Hair breakage can be stressful, there's no two ways about it. But on the positive side, you don't have to put up with it! We spoke to Dave, our founder and hairdresser of 30 years, and he's given us some of the top reasons your hair may be breaking and what you can do about it.
1. Your towel and pillow case
Believe it or not, the fabrics that touch your hair can have an effect on highly damaged hair.
To reduce friction, try sleeping with a silk or satin pillowcase. This is also a great tip for curly girls, as regular pillowcases can 'rough-up' and disturb your curls. Silky soft pillow cases for all!
Speaking of fabrics, your towel also causes lots of friction. Use an old cotton tee-shirt to remove moisture from your hair and leave to air dry when you can. The less you touch your hair the better.
2. Too much washing
Over-washing your hair can strip your hair of essential oils -- and your hair needs this to stay healthy! If you can, limit your washes to three times a week to give your scalp some down-time.
If you're prone to an oily scalp try washing your hair with a flat palm technique, as this will avoid over-stimulating the scalp and producing excess oil.
We also advise not to brush wet hair, as being hot and wet puts it in a fragile state. If you need to brush, use a wide tooth comb when you have conditioner in as that's the best time to detangle.
It's also a good idea to use shampoos and conditioners that help strengthen and reduce breakage -- every little bit helps!
3. Chemical damage
Colouring your hair regularly won't be helping with hair breakage. It's worth talking to your hairdresser and seeing what measures you can take to reduce the damage -- they know your hair best!
If you love chemical straightening and other harsh processes, again, chat with your hairdresser to see what products and treatments they have to reduce as much damage as possible.
No matter your hair type, don't skip out on regular trims. You may even need to get a dramatic chop to get rid of all the nasty ends and help your hair get back to a virgin state. Small time pain, for long term gain! Your hair will love you for it.
4. Heat styling
Sometimes our hair just needs a break (no pun intended). If your hair is prone to breakage, it's probably a good idea to cut out your heat styling tools. We know it's hard, but the high temperatures of your heat styling tools drains your hair of critical moisture, which is the foundation of healthy, more manageable hair.
Our research shows that at 47°C, longitudinal cracks appear in your hair, with lifting of the cuticle (and the cuticle is what controls the water content of your hair!). At 95°C, multiple cracks, holes and hazy cuticle edges appear. As temperatures increase, thermal degradation occurs causing white hair to yellow & bleached hair to darken. Hair then begins to toughen, as water is stripped from the hair.
We haven't even reached the 200°C temperatures of your hair straightener yet! It's safe to say, dropping your heat styling tools will help fast-track your hair to recovery.
5. Lack of moisture
Moisture is number one for healthy hair. Use products that are moisture rich, and help give your hair the extra love it needs!
We've put lots of research time into discovering the benefits of sub-zero temperatures and the effects they have on your hair. We discovered that using temperatures between -8°C and -3°C on your hair, helps moisture rapidly absorb into the hair fibre, creating an enduring elevated level of hydration.
Sub-zero temperatures help naturally lock moisture into the hair, balance external elements, keep your hair strong and healthy and help restore damaged hair to its former glory.
This is what we are passionate about here at inverse, and why we created our pioneering product, the inverse hair conditioning system that uses our patented ice core technology. Moisture, moisture, moisture!
Making some easy everyday changes will help you improve the condition of damaged hair, and help reduce breakage. If you're concerned about the amount of breakage you have, don't be afraid to reach out and chat to the experts. After all, we're here to make you feel wonderful, and make the best choices for your hair!