We frequently damage our hair in pursuit of an attractive look. You could be experiencing one of the various issues that might prevent hair growth if your locks haven’t become an inch longer since your last measurement. Due to its ongoing exposure to the environment, hair is particularly vulnerable to damage. The use of heat equipment, skipping haircuts, neglecting split ends, and repeatedly applying chemical treatments to the hair, such as dying it, are other typical causes of hair damage. Hair breakage can result in frizzy, unattractive hair. We can ultimately see thinning hair or even bald areas if we continue to harm our hair. (Also read: Hair care: Tips to keep in mind when colouring your hair )
Healthy hair coach and expert, Frances Atulomah, shared five habits that damage your hair and hamper its growth in her recent Instagram post.
1. Unbalanced diet
Eating a properly balanced diet is not just important for your overall health but for your hair as well. Diets that restrict entire food groups and vitamins and minerals can be bad news for your hair. Since hair growth is an elective system in the body, necessary nutrients will be rerouted from the hair follicles to more essential body functions.
2. Dry hair and scalp
Lack of moisture makes hair easy to break. Moisturize and seal your hair daily. While moisturizing your hair, ensure that you are drinking enough water to keep your scalp hydrated on the inside.
3. Too much styling stress
Weaves and extensions are good protective style options that help to give your hair a break from regular styling. They offer hairstyle options but remove them every six to eight weeks to give hair a weeklong break. Carrying your braids till thy kingdom come will undo all of the protection. Your hair becomes weaker and prone to breakage.
4. Not washing your hair regularly
Dirty hair has a lot of build-up from products, sebum, and dirt. When you don’t wash your hair, the build-up from oil, dirt, dead skin cells etc will suffocate your scalp and clog your hair follicles.
5. You don’t trim your hair
Too many split ends are a recipe for disaster in your hair journey. As you experience more tangles because of split ends, you will in turn experience more breakage and shedding. Split ends are a sign that your hair needs a trim. There are no products that treat or cure split ends. You need to cut them off.