When brushing your hair, it's important to do so gently—an aggressive approach can place unnecessary tension on your strands and cause them to snap. Brushing your hair when it's wet is especially ill-advised, as hair tends to be more fragile when it's wet, per the Cleveland Clinic.
Brushing Hair to Avoid Breakage
You can maximize the benefits of brushing hair by working in sections and starting a few inches from the bottom. Then, move upward to the roots using short, slow strokes to detangle and smooth. This technique is much more efficient and is one way to prevent hair damage.
When hair breaks, the broken strands do not grow back, but the hair follicles themselves remain intact and can continue to produce new hair. As long as the underlying scalp health is good and the causes of breakage are addressed, new hair should grow in to replace the broken strands over time.
Vitamin D.
Vitamin D is essential for creating the cells that develop into hair follicles. It also supports healthy bones and your immune system. If you have hair loss and low vitamin D levels, your doctor may recommend vitamin D supplements.
“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.”
A great hair brush to avoid breakage, a boar bristle brush is gentle on all hair types. One benefit of a boar brush is that it distributes your scalp oils to the rest of your hair, which protects and hydrates damaged strands.
Detangle in Sections:
Brushing from root to tip can rip through tangles, causing breakage and damage. The key to gentle detangling is to work in small sections. Start at the ends and gradually work your way up, carefully removing knots as you go. Select a brush that suits your hair type and texture.
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.
Your broken hairs may be a result of a combination of the following issues: Rough, aggressive brushing – especially when your hair's fragile and wet. Using products which aren't suitable for your hair type – especially if you have thick hair which needs extra hydration.
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.
It's perfectly normal to lose a few stray strands when running your fingers, or a comb, through your hair. But if you notice increased hair being pulled out when you are being gentle, this can be a cause of concern that you should get checked over.
Hair breakage is usually caused by a lack of moisture and depleted nutrients in hair strands. If your hair is too dry and not well-nourished with the proteins and vitamins it needs, it's unable to deal with environmental and styling stressors, and will start to break.
The natural oils reduce friction and lock in moisture. Without it, you may experience hair breakage, split ends, and frizz. Vaseline can act as a stand-in for these natural oils, combating dryness and acting as a protective barrier for your hair. So, it just might be worth using Vaseline on your hair and scalp.
Fixing damaged hair that's gotten to the point of breakage is technically not possible. Once your hair is damaged it's damaged. However, what you can do is start by getting a proper trim to help even out any ragged edges and prevent more breakage and damage from occurring.
Vitamin D affects the health of many parts of the body, including the skin and hair. Vitamin D plays a role in the creation of new hair follicles. Hair follicles are the tiny pores from which new hairs grow. New follicles may help hair maintain thickness and prevent existing hair from falling out prematurely.
This simple test measures the severity of hair loss. During a pull test, a dermatologist grasps small sections of hair, about 40 strands, from different parts of the scalp and gently tugs. If six or more strands fall out, you have what's known as active hair loss.
“Everyone can use rosemary oil, but you might need to modify how often you use it depending on your hair type,” suggests Dr. Khetarpal. “Some people might be able to use it daily. Others may see that one or twice a week works best.”