Why Damaged Hair Is the First Stage of Hair Loss

Damaged hair is a precursor to hair loss. If Your hair is damaged, it is more prone to breakage or loss, which is why it is important to be able to identify when your hair is damaged, so you can treat it and prevent the inevitable devastation of hair loss. It is easy to damage your hair because colouring it, relaxing it, using irons or other heat based styling treatments, or evening pulling your hair too tightly or too frequently into a particular style harms your hair. Whilst hair loss is easy to spot i.e shedding en masse, bald patches, thinning or a receding hair line, damaged hair is a little more difficult to identify, until it is too late and your hair begins to fall. So, we will set out below, five characteristics to look for to determine whether your hair is damaged:

• Dry & Brittle Hair

Does your hair feel dry and rough when you touch it? Is your hair brittle, causing the ends to snap and break? If the answer to these questions is yes, then your hair is damaged and likely to break.

• Excessive Tangling

Curly hair or hair with tight coils are more likely to tangle than straight hair. If your hair is tangling excessively, it is likely that your hair is damaged. Damaged, dry hair with roughened cuticles and frayed split ends are likely to snag and form knots (tangles).

• Lack of Elasticity

Before addressing the issue of hair elasticity, we must first explain what elasticity is. Elasticity determines the extent to which the strands of your hair can stretch and bounce back to their original form. You can test the elasticity of your hair by taking a strand between two fingers and stretching it. If the strand breaks with little or, no stretching, then your hair is damaged, weak and has lost its elasticity and is more likely to break. ProTress Essential Scalp Therapy Energising Shampoo and Lotion makes hair stronger and improves its elasticity.

• Split Ends

Split ends occur when damaged tips of the hair shaft split in two, causing hair to look frizzy and even form knots. If you are suffering from split ends then your hair is damaged and the ends might snap off.

• High Porosity

Porosity is the capacity your hair has, to absorb moisture or chemicals, such as hair dye. Afro and curly textured hair tend to be highly porous because hair cuticles are permanently raised to accommodate the curl of the hair shaft. Slightly raised hair cuticles means moisture and chemicals can easily permeate the hair shaft just as easily as they can slip out via the raised hair cuticle. This is why high porosity hair is problematic, because it absorbs moisture and chemicals without necessarily retaining them.

Advice for Treating Damaged Hair

If you have noticed that your hair is exhibiting any of the characteristic mentioned above then your hair is probably damaged and will potentially be more prone to breakage. To avoid further hair loss and breakage try the following:

Trim Your Hair

Trimming the damaged parts of your hair will prevent further hair loss because damaged hair is prone to breakage and if left to break naturally, further damage can be caused because it can leave a frayed edge which can perpetuate split ends. Trimming you hair with sharp scissors can rid your hair of damaged ends whilst leaving a clean, straight cut, preventing further split ends.

Condition Your Hair

Conditioning your hair can help to reduce hair porosity and dryness because a good conditioner will flatten hair cuticles, helping to seal moisture into the hair shaft, preventing dryness whilst making hair less vulnerable to penetration by foreign bodies. 

Treatment

ProTress Essential Scalp Therapy Energising Lotion contains anti ageing components which counteracts the negative effects that ageing has on hair growth whilst helping to reverse hair damage. ProTress Essential Scalp Therapy Energising Lotion also performs the vital role of purifying the scalp, helping to soothe scalp inflammation and eliminate bacterial infections, all of which cause hair damage. By acting as a cleanser, the lotion ensures the scalp does not become too clogged and weakened by over-productive sebum and the build-up of hair products, which also causes hair damage. ProTress Essential Scalp Therapy Energising Lotion, together with ProTress Essential Scalp Therapy Energising Shampoo, creates a healthy, clean scalp, free of inflammation and bacteria, fostering an environment conducive to hair health.