Whether it’s the ends of your hair splitting and breaking where you’ve noticed it most, or accumulating clumps in your hairbrush or bathroom plug, hair breakage can be a scary discovery. But before you spiral into a panic, take breath and keep reading. We’ve got a few Aussie A-beauty secrets up our sleeves that’ll help you and those tresses bounce back to their Aussie best.
First thing’s first, let’s put the spotlight on what causes damaged hair and hair breakage…
What causes hair breakage
Wondering, ‘why is my hair breaking?’, here are a few of the main culprits that can compromise those hair growth plans…
Heat damage. One of the most talked about felons when it comes to severe hair breakage, is heat damage from styling tools like straighteners and curling tongs, even your hair dryer can weaken strands. The moisture these tools drain from your tresses is needed for healthy hair. Take that moisture away and it weakens the very foundation of your aussome locks. Without moisture, hair looks and feels dry, becomes tangled easily and is weakened. It becomes vulnerable to split ends and breakage along the lengths. Luckily, with the right tools in your haircare arsenal, and a few insider tips and tricks on how to prevent and repair heat damage, you’ll be able to protect strands against breakage caused by heat styling. A few spritz with SOS Heat Saviour Conditioning Spray before you style is a good start. Formulated to restore moisture and protect strands it’s your ultimate heat styling Aussie mate.
Excessive brushing. Yep! Try not to get too heavy-handed with the brush. Gentle is key to prevent unnecessary hair breakage. Especially when it comes to dealing with knots. One of the reasons for hair breakage is attacked tangles tresses with a brush. Instead, brush gently from the tips of your hair, holding your mane and work your way up. Another trick’s to jump in the shower and detangle knots using a conditioner, like Miracle Moist Conditioner with Australian Macadamia Nut Oil. It’s the miracle-worker that’ll leave parched (and tangled) tresses intensely conditioned, hydrated and knots easier to brush out. Run your fingers gently through your hair when applying conditioner to detangle already your locks in the shower.
Hair ties and clips. What causes damaged hair isn’t always obvious and can be embedded in our haircare routine. Something as simple as hair getting caught in hair ties and clips which tug on strands to weaken them can result in breakage. Ever noticed tiny clumps caught on your hair tie? Yep! That’s what you’ve got to look out for. Be gentle as you remove ties and clips when you’re done with your up-do.
Colouring and bleaching. The process hair goes through when dying or bleaching tresses can lead you down the dreaded road to hair breakage. If it’s a permanent colour or bleach you’ve opted for, the structure of strands is altered to allow colour into the hair shaft. This, in turn, can leave hair dry and in need of some post-salon or home treatment TLC. Whether you’re a colour veteran or it’s an occasional treat, make sure you replenish lost moisture and protect the strand’s outer layer with a deeply nourishing conditioner. Work Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor, infused with Australian Macadamia Nut Oil, into your weekly routine to help protect strands against hair breakage, smooth the hair’s outer layer and replenish moisture lost when colouring or bleaching. Once or twice a week is a good start! Read more about how to keep dyed hair healthy.
Chemical treatments. Chemical straightening, perms or treatments which permanently alter the hair’s natural structure can lead to severe hair breakage if the proper aftercare’s not taken. Talk to your hairdresser or stylist about the best aftercare routine post chemical treatment and make sure tresses are regularly treated with deeply nourishing masks and conditioners to help replenish lost moisture. Moisture Paradise Hair Mask & Cap is the A-Beauty remedy for thirsty locks and a treat that can be left in overnight. The reusable and fuss-free cap can be used outside the shower, so sit and relax or sleep with the cap on and rinse the hair mask out in the morning.
UV exposure. That oh so sweet feeling of stepping out into the warm summer sun is one of the lesser known offenders when it comes to hair breakage. If you’re keen to catch some rays, put on a hat or give your hair a light spritz with some SPF to help minimise the damaging effects of the sun. You can also protect your hair overall with a few pumps of our lightweight Aussie 3 Miracle Oil Reconstructor.
Chlorine. Whether you’re a regular swimmer or you occasionally dapple, make sure your hair’s well protected from chlorine. The chemicals used to keep pools clean can be incredible drying to tresses. So, post swim, make sure you thoroughly wash your hair of chlorine with a gently cleansing shampoo, like Aussie Mega Shampoo and follow up with an intensely hydrating conditioner, like 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor. This intensely hydrating miracle-worker repairs and hydrates in as little as 3 minutes! The perfect post-swim remedy.
Rough drying. Be gentle with the towel! When you’ve wrapped up in the shower with your gentle cleansers and deeply nourishing treatments, don’t undo the magic. Gently pat hair dry with a towel, giving it a very light squeeze. If you’re rough with the towel, this can cause stress to the hair’s outer layer weakening it and leading to potential hair breakage. So, no ruffling!
Now you know the answer to, ‘Why does hair break?’ and, even better, how to prevent it, why not read up on hair the best leave-in conditioner to help repair dry hair and treat yourself and those tresses. Hooroo breakage, G’day beautiful hair with bounce!