All About Broken Hair
Friend, in previous chapters we have shared tips on how to differentiate broken hair from the famous "baby hairs", which are totally trendy thanks to celebrities like Rosalía, Rihanna, or Camila Cabello. Now, if baby hairs aren’t your thing, and what you have are broken little hairs, pay attention, baby, because this is important to you, and a lot!
First things first, what does broken hair look like? A broken hair fiber usually feels rough and dry to the touch, also showing split ends and a lighter tone, making your hair uneven in length and looking far from healthy. These broken little hairs can appear all over your hair, both at the roots, mid-lengths, and ends, and they’re very easy to spot, we swear!
Brief reminder of the hair fiber structure
Dear, we remind you that the hair fiber is mostly made up of proteins, the most abundant being keratin, along with water, lipids, melanin, and other minerals and trace elements.
On one hand, four keratin fibers, joined by disulfide bridges, ionic bonds, and hydrogen bonds, form a flexible spiral that gives hair its shape and provides strength and flexibility. On the other hand, lipids, specifically 18-methyl eicosanoic acid present in the cuticle, protect the fiber from external aggressions and create a hydrophobic surface on the hair, reducing its porosity and increasing its resistance to damage. And, friend, the key to the matter lies in these two main components of hair.
Causes of Hair Breakage
Okay, if you’re wondering what things can break your hair, we’re sorry to say that everything from bad brushing to sleeping with wet hair can irreversibly damage your mane. Bestie, we’re going to tell you everything here, so… LET’S GO!
👀 Dyes, bleaching, or permanent straightening: these types of hair treatments done in styling salons (or not) usually have a very alkaline pH that allows them to open the cuticle and break all types of bonds in the hair fiber. And, obviously, this damages your hair like crazy.
🧖🏽♀️ Use of heat tools (flat irons, curling irons, blow dryers, whatever): high temperatures also have the ability to break bonds, with the breaking of ionic and hydrogen bonds being reversible, but not the disulfide bridges, which give your hair its shape. That’s why when you overuse these tools, your hair loses shape and you gradually remove the lipid barrier that protects the fiber, promoting the appearance of frizz.
😱 Brushing wet hair or going to bed with it: hair when it is wet is much more fragile and sensitive to breakage, so brushing it right after the shower is a mistake. Not to mention going to bed with damp hair, as it increases friction between the fibers, making them break more easily. Remember that water damages hair from the inside, lifting the cuticle and causing the fiber to swell and increase its diameter.
👱🏼♀️ Tight hairstyles and using elastic bands: we already know that the “clean look” and the “sleek bun” like Hailey Bieber are pure trends this fall, but… did you know that wearing very tight hairstyles breaks hair? And yes, traditional elastic bands have also been damaging your mane since time immemorial.
💧 Not keeping hair nourished: hair with very dry ends will ALWAYS tend to break, and you know it.
✨ Overusing protein products: protein products are a MUST if you have damaged hair, BUT using many products containing proteins in the same hair care routine can lead to a protein “build-up,” making the hair stiff, and stiff hair is much easier to break.
Tips to prevent hair breakage
1️⃣ Avoid dyes, bleaching, and Japanese straightening treatments as much as possible, and if you do undergo these treatments, accompany them with reconstructive treatments for the hair fiber such as Sublime 10·31 or our brand new Bae Berry.
2️⃣ If you are going to use styling tools, it is crucial to use a heat protector beforehand like South Bondi, which will also help maintain the nutrition of your hair from mid-lengths to ends.
3️⃣ Brush your hair dry before getting into the shower, and always use conditioner or mask to facilitate detangling after washing, such as Tasmania Mask or L’Essentiel Mask.
4️⃣ Avoid super tight hairstyles, and use silk or satin hair ties, or replace them with hair claws (friends’ clips), which are very trendy.
5️⃣ Apply your favorite finishing hair oil to the ends every day; we recommend our Cotton Lust which is packed with ingredients that protect and keep the hair nourished.
6️⃣ And, last but not least, cut your hair periodically, because as it grows, if you have split ends, the fiber will break upwards, and next time you’ll have to cut much more!
No more excuses, it’s time to take care of your hair as it deserves!
