What Are the Common Causes of Damaged Hair?

Is your hair drier than normal? Are you noticing more breakage and split ends? Does your hair look dull and lifeless? If so, you definitely aren’t alone. Damaged hair is something that both men and women experience throughout their lifetimes, and there are endless reasons why hair can become damaged.

While damage can be caused by environmental factors and stress, chances are that your everyday grooming practices are playing a large role. If you’re wondering what causes damaged hair, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading to learn about some of the most common causes of damaged hair.

Heat Damaged Hair

Most women use heat-based styling tools on a daily basis. From flat irons to curling irons to dry blow drying, there are all sorts of ways that we apply heat to our hair in order to style it. However, heat damage is one of the biggest causes of dry hair and breakage.

How many times have you plugged in your flat iron and cranked it to the highest heat setting? Have you ever used a curling iron or some other tool on damp hair? These actions are some of the biggest culprits of hair damage.

Using heated styling tools improperly can cause the hair strand to melt or burn, which can cause permanent damage. When using any styling tool that involves heat, it’s crucial to use a heat protectant product. These products act as a buffer between your hair and the direct heat, offering a line of much needed protection.

By using too high of heat or not applying a heat protectant, you leave your hair vulnerable to breaks, splits, and moisture depletion. This will cause your hair to look dull and feel dry.

Poor Diet

What you eat has a huge impact on your skin, nails, and hair. Constant unhealthy dietary choices may be contributing to your lackluster hair. Foods that have shown to lead to damaged hair include:

• Saturated fats
• Processed carbs
• Overly salty food

Not drinking enough water can also cause your hair to become dry and coarse in texture. In order to have beautiful, healthy hair, you must nourish it from the inside out.

By making some dietary changes, you’ll quickly notice an improvement in your hair. Some of the best hair-nourishing foods include nuts, leafy greens, avocados, citrus fruits, and eggs. These foods are all loaded with vitamins and nutrients that encourage healthier, strong hair.

The best part? A healthier diet means a healthier you! Not only can you improve damaged hair, but you can improve your overall health and well-being.

Chemical Damaged Hair

Chemical damage is another fairly common cause of unhealthy hair. Relaxers, ammonia-peroxide dyes, and other chemical-based products can all wreak havoc on your hair. Even the shampoo and conditioner that you use may contain ingredients that strip the hair of its natural oils, which are needed to maintain moisture and hydration.

These treatments and products, which use harsh chemicals, change the pH of the hair and scalp, break hair fiber bonds, and strip away the hydro-lipid layer. The end result is unhealthy, dull hair that feels rough.

Chemical damage inhibits the hair’s ability to retain moisture, so the cycle of dryness and breakage continues. If you must apply chemicals to your hair, be sure to incorporate nourishing products, such as a deep conditioner, to keep your hair moisturized.

This is extremely important before dyeing your hair or applying a chemical straightener. Choose products that fortify the hair and use an oil-based serum regularly.

Bad Grooming Techniques

Even the simplest things like combing or brushing your hair can cause damage, especially to the cuticle layer. If you have naturally dry or textured hair, poor grooming techniques can even lead to breakage, tangles, protein loss, and a lack of shine.

When brushing or combing your hair, be gentle. Don’t pull or tug at your hair. While knots and tangles can be frustrating to deal with, avoid being rough, as this can cause breakage.

Choose brushes and other styling tools that have smooth edges. This way, your hair can’t get snagged or damaged. You may also want to apply products like linseed or aloe vera, which serve as natural slip enhancers.

Too Much Sun Exposure Damages Hair

During the warmer months, there’s nothing better than spending hours outdoors soaking up the sun. While sunlight has its benefits, too much of a good thing can quickly turn bad.

As you probably know, the sun has harmful UV rays that not only cause sunburn and sun spots, but these rays can also contribute to dry, brittle hair. Sun damaged hair is even more likely if your hair has been color-treated.

While you can’t apply sunscreen on your hair, there are some simple steps you can take to protect your locks. Wear a hat when outdoors or use an umbrella to block out the sun’s rays.

After spending time outdoors, use nourishing products. A deep conditioning after a day at the beach or pool will reintroduce much-needed nourishing and moisturizing ingredients to keep your hair soft, hydrated, and healthy.

Repair Your Hair with Rx Systems PF

Now that you know what causes hair breakage and other hair damage, it’s time to focus on repairing your damaged hair so that you can look and feel your best. Rx Systems PF offers a variety of hair repair products for all hair types.

Our hair repair system was designed to prevent hair breaks by using all natural ingredients that strengthen and nourish the hair. From vitamins to shampoos to conditioners, we’ve got everything you need to repair and restore your hair.