Hair pins and clips are popular fashion accessories, but the fact is that they all break some hair since they must hold the hair tightly to stay in place. To combat this, look for hair pins with a smooth,
ball-tipped surface and hair clips with spongy rubber padding where they make contact with the hair. Looser-fitting clips also minimize breakage and should be worn in different areas of the scalp so that hair
breakage is not localized in one specific area. The problem of accessories damage is particularly apparent in women who wear a ponytail, and it is recommend that rubber bands NEVER be used.
Often, folks who wear ponytails report that their hair is no longer growing, when in fact it is repeatedly broken at the same distance from the scalp due to the trauma caused by the tight rubber band. Rather than
using rubber bands for ponytails, fabric scrunchies, which loosely hold the hair together, are the product of choice.
Know Your Hair
Curlier hair tends to fracture more easily than straight hair. For this reason, the make-up of the hair can determine how aggressively hair can be groomed. African-Americans, for example, typically have a kinky
hair wave pattern with a coarse texture that should be gently groomed with a wide-toothed comb or hair pick. On the other end of the spectrum, it is noted that Asian hair is least likely to be damaged by combing
due to minimal friction, since the hair is typically finer in texture and very straight with a smooth, tight cuticle.
Do Your Scissors Make The Cut?
The hair should always be cut with sharp scissors, as any defect in the scissor blade will crush and damage the hair shaft. Crushing the end of the hair predisposes it to split ends.
If you regularly cut or trim your own hair, invest in a pair of scissors specifically for this purpose. Look for scissors that fit comfortably in your hand. The cutting blades of the scissors should be shorter in
length than your fingers. This allows you to have better control over the hair and the cut being made. Do not ever allow your “haircutting scissors” to be used to cut other things, such as cloth or paper. Keeping
the scissors reserved for their specific tasks makes it so that they need to be sharpened less often.
Styling Care for Your Hair
Even though many salon owners would disagree, there is no hair style or procedure that can reverse hair damage. Hair is basically a textile - it looks the best when new and degrades with age and use. In general,
the less that is done to the hair, the healthier it will be. Hair styling products can help improve the cosmetic appearance of the hair, but should always leave hair flexible. Stiff styling products that promise a
long-lasting hold can actually precipitate hair breakage when trying to restyle the hair with combing.
Avoid Excessive Hair Color and Bleaching
Hair coloring and bleaching are universally damaging to hair. It is sometimes said that chemical processing adds body to the hair. This means that the dyeing procedure allows the hair to stand away from the scalp with
greater ease. This is not due to healthier hair, but rather to hair damage that makes the hair frizzy and more susceptible to static electricity.
The basic rules of hair dyeing are always staying within your color group, preferably dyeing the hair no more than three shades from the natural color. Remember that the chemical process of lightening the hair involves
dispersing color molecules from the hair shaft to remove existing color. This also removes some structural stability elements in the hair. The more you lighten the hair, the more damage is done.
