It's all fun and games until you have no edges.
GettyDealing with hair breakage is about as fun as having a hangnail: It's annoying and hard to prevent, but it can be done. Cosmopolitan.com spoke to a few leading experts that know exactly how to avoid breakage at all costs — and lucky for you, they're spilling their strand secrets.1. Load up on moisture. Because curly hair is naturally dry, it can become brittle and break off easily. "Natural African American hair is characterized by the bends of the fiber at every place that the hair curls," says Pantene principal scientist Rolanda Johnson Wilkerson, Ph.D. This can keep oil from the scalp from traveling down to lubricate the hair. "This is why African American hair has a tendency to be dryer and more fragile, exposing the hair to breakage."More From CosmopolitanTo make sure your thirsty strands are quenched, apply a daily moisturizer, like coconut oil or Aveda Dry Remedy Daily Moisturizing Oil. And then use a super-hydrating deep conditioning hair masque, like the Ojon Damage Reverse Restorative Hair Treatment, weekly.
2. Customize your routine."The suggested amount for use on the bottle doesn't always work for everyone," Tippi Shorter, Aveda Global Artistic Director for Textured Hair, says. So one of the best ways to find out what works best for your particular hair type is by trial and error. If you end up needing to apply an entire bottle of coconut oil to your hair in order to keep your strands moisturized, that's OK. If you have to watch YouTube tutorials featuring other naturalistas that have similar strands to yours, that's also OK. Whatever you have to do to decode your mane, do it. And then once you find your perfect hair formula, stick to it.
3. Shampoo your hair while it's in braids or jumbo twists. If you keep your hair from getting tangled to begin with, you'll end up with less of a chance of breakage.
4. Get regular trims. I get it. You're trying to grow your hair longer, so why would you cut it? That doesn't mean trims need to be entirely out of the picture. "Removing split ends is the only way to prevent further damage on other parts of the same hair shaft where split ends are present," says Dove hair curl expert Cynthia Alvarez. "Allowing a professional stylist to trim your hair every six weeks will help to keep it in optimal shape and decrease breakage." If the word trim scares you, ask your stylist for a "dusting," which is code for take off the least amount. Please and thank you.
5. Too much protein can be a bad thing.While protein does work to strengthen the hair, over time, too much protein can leave hair brittle and prone to even more breakage, warns celebrity hairstylist David Lopez. Create an even balance by infusing strands with extra moisture (try Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Masque) in between protein treatments.
6. Comb your hair when it's dry.
Lauren AhnHair is in its most fragile state when it's wet (aka prime time for breakage). To keep your strands intact, Alvarez says to comb through your curls using a wide-tooth comb before washing (combing from ends to roots, since most of the tangles are at the nape).
Saturate your hair first with a pre-wash moisturizer, like Motions Enhance & Define Pre-Wash Detangling Butter, so the comb slips right through your hair. Don't have time to detangle pre-shampoo? Rihanna's stylist Ursula Stephen suggests dousing your hair with a leave-in conditioner (try Cantu Coil Calm Detangler) and waiting until your hair is at least halfway dry before using a wide-tooth comb to detangle strands.
7. Loosen up occasionally. Protective styles (braids, weaves, etc.) are always great because you don't have to worry about styling your hair. However, if left in too long, they can add tension to the hair fiber leading right to breakage. For braids, try not to wear them longer than 10 weeks. For hair extensions, try not to leave them in past three months.
8. Turn down the heat. While it's never a good thing to apply too much heat to any hair type, this is especially true of relaxed hair. It's already in a compromised position due to the chemicals used to straighten it. Try to rely on heat-free tools (like hair rollers or Flexi Rods) to create curls and wrap the hair nightly in order to maintain the style.
If you do need to use a hot tool, Lopez suggests using a temperature range of 300 to 375, and to always keep the hair tool moving. For example, if it's a blow-dryer or straightening or curling iron, don't let it sit in one place on your hair too long, since this can fry your hair right off. It's also a good idea to invest in high-quality curling or flat irons, such as the T3 Single Pass X Styling Iron. It contains Single Pass technology so there's no need to repeatedly go over the same sections of hair.
9. Keep your scalp clean.
Courtesy Images/Lauren AhnA healthy scalp is essential to growing healthy hair," Alvarez says, "and cleansing your scalp at least biweekly and keeping it moisturized can prevent hair loss and scalp irritation." If your hair is currently in a protective style (i.e. braids, locs, extensions), Alvarez suggests cleansing the scalp using astringent and a cotton ball, followed by a light coating of coconut oil. Don't use hair grease on your scalp as it can clog the pores and hair follicles, making it difficult for water and other moisturizers to penetrate both your hair and scalp, which can result in breakage.
10. Maintain a consistent routine with your stylist. "If you get a relaxer too often, you'll definitely suffer from severe hair dehydration and end up with brittle strands that break easily," Lopez says. "But if you wait too long in between services, you run the risk of having the relaxed hair break away from your new growth." So, to avoid over processing strands, talk with your stylist about the best schedule needed in order to keep your relaxed strands healthy. If you're relaxing your hair at home, only apply relaxer to the new growth as opposed to putting it on all of your hair, which will make your hair brittle and cause breakage.
11. Wash your hair once a week. "Unless your hair is super oily, washing it every day can make it very dry and cause it to break easily," Stephen said. If you feel like waiting for a biweekly wash is too long, wash it or use a dry shampoo, like the Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion Dry Shampoo, to soak up oils from your roots. Another great way to keep strands clean in between shampoos is by trying a co-wash, like the Pantene Pro-V Truly Natural Co-Wash Cleansing Conditioner, which hydrates your strands as it cleanses.
12. Wrap your hair up in a silk scarf or sleep on a silk pillowcase. Silk retains moisture, unlike cotton, which robs your hair of it. It's a good idea to sleep with your hair wrapped in the soft fabric. Silk also doesn't cause friction between it and your strands, thanks to the slip it gives, which also creates less breakage in the end.
Getty
Dealing with hair breakage is about as fun as having a hangnail: It's annoying and hard to prevent, but it can be done. Cosmopolitan.com spoke to a few leading experts that know exactly how to avoid breakage at all costs — and lucky for you, they're spilling their strand secrets.
1. Load up on moisture. Because curly hair is naturally dry, it can become brittle and break off easily. "Natural African American hair is characterized by the bends of the fiber at every place that the hair curls," says Pantene principal scientist Rolanda Johnson Wilkerson, Ph.D. This can keep oil from the scalp from traveling down to lubricate the hair. "This is why African American hair has a tendency to be dryer and more fragile, exposing the hair to breakage."
More From Cosmopolitan
2. Customize your routine."The suggested amount for use on the bottle doesn't always work for everyone," Tippi Shorter, Aveda Global Artistic Director for Textured Hair, says. So one of the best ways to find out what works best for your particular hair type is by trial and error. If you end up needing to apply an entire bottle of coconut oil to your hair in order to keep your strands moisturized, that's OK. If you have to watch YouTube tutorials featuring other naturalistas that have similar strands to yours, that's also OK. Whatever you have to do to decode your mane, do it. And then once you find your perfect hair formula, stick to it.
3. Shampoo your hair while it's in braids or jumbo twists. If you keep your hair from getting tangled to begin with, you'll end up with less of a chance of breakage.
4. Get regular trims. I get it. You're trying to grow your hair longer, so why would you cut it? That doesn't mean trims need to be entirely out of the picture. "Removing split ends is the only way to prevent further damage on other parts of the same hair shaft where split ends are present," says Dove hair curl expert Cynthia Alvarez. "Allowing a professional stylist to trim your hair every six weeks will help to keep it in optimal shape and decrease breakage." If the word trim scares you, ask your stylist for a "dusting," which is code for take off the least amount. Please and thank you.
5. Too much protein can be a bad thing.While protein does work to strengthen the hair, over time, too much protein can leave hair brittle and prone to even more breakage, warns celebrity hairstylist David Lopez. Create an even balance by infusing strands with extra moisture (try Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Masque) in between protein treatments.
6. Comb your hair when it's dry.
Lauren Ahn
Saturate your hair first with a pre-wash moisturizer, like Motions Enhance & Define Pre-Wash Detangling Butter, so the comb slips right through your hair. Don't have time to detangle pre-shampoo? Rihanna's stylist Ursula Stephen suggests dousing your hair with a leave-in conditioner (try Cantu Coil Calm Detangler) and waiting until your hair is at least halfway dry before using a wide-tooth comb to detangle strands.
7. Loosen up occasionally. Protective styles (braids, weaves, etc.) are always great because you don't have to worry about styling your hair. However, if left in too long, they can add tension to the hair fiber leading right to breakage. For braids, try not to wear them longer than 10 weeks. For hair extensions, try not to leave them in past three months.
8. Turn down the heat. While it's never a good thing to apply too much heat to any hair type, this is especially true of relaxed hair. It's already in a compromised position due to the chemicals used to straighten it. Try to rely on heat-free tools (like hair rollers or Flexi Rods) to create curls and wrap the hair nightly in order to maintain the style.
If you do need to use a hot tool, Lopez suggests using a temperature range of 300 to 375, and to always keep the hair tool moving. For example, if it's a blow-dryer or straightening or curling iron, don't let it sit in one place on your hair too long, since this can fry your hair right off. It's also a good idea to invest in high-quality curling or flat irons, such as the T3 Single Pass X Styling Iron. It contains Single Pass technology so there's no need to repeatedly go over the same sections of hair.
9. Keep your scalp clean.
Courtesy Images/Lauren Ahn
10. Maintain a consistent routine with your stylist. "If you get a relaxer too often, you'll definitely suffer from severe hair dehydration and end up with brittle strands that break easily," Lopez says. "But if you wait too long in between services, you run the risk of having the relaxed hair break away from your new growth." So, to avoid over processing strands, talk with your stylist about the best schedule needed in order to keep your relaxed strands healthy. If you're relaxing your hair at home, only apply relaxer to the new growth as opposed to putting it on all of your hair, which will make your hair brittle and cause breakage.
11. Wash your hair once a week. "Unless your hair is super oily, washing it every day can make it very dry and cause it to break easily," Stephen said. If you feel like waiting for a biweekly wash is too long, wash it or use a dry shampoo, like the Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion Dry Shampoo, to soak up oils from your roots. Another great way to keep strands clean in between shampoos is by trying a co-wash, like the Pantene Pro-V Truly Natural Co-Wash Cleansing Conditioner, which hydrates your strands as it cleanses.
12. Wrap your hair up in a silk scarf or sleep on a silk pillowcase. Silk retains moisture, unlike cotton, which robs your hair of it. It's a good idea to sleep with your hair wrapped in the soft fabric. Silk also doesn't cause friction between it and your strands, thanks to the slip it gives, which also creates less breakage in the end.
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