Top Tips For Preventing Breakage
If there’s one thing that we can all agree on, breakage is the worst! Not only does it prevent you from retaining length, but it can also lead to other problems such as frizz and uneven hair.
Hair breakage happens when there’s a fracture in the hair shaft, which breaks off resulting in a shorter strand and, often, coupled with a split end. Once a strand breaks, there’s nothing that can be done to repair it (we’re not the kind of brand to sell you dreams and fairy tales in a bottle). But, you can take steps to reduce further breakage and get your curls back to being healthy - because at Big Hair we’re all about prevention (rather than cure).
Here’s a few tips to prevent breakage:
Detangle properly
Not the ‘dragging your brush through your dry hair whilst rushing to put it in a bun kind’ (we’re all guilty of this at times), but the gentle, patient, TLC kind of detangling that delicate curls, coils and kinks need. Because of all the twists and bends in our hair, our strands are naturally more delicate (think of how a straw would weaken if it had loads of bends and twists). This means that we need to be gentle with our hair, especially when we’re already experiencing breakage.
Detangling your hair whilst wet, or using a product with plenty of ‘slip’ minimises friction, which reduces breakage. Detangling before washing also reduces the effects of static - which reduces unwanted knots that can lead to split ends. It also cuts down your post wash time and minimises frizz, so it’s a win win.
Protect your hair from heat
We know that some naturals steer away from heat entirely, while others blow dry every wash day, and others are somewhere in between. If you’re already experiencing breakage, reducing direct heat prevents further damage to your strands. Air-drying your hair so it’s partially dry before you blow-dry, means that you don’t need to use as much heat. If you do use heat on your hair on a regular basis, use a heat protectant to protect your hair from damage. In an ideal world, you should avoid using heat on your hair more than once a week and opt to air dry when you can.
Be gentle with your styles
Your braids and ponytail are snatched, but what about your strands?! Tight hairstyles create tension and pull on your strands, which can lead to breakage (as well as hair loss - such as traction alopecia). If you love wearing your hair up be sure to give it a break and switch it up and wear it down sometimes. If you’re a fan of box braids or knotless braids? Ensure that that each braid is not too heavy and using too much hair too tight to prevent breakage.
Hydrate and moisturise
I know that we say this all the time, but DEEP condition regularly. If you’re experiencing breakage, DEEP condition like your hair depends on it (because it really does). Breakage is often caused by dry, brittle hair - a dryness that is deep within the strand, and not always the look of being visibly dry. DEEP conditioning gives an instant boost of moisture. Then hydrating with a water based leave in like MILK gets inside the strand to hydrate from within. Then, sealing with a butter like WHIP helps prevent water loss and keeps the hair hydrated and moisturised for longer. This isn’t an ad, we created our range to promote healthy hair and that’s exactly what they do.
If you’re experiencing breakage, how are you getting on so far? Share your journey in the comments below!
Love BHB