Ever wonder why your natural hair is breaking? I know personally, my hair is super duper fine, this means that at any given time it can be prone to breakage if I am not careful.
Curly/Kinky/Coily hair, in general, cannot be left to do its own thing for long periods of time because the structure of the strand alone makes the hair prone to tangles, snapping, fairy knots and of course breakage.
Here are 6 reasons your natural hair is breaking:
1. Plucking knots
Single strand knots are a bi-product of curly hair and most of us hate them with a passion. I understand the urge to just pluck the knot out of the hair (I am so guilty of that) but pulling the hair in that manner causes trauma to the strand.
You will actually end up fraying the strand which is what happens when you have a split end. Split ends typically lead to breakage when your hair is not trimmed.
2. Skipping a detangling session
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In real life, we often do not have the time to spend hours finger detangling our hair every couple of days but tangles can develop into locs if you are not careful.
The longer you go without detangling the more likely you will get huge tangles that you might be tempted to rip out or that you will have to cut out.
This just means you are losing length because you missed an opportunity to catch the problem early. My advice? Stick to a reasonable detangling session, once a week is good for most of us.
Additionally, keep your hair in styles that are not prone to tangle. If you love wearing your freedom fro, you will have to maintain it daily to ensure that your hair isn’t just free to mix and mingle with itself all the time.
3. You use harsh tools
Brushes and fine-tooth combs that can rip through your hair will cause the hair to break in a variety of places.
Even if it feels as if the brush is gliding through your strands, some of the bristles are bound to get snagged.
The solution? Never use tools on dry hair, use leave-ins, and conditioners to give your hair slip as you detangle.
4. Using sulfates
The sulfates found in most shampoos can rob your hair of moisture and its natural oils which make the strands dry brittle and prone to breakage. Look for cleansers that are free of sulfates and that have great slip.
If you are using sulfates you can also try a pre-poo with a healthy oil before you shampoo. This protects your hair from the harsh shampoos.
5. Sleeping on a cotton pillowcase
On any other day, I would be best friends with cotton all things considered, but in this case, cotton is really bad for your hair.
If you sleep on cotton pillowcases with your hair uncovered you can literally dry your hair out waking up with brittle hair every single day.
The dryer your hair the more prone it is to breakage so get yourself a silk pillowcase or cover your hair at night with a silk scarf or bonnet.
6. Letting your hair blow in the wind
Do not get me wrong, getting a little wind in your hair is amazing, but the frantic and constant whipping can wreak havoc on your ends.
There are other elements to think about as well, the sun, the cold Winters all of these things can affect your strands.
Final thoughts on your natural hair is breaking
I know it seems as if our hair is beyond fragile and literally anything can break it, but things aren’t as bad as they seem.
The details in our regimen matter and they counteract all of the things that can break our hair. For example, how often you trim. Trimming reduces tangles, gets rid of knots, and makes your style look 100% better.
Do you do protein treatments for strength? Do you deep condition to give your hair the moisture it needs? All of these things help to fight the good fight against breakage and so you find that you have a fantastic balance in your hair care.
Quick question – How do you prevent breakage in your regimen?
