Did you know that frizzy hair is an indication of hair damage? Find out more by reading my article on how to tame frizzy hair. You will be glad you did.
So you it looks like you have broken hair on top of your head and you want to know more about causes and what can be done to fix damaged hair and find out does damaged hair grow back healthy. “Broken hair can happen not only on the top of your head but also other common areas like at the hairline, crown or even at your temples“, says Ed. So if you know what is causing the problem the hope that you can fix it or at least stop what is causing your broken hair.
Hair On The Crown Of The Head Is Broken
Broken hair on top of your head is either breakage or new growth. Look at hair ends to tell if damaged. Damaged hair ends will not be tapered. Frizzy-looking hair is a sign of hair damage. If you are experiencing broken hair on top of your head is most likely from the use of chemicals. Hair damage from coloring is common.
9 Tips to Avoid Hair Breakage
| Hair Damage Tips | What To Do To Avoid Hair Damage |
|---|---|
| 1. Always detangle hair first | Always start detangling bottom the bottom up. I highly recommend Denman 9 row for thick curly hair. |
| 2. Stop pulling hair to avoid breakage | Avoid pulling on your hair while wet. Too much tension will cause your hair to break off causing split ends. For normal to medium curly hair I recommend the Wet Brush. |
| 3. Use conditioners to help with breakage. | Make sure you hair is hydrated. My favorite is Moroccanoil Curl Defining Cream Use a conditioner or apply a good leave in conditioner. I highly recommend Moroccanoil Curl Defining Cream as it separates and defines curls while nourishing hair. Replaces the need for multiple curl products. |
| 4. Use a detangling spray to avoid hair damage | By using a small amount of leave in conditioner or detangling product like O&M Know Knott you are relieving the tension on each hair strand as you brush or comb thus the likely hood of stretching and breaking your hair is greatly reduced. I recommend O&M Know Knott Conditioning Detangler as it uses Macadamia and Argan oils work to recondition the hair to protect it and leave it glossy and knot free. |
| 5. Use Moroccan oil to avoid dry hair | Naturally Argan oil renovates the hair cell structure and restores shine to hair consistently. I like Moroccan oil because it leaves hair soft, smooth, with improved manageability. Controls frizz and flyaway, while imparting shine. |
| 6. Use a silk pillow case to avoid hair damage | To keep curls tight overnight use the pineapple technique – loosely gather hair on top of your head, highest point, before sleep. This helps keep your curl pattern. Sleep on a smooth silk pillow case as not to pull on your hair like cotton cases do. This reduces friction and reduce bedhead. I recommend the MYK silk pillowcase with 100% Mulberry silk. |
| 7. Use hair dryer attachments | Use a diffuser to evenly distribute heat from you hair dryer. This technique helps control frizzy conditions. I recommend the Hairzone diffuser for curly and natural hair. |
| 8. Use a microfiber towel to stop hair breakage | Cotton towels can pull and break hair. Use microfiber to reduce breakage and split-ends. Do not rub but use pressing motions to dry hair. I love the Turbie Twist Microfiber Hair Towel Wrap, it drys hair faster. |
| 9. Use a curling wand | Use a curling wand to give new life to curly that have fallen flat. Allows you to fine tune your naturally curly hair. I love the Infinitipro by Conair tourmaline ceramic curling wand to instantly create defined curls. One of the best if not the best curling wand you are going to find at this price. |
Top 5 Causes Of Broken Hair
Damage to your hair can be done hundreds of ways. “The 5 most common ways hair on top of your head can be damaged are listed below“, according to Stacey‘s research.
What Causes Hair Breakage On Top Of Head?
| Causes | Recommendations |
|---|---|
| Chemicals | Hair coloring is the worst. There are many harsh chemicals in hair color. Use ammonia free products. Use color treatments in moderation. |
| Heat | High heat can wreck your hair fast causing hot spots and breakage. Use a heat protectant spray. Air dry instead of using heat. |
| Overdoing it | Too much of anything can be bad especially shampooing. Stop frequent washings and use a good conditioning product. |
| Cotton towels | Rubbing you hair vigorously with a cotton towel is not a good thing. Stop rubbing your hair with a cotton towel. Use micro fiber towels and silk pillow cases. |
| Diet | Diet plays an important role in our whole health and in fact can affect your hair as well. |
“Hair loss is a billion-dollar market yet the average person understands so little. It is imperative for you to first learn to identify internal hair loss and external hair breakage. Then examine the various contributing factors for each. You can damage your hair externally, which is the lighter of the two. Secondly, you can also damage your hair internally, which is more detrimental to not only the hair strand, but the systems of your body, your health and life itself.” Vaughn Leon McCall, The Breakage Book: How to Not Lose Your Hair
1. Chemicals
If you have broken hair on top of your head, it is almost certainly due to the usage of chemicals. This is a common problem. Chemicals such as colors can easily cause damage just because the way they work. For coloring to work the color needs to penetrate into your hair shaft. This means it has to penetrate through the cuticle. This of course is not an easy task due to your hair cuticle is tough.
Your hair cuticle’s job is to protect the inner most layers of your hair the cortex and the medulla. So it has a tough shingle layer built up of dead cells in the form of overlapping scales. So chemicals are used to penetrate the overlapping scales.
“Most hair dyes use ammonia to penetrate the cuticle. The ammonia raises the PH level of your hair and thus the cuticle is lifted upward so now the dye can penetrate into the cortex. The dye uses peroxide to break down the natural color of your hair. Peroxide will dry out your hair quickly and can cause it to become very brittle“, according to Meesh, our in-house hair analyst. To finish the process you rinse the chemicals from your hair and now you have a nice hair color of your choice.
But you also now have or most likely could have damaged hair since your cuticle was not meant to be chemically lifted and the peroxide could have really dried out your hair. Some hair color contains less damaging chemicals (ammonia free) and that’s a good thing but the the color washes out faster. The end result is that these products are less damaging to your hair which is a good thing but you will need to use them more frequently since they do not last as long.
So now that you know more about the coloring process you can see that by over doing it you can easily damage your hair. Your hair can become brittle and beak off.
2. Heat
By applying heat as you style your hair can cause damage. The heat makes your hair weaker over time and thus will eventually break. If you are using hot air tools frequently and not taking any precautions the repeated use and high heat setting on your tools can take it toll over time.
5 top heat protectant sprays
| Protectant sprays | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| CHI 44 Iron Guard Thermal Protection Spray | I recommend it because it helps to protect hair from thermal damage and breakage with a weightless formula with no added build up. Helps to seal the cuticle and works to prevent future damage. |
| It’s a 10 Haircare Miracle Leave-In Product | I recommend it because it’s a leave-in conditioner spray that is an important addition to your daily hair care routine to help leave dull, damaged hair and rejuvenate your hair’s natural oils. I like it because is a conditioner spray. It’s a great addition to your daily hair care routine to help leave dull, damaged hair in the past and rejuvenate natural oils. This multi-purpose product is great to be used as a detangler as well as a restorative styler. However, it contains Cetearyl Alcohols. Works very well. One of my favorites! |
| HSI Professional Argan Oil Heat Protector | It’s says heat protector but it much more than that. It’s also a leave in conditioner. I like it because it contains argan oil and vitamins to add shine to your hair. It does have a fragrance to is, so you will either love it or hate it. I thought it was OK, I did not mind the smell. |
| John Frieda Frizz Ease Daily Nourishment Conditioner | Works very well and add a little gloss to your hair. The anti-frizz formula is great and lasts a long time. |
| Tresemme Keratin Smooth Heat Protect Spray | I recommend it because they design this spray to transform hair, providing smooth styles and frizz control that lasts up to 48 hours. Try it with other Keratin Smooth products like TRESemmé Platinum Strength Shampoo, to help you get the polished style you desire. |
Resist the temptation to start blow drying wet hair. Wait till your hair air drys to at least 80% if you can. Your hair is at it’s weakest point when it’s wet. This is when it’s very easy to cause damage because your hair is very elastic. By pulling and heating you can easily break you hair. So when drying make sure not to pull too hard.
What treatments do you use or considering using? Do you have damaged hair? What are your thoughts? Readers and myself would love to hear from you. Please comment below.
3. Over Doing It By Washing Too Much
Anything you do like coloring and styling if over done can damage your hair. Even washing your hair too much. The bottom line is every time you wash your hair the more of your hair’s natural oils you are stripping off. These natural oils or sebum help condition your hair and keep it from drying out. If you have average hair then on average you should try not to wash your hair more than three times a week.
Now that being said there are folks who have thin oily hair that will need frequent washings. The key take away is not to over do it. You will have to monitor and see what works best for you.
4. Cotton Towels And Pillow Cases
After washing your hair are you vigorously rubbing your wet hair to get it dry and then immediately applying high heat? Well by doing this repeatedly did you know you could be destroying your hair? By rubbing your hair with a cotton towel the micro fibers in the towel could be breaking your hair. They can easily catch an individual strand and break it. And if you are sleeping on a cotton pillow case the cotton fibers could be doing the same thing.
5. Diet
The last most common reason is a poor diet or a deficiency in protein could be a major contributor. Poor heath can cause problems as you well may know. Your hair needs protein to grow strong. A lack of protein can cause weak spots in your hair and thus cause your hair to break easily at that spot. But too much protein is also bad and cause hair to be too brittle. So the take away is to eat a balanced diet.
Top 5 Broken Hair Fixes
There are many ways to fix your hair. There are hundreds of DIY treatments and hair products on the market that claim to fix or help with damaged hair. But the main point you should remember if you remember nothing else is that hair is dead. It’s not living, so once it’s damaged there is really no real fix. The root of your hair is of course alive but the hair shaft itself is dead. So the only real remedy is to cut off the ends.
- Stop coloring your hair or try to use an ammonia free solution that is more hair friendly.
- Change your hair style as not to rely on high heat or any heat for that matter or use a good protectant.
- It’s just common sense not to over-wash, over-style or over-color your hair.
- Let you hair air dry to about 80% before using any type of styling tool.
- It’s a good idea to use a good deep conditioner before and after coloring. And as a preventive measure once every so often.
1. Hair Coloring
Ammonia relaxes and lifts the cuticle and by doing so with coloring your hair, you are also causing damage. The peroxide dries out your hair and makes it brittle. So one fix is not to color your hair. But I know and you too that is not always an option. So if you are using ammonia and peroxide then you want to watch how long your cuticle stays lifted. The longer it’s lifted the more the hair is weakened. Your goal should be to rinse out the chemicals from your hair as soon as its time so that the cuticle goes back down.
Another option is to use hair color that does not use harsh chemicals thus causing less damage. These milder ammonia free colors use other chemicals like ethanolamine. It’s basally less harsh on your hair due to it does not cause the hair shaft to lift as much as ammonia does. As mentioned the down side is that the color washes out faster. This then becomes a trade off between having to color your hair more often or living with a little more gray, for example. This option in the long run may not be any better due to you are exposing your hair to more frequent chemicals as opposed to using harsher chemicals but less frequently.
But if you do color your hair you now know you have to be very gentle to avoid breakage. Especially if you just colored your hair. One good way to help your hair is to use a deep conditioning before and after coloring your hair.
Also consider having the end cut on a regular basis. This is the only real way to fix split ends. You may end up having to have a little shorter hair style but it will look much healthier due to the split ends are cut off. You hair will not look dried out or over processed.
2. Styling Techniques
If you can have and be happy with a hair style the requires no heating tools then you are going to be much better off. Heat is an enemy of your hair and the more and hotter temperature used the greater chance you are taking to cause damage.
Always use the lowest temperature setting you can possibly get away with to style your hair. Go low and see how that works. It that works good then go lower till you find the sweet spot that works for you. Invest in high quality tools that display temperatures and or have enough settings, more than just high, medium and low. This will let you fine tune the temperature to your liking.
Always use a heat protectant. Many heat protectant sprays guard your hair against heat and friction. These products will help during flat iron, hot brush and blow drying sessions. Hot irons and other tools that can reach up to 450 F can cause some serious damage to your hair so be mindful of the temperature. Even some of the best moisture-locking, vitamin complex heat protectant sprays can’t protect your hair from damage using this level of heat.
You hair type will also determine the heat level you need to use to get the style you want. For example, a thin or fine hair is going to take much less heat than a thicker coarse hair will. Also don’t forget about using a good detangler. This will help with over stretching your hair and cut down on friction.
3. Too Much
Too much of anything can be bad. So this naturally goes for you hair as well. Too much or over-washing is not good. So it’s just common sense not to over-wash, over-style or over-color your hair. That’s about it there is not much else to say about over doing it.
4. Hair Drying
Let you hair air dry to about 80% before using any kind of hot air brush, flat iron or blow dryer. This gives your hair time to strengthen and not be so elastic. While your hair is wet it’s in it’s weakest point, so you really have to be careful. Use an old t-shirt and pat you hair not rub. Sleep on a satin or silk pillow case not 100% cotton.
5. Deep Conditioning
As previously mentioned once your hair is damaged there is no real fixes. Split ends can not be mended back together. You can however get it to lay down and appear to look better but the ends are still going to be split. The real solution is to get a hair cut.
Deep Conditioning Products That Really Work
| Product | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| OGX Extra Strength Hydrate Conditioner | I like it because is a blend with rich cold-pressed Moroccan argan oil that helps moisturize and revive strands, giving hair a natural boost. It’s free from parabens & sulfated surfactants but contains Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol. |
| Marc Anthony Grow Long Anti-Breakage Hair Mask | I like it because the Avocado oil and Argan Oils offer hydration. However, it contains Cetyl Alcohol and Cetearyl Alcohols. |
| Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery | Good hydrating hair mask specially formulated to treat extra-dry, damaged, over-processed and color-treated hair. However, it contains Cetyl Alcohol and Cetearyl Alcohols. Works very well. |
| Hydrating Argan Oil Hair Mask and Deep Conditioner | Good hydrating hair mask. However, it contains Cetearyl Alcohols. Works very well. |
There are a lot of good products that can be of used to help prevent damage. So it’s a good idea to use a good deep conditioner before and after coloring. And as a preventive measure once every so often.
Last but certainly not least, condition, condition, condition! Investing in a good treatment is a wise way to get your hair back into shape. “Coconut oil has unique properties that make it superior to other natural oils specifically for hair conditioning and protection from damaging effects such as blow drying, curling, hair dyes, UV-rays, chemical treatments“, according to Sonia Ray, author of Hair Like a Tropical Goddess.
“Cacao adds shine, volume, texture, and bounce to your hair. As a conditioner, it provides magnesium and vitamins that treat your hair from the roots to the tip“, says Kerstin Schmitt, author of Don’t Break the Bank – Best Homemade Hair Conditioners for All Seasons: DIY Conditioners to Make Your Hair Look and Smell.
The ingredients used in a deep conditioning product are going to be different than a regular conditioner. Basically deep conditioners use a more concentrated amount of ingredients that generally does not wash off as easily as a regular daily conditioner.
References
Hairbrushy: Is it bad to brush your hair a lot
Hairbrushy: Wet Brush For Curly Hair
Hairbrushy video on YouTube: Do you have broken hair on top of your head?
The-British-Medical-Association
Image by Robin Higgins from Pixabay
Koch, S. L., Tridico, S. R., Bernard, B. A., Shriver, M. D., & Jablonski, N. G. (2020). The biology of human hair: A multidisciplinary review. American Journal of Human Biology, 32(2), e23316.
Goodier, M., & Hordinsky, M. (2015). Normal and aging hair biology and structure ‘aging and hair’. Alopecias-Practical Evaluation and Management, 47, 1-9.