—and, with that, the best hair growth serum. Therefore, “the best guidance is to ask questions and rely on trusted sources for scientific evidence and advice that is tailored to your individual need,” she instructs. With that in mind, consider these the serums worth trying to achieve your unique hair goals. The formula includes a blend of oils (argan, marula, camellia) to give fine hair a supple feel.

Best Deep Conditioner for Fine, Damaged Hair

It's been a while since I've gone in for a proper haircut (oops). So of course, prior to using this treatment, my hair was sporting a bit more damage on the ends than usual. Granted, you can't fully repair split ends without cutting them off, but you can help to seal them up a bit with a product like this. The balm contains wild-orange and white-cypress extracts, which help protect hair from the inside out.

Best for Color-Treated Hair: Madison Reed Bonding Time Bond Building Treatment

With options for both thick and fine to medium hair, the Ouai Hair Treatment Mask can help improve hair with split ends, dryness, and frizz. If you have a hairstylist, they may recommend applying a professional-grade protein treatment to your hair while you’re in the salon. Protein treatments are over-the-counter (OTC) or professional products you can apply to your hair to restore strength while providing protection against further damage. Individuals who have damaged hair and experience other symptoms, such as fatigue, heat or cold intolerance, weight loss, excessive hair loss, or headaches, should consult a doctor for further evaluation. For hair that is in the early stages of damage, hair treatment methods can smooth down the hair follicles, which may then help repair the look of damaged hair.

The 12 Best Bonding Treatments For Your Best Hair Ever

Start at the ends of the hair and slowly work out the knots as you move up toward your roots. Starting at the top of your head and forcefully tugging the brush through your hair can break the hair and lead to lasting damage as well as unwanted flyaways and frizz. You may need to try a couple of the options below to effectively address what’s going on. Avoid heat altogether and let the air do all the work for you.

Mielle Organics Babassu & Mint Deep Conditioner

The hair will keep breaking until you reach the healthy part of the hair. As long as your ends are breaking, your hair will not seem like it's growing," she explain. Whether you DIY at home or visit the salon, chemicals can drum up some hair damage. Whatever it is that has your hair screaming for moisture, there are plenty of ways to get healthy hydration back in the picture. Drybar's Final Call Frizz & Static Control Mist has taken up permanent residence on my desk. It's the ideal product to spritz on the days when my hair is static-y or puffy but not capital-F frizzy—and I s2g every time I use it, I earn compliments on both the scent and how smooth it makes my hair look.

This man took finasteride to treat his male pattern hair loss, and within 1 year (B), he had noticeable improvement. A treatment plan for hair loss may include one or more of the following. A dermatologist is a medical doctor who specializes in treating the skin, hair, and nails. No matter how much conditioner or nourishing oil we apply to our hair, that longed-for silky softness can be all too fleeting.

NatureLab. Tokyo Perfect Repair Leave In Treatment

Though all hair types can experience frizz, curly hair is the most naturally frizz-prone. This is due to the natural shape of curly hair follicles, not styling errors. If your texture is on the coarser, curlier side, you'll need to prioritize hair hydration if you want to reduce flyaways and frizz. Just a few drops of Verb's Ghost Oil is all it takes to smooth flyaways and minimize my second-day (and third-day, and perhaps even fourth-day...) frizz. Not only will the moringa oil-based formula make your hair look smoother and shinier, but it'll actually help to strengthen your dry, damaged ends, thanks to additions like bamboo extract and argan oil.

Best leave-in protein treatment

Products vary, but some reports suggest that a person should leave a deep conditioner on their hair for 20–30 minutes. The best way to maintain healthy hair is to get regular haircuts and prevent damage from heat and other grooming habits. Hair is porous, but a lipid-coated membrane prevents it from becoming waterlogged. According to an article in the International Journal of Trichology, when a person strips their hair of natural oils and moisture, it also causes the loss of this lipid layer, causing the hair to become extremely porous. A variety of treatments have been developed to help regrow hair and thicken existing hair on patients with alopecia, dermatologists say. Their effectiveness largely depends upon what type of alopecia you have and how quickly you start treatment.

Best Overall: Virtue Split End Serum

While your hair may regrow on its own, your dermatologist may recommend treatment to help it grow more quickly. Sometimes, treatment is essential to prevent further hair loss. Some hairstyles and hair care habits can damage hair, leading to hair loss. If your dermatologist finds that this may be causing your hair loss, your dermatologist can recommend changes that will help you stop damaging your hair. Tapping into the new wave of plant-based peptides helping to reverse hair damage, this formulation uses hydrolysed oat protein to soften and hydrate lacklustre locks.

Plus, this minty formula also supports scalp health, and customers with dry, flaky scalps attest to its ability to soothe and moisturize this tricky area. Per this product's name, it's formulated specifically for hair that's been damaged from chemical treatments, heat, and/or dye. So if split ends, brittle strands, dullness, and breakage are among your hair concerns, you're going to want to add this to your shower set up, STAT.

Knowing your hair type and porosity level will make it sooo much easier to find the right ones—and it'll make it easier to identify the root causes of your frizz. Read on for the 411 on the best anti-frizz hair products out there. Maria is our Beauty and Grooming Testing Manager, and since joining in mid-2022, she has managed the testing for mutiple categories including scalp scrubs, collagen supplements and retinol serums. In addition to her master's degree in chemical engineering and a diploma in cosmetic science, she recently received her MBA from the London College of Fashion, focusing on case studies within the beauty industry.

Here are our top-rated formulas at a glance, but keep scrolling for everything you need to know about these hair treatments and for our full reviews. Carolyn Aronson has over 20 years of experience working as a hairstylist and salon owner in multiple states across the US. Her brand, It's A 10 Haircare, champions self-love through haircare and is also involved in a number of philanthropic efforts both at home and abroad. "If you have straight, fine, thin hair, consider only applying the mask from the mid-lengths to ends of your hair," says James.

Minoxidil tends to be more effective when used along with another treatment for hair loss. Many people see some regrowth when using minoxidil, but it takes time to see results, usually about 6 to 12 months. Effective treatment for hair loss begins with finding the cause. To get an accurate diagnosis, it helps to see a board-certified dermatologist.

A seasoned trend forecaster and fashion historian, she analyzes viral products and trends on a deeper level. After admitting to Fagiani that I'd gone too far, too fast with bleach before, she recommended I use a pump or two of K18 fresh out of the shower. I've been applying it diligently ever since, and I've noticed wayyyy fewer split ends and less overall damage.

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Hair Loss Prevention: 22 Things You Can Do to Stop Hair Loss.

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While alopecia doesn’t typically affect your physical health, the emotional and psychological distress it can cause are very real. Shake really, really well until the conditioner is dissolved, and you'll have yourself a handmade leave-in conditioner. It's one of the few anti-frizz sprays I've found that actually creates the ~humidity shield~ it claims to and keeps my flyaways at bay. This travel-size bottle has become a staple in my carry-on bag when I'm traveling somewhere rainy or humid.

This dermatologist is using a dermatoscope to examine a patient’s scalp. Free to everyone, these materials teach young people about common skin conditions, which can prevent misunderstanding and bullying. Use these professionally produced online infographics, posters, and videos to help others find and prevent skin cancer. It can smooth out deep wrinkles and lines, but the results aren’t permanent. The results speak to the brand’s professional standards, with testers taking great pleasure in their fuller, thicker and stronger strands. Some were a little unsure about the “clinical” fragrance, but said the smell wasn’t strong enough to put them off.