Weak hair is hair that is thin, limp, and brittle. It tends to be dry and have split ends, which is more noticeable seasonably. Sometimes it’s a symptom of hormonal factors like pregnancy, birth control use, menopause, or declining estrogen with age.
Environmental impacts can play a factor as well, such as exposure to too much chlorine, saltwater, or harsh climate. The bottom line is that your hair is a barometer of the effects of both internal and external forces.
It’s normal to lose a few hairs or have some split ends sometimes. When hair falls out naturally, it unroots from the scalp directly. Brittle hair breaking is a different factor, breaking off away from the scalp.
Haircare products to strengthen hair
Hair is made of keratin, a strong protein produced by the body naturally. Harsh hair care products can damage the keratin structure of hair. Hair that has been compromised by environmental factors will also do poorly unless more nurturing care products are used to repair the damage. You want to use shampoo, conditioner and styling products that serve to reinforce hair by infusing protein and amino acids to replace lost constituents, ideally with a stem cell shampoo.
Stem cell therapies are an effective way to regenerate the natural body’s building blocks of proteins and amino acids. They work by giving your body’s natural repair systems a boost. Stem cells are the kinds of cells that can be converted into any other kind of cell, the same way you can mold clay into any shape. Your body is continuously producing stem cells, but at a rapid pace when you’re younger and then at a gradually declining rate as you age.
At the same time, you also want to limit your hair’s exposure to harsh chemical formulas. You want products that are organic, natural, and plant-based. You don’t want products containing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or chlorine. As far as coloring treatments go, there are coloring methods you can use that aren’t as harsh, but ideally, it’s best to go natural and let your hair rest for a while until it recovers.
Diet and health affects your hair too
Not all hair treatments are external. Dermatologists agree that your skin and hair sometimes react to internal issues as well. Poor nutrition or low calories from a crash diet can trigger rapid hair loss. Remember that your body has to build healthy hair out of something, so if it isn’t getting the proper nutrition it’s not going to be able to manufacture those complex proteins.
A Mediterranean-style diet provides the best long-term nutrition for body maintenance. This means a heavy focus on fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and nuts and seeds, in that order. Following that, some dairy is recommended, with meat being in the smallest proportion and favoring fish and poultry over red meat. Vegetables should be leafy and dark green to give your system a good shot of iron.
As for vitamins, taking a supplement is no substitute for a healthy diet that provides the nutrients naturally. If at all possible, make sure you’re getting vitamin C and biotin (B vitamin), both of which have an impact on scalp health. Outside of that, a source of calcium is recommended.
Don’t forget one important aspect of a hair-healthy diet that everybody forgets: Water! Hydration is key to helping your system replenish its structure. Loose and brittle hair is a sure sign of dehydration, and also a sign of living in a dry, arid environment. But also keep in mind that a snowy climate can dehydrate you too since the below-freezing temperatures drain the moisture from the air.
Avoiding excess heat
One more tip for managing brittle hair is that we punish our hair too much in styling it. Blow-dryers, curling irons, hair straighteners, and anything with a heating element weakens hair every time you use it. Instead of fighting your hair’s natural texture, you’re better off working with what you have. You can’t expect your hair to endure several hundred degrees of temperature per day and not sustain damage.
Excess heat in your environment can also wear your hair down. If you live in a hot climate or are regularly exposed to bright, hot lights, consider covering your hair in a scarf to stave off some of that heat exposure.
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