While healthy hair feels smooth, has minimal breakage, and appears shiny, unhealthy hair usually has frizz, split ends, roughness, and a lack of luster. All of these latter signs point to intrinsically weaker hair1.
In most simplest form, damaged hair is hair that is not straight. It looks frizzy and has weird irregular shapes that are either not straight nor curly. It's also has more porosity (and higher porosity leads to more damage) so it's less smooth when you touch it and has rougher texture.
Take a look at the ends. If they're smooth, frizz. If they look blunt or nubbly on the ends, or have splits, then its breakage. You can usually feel the little nubs on the end too, like a tiny bulb.
Bounce, volume and movement are all signs that your hair is at peak health and has great elasticity and strength. When hair is damaged and brittle, it can appear flat and rigid.
Is my hair unhealthy if it is frizzy? Not necessarily. Frizziness can happen if a person has wavy or textured hair that comes into contact with moisture and humidity, which can reset the curl pattern. Sometimes, though, frizzing does happen due to dryness or damage.
Starting with clean hair, comb out a few pieces of hair. Place those strands in a glass of water and see how they behave. Healthy hair will sink slowly as it absorbs the water. If the hair floats, it means porosity is low and if the hair immediately sinks it indicates high porosity.
Under normal circumstances, it is possible to lose anywhere between 120-160 strands of hair a day. If you experience excessive hair loss it can be an indication of an abnormality within the scalp, symptoms of which may include itchiness, redness, flakes, and pus.
Hot water makes the pores of your hair follicles open up naturally. The high temperature damages your strands by destroying the keratin and lipid bonds on your hair cuticles. This ruptures the cuticle layers, causing frizz. Cold water shrinks the pores and keeps them shut, hence reduces hair fall.
How do I know if I have dead hair? Look for signs like extreme dryness and brittleness, weak and thin ends, increased shedding and tangles, and a lackluster appearance. If your hair feels like straw, lacks shine, and breaks easily, even after moisturizing, it might be severely damaged.
Generally, he says, the range is somewhere between once a day and once a week. “If you have very fine or thin hair, you may need to wash more often, while those with thick or curly hair may need to wash less often,” says Dr Elizabeth Bahar Houshmand, a double board certified dermatologist and hair health expert.
Excessive hair touching is a repetitive and addictive habit that can be extremely hard to stop and can lead to Trichotillomania - a hair pulling disorder. Many women who's hands are always buried in their hair, typically suffer from very dry ends, oily roots, hair loss and poor overall hair condition.
Trichotillomania is a condition where you feel a strong urge to pull out your hair — typically from your head and eyelashes. Pulling hair out can temporarily release tension, giving you a feeling of relief. You may find that stress triggers your hair-pulling, or you may do it when you feel relaxed.
The average person loses around 50-100 hair strands every day, but that amount can go up to 200 strands for those with very thick and long hair.
A damaged hair strand refers to a hair fiber that has lost its natural structure and strength due to various factors such as heat styling, chemical treatments, and environmental stressors. Damaged hair strands may appear dry, brittle, and dull, and can also have split ends and frizz.
Healthy, well-hydrated hair should have some stretch or elasticity. Without it hair becomes brittle and can break. With too much stretch your hair can become matted and gummy.
There is a prevailing misconception that frizz is a sign of damaged or unhealthy hair. Also, many people want to know if frizzy hair is bad. However, the truth is that frizz is okay. Frizz can occur in perfectly healthy hair.
“Look for products with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, or aloe vera, which hydrate without leaving a greasy residue,” says Garshick. “Use a lightweight conditioner and avoid heavy oils or creams. A leave-in conditioner spray or a volumizing conditioner can also help add moisture without making hair flat.”