Things like aggressive brushing and combing, sleeping on wet hair or rough fabrics that create friction, constantly pulling your strands into styles that are too tight, and heat styling are all some of the main reasons why hair breaks.
Certain nutrients help your hair grow and stave off breakage from damage. Make sure you're getting enough zinc, iron, and folic acid in your daily diet. Adequate protein and antioxidants (found in plant foods) can also keep your hair damage-free. Certain vitamins can also help hair growth.
Using too much shampoo, brushing or combing your hair when it's wet, rubbing hair dry with a towel, or brushing too hard or too often can all strain your strands and make them break. Two big causes of breakage include braids that are too tight and weaves that weigh down the hair.
Fortunately, in the vast majority of cases, you can eventually grow the damaged hair out as long as the follicle itself has been preserved. The most common causes of damage are below. Damaged hair can still grow eventually, but routine damage can result in negative consequences for your hair.
As with male pattern baldness, female pattern baldness comes from hormone imbalances, specifically dihydrotestosterone imbalances, or DHT. This hormone is similar in structure to testosterone, but it is significantly more potent [3]. DHT can attach to receptors on the hair follicles, causing the follicles to shrink.
Many men wonder whether they need to pursue treatment to reverse the effects or if they can grow the hair back on their own. Although hair re-growth may be possible, you should also know when to seek professional help. If the reason for thinning hair is genetics, it will not grow back on its own.
If you are experiencing thinning or balding, our Bosley experts recommend washing no more than three times a week.
Here's the hard truth: Little can be done to permanently change the diameter of individual hair strands. Thickening products can do wonders to temporarily plump hair strands, but when it comes down to it, fine hair is genetic and can't be changed.
The bottom line. There's no strong evidence to support using biotin for hair growth or to prevent hair loss in people without a deficiency. Because hair thinning and poor hair growth are sometimes associated with a biotin deficiency, correcting a deficiency can help restore hair growth in some people.
Iron deficiency (ID) is the world's most common nutritional deficiency and is a well-known cause of hair loss.
Using products that are designed to nourish the scalp and hair can definitely speed up this process, but on average you'd be looking at six months to a year to fully see a difference in your hair's condition.
But we can all probably agree no one wants dry, brittle strands that split and break off, no matter your hair type, color, or cut. Unfortunately, it's your daily haircare routine that often causes the most damage to your mane — think heat-styling, aggressive brushing, sun damage, and improper washing.
Foods that contain the most biotin include organ meats, eggs, fish, meat, seeds, nuts, and certain vegetables (such as sweet potatoes) [2,12].
Some of the best sources of biotin include legumes, egg yolks, organ meats, nuts, seeds, mushrooms, avocados, sweet potatoes, and yeast. Biotin supplements are available as well, but most people can get all of the biotin they need by eating a balanced diet.
Coconut oil works well for those wishing to repair brittle hair and split ends, and is recommended for people with slow hair growth. Benefits: Coconut oil has many benefits, including protecting against heat damage and repairing damaged and broken hair.
Our best overall pick is the Biolage Advanced Full Density Thickening Shampoo, a reparative formula that works to strengthen thinning strands while removing the follicle-clogging impurities that can prevent new growth.