Mistakes that cause hair loss, split ends and how to fix them

Your hair becomes thin, split and broken. You notice a lot of hair falling out every time you comb your hair or remove a hair tie, this is because of split ends. Split ends often occur when you do not cut your hair for a long time. It is best to trim your hair every 3-6 months.

Hair loss occurs when the structure of the hair is damaged. The cuticle, the outermost layer of the hair shaft, is like a “roofing tile.” When hair is healthy, the cuticle lies flat against the hair shaft. When damaged, the cuticle cracks, leading to split ends and breakage.

Hair loss is a common problem caused by many factors. There are many common mistakes that cause split ends and hair loss that you should avoid as follows:

1. Brushing your hair incorrectly

Brushing your hair properly can have many benefits, by distributing the natural moisturizers your scalp produces, keeping your hair strong. Brushing your hair properly can also help make it smoother.

However, brushing your hair too hard can damage it and lead to breakage. This is the most common mistake and the easiest to avoid.

Brushing your hair too hard can cause damage and breakage.

Use a soft brush to avoid damaging your hair. The best way to brush your hair is to brush slowly, starting at the ends.

You should brush the ends of your hair first to reduce tangles, then gradually brush up a little at a time. Finally, brush all your hair from the top of your head. This will reduce hair loss. When your hair is tangled, brushing it from the top will only make it more tangled and fall out more.

2. Brush your hair immediately after shampooing

When wet, hair becomes "sensitive", so after washing your hair, you should let your hair dry naturally about 30% before brushing.

You should use a soft microfiber towel, or even a cotton t-shirt, to pat your hair dry.

"Teeth and hair are the cornerstones of a person". Shiny, smooth hair will help you become more attractive in the eyes of everyone around you.

Rubbing your hair vigorously with a towel can cause damage, so gently roll your hair in a towel to absorb water or gently pat dry.

For curly hair, hair is prone to tangles, when washing hair, apply conditioner, especially to the curls and ends of the hair to help detangle hair without worrying about hair loss. You can use a wide-tooth comb to brush wet hair or soften wet hair after washing.

3. Hair exposed to too much heat such as curling, drying, ironing,...

Ideally, we should limit our hair's exposure to heat. However, this is almost impossible because we need to blow-dry our hair in cold weather to avoid getting sick, curl our hair to style it, etc. If we use heat styling methods, it must be done correctly.

Before using a curling iron with heat, you should dry your hair 70% and not leave it wet.

If using a flat iron or curling iron, make sure hair is 100% dry and not wet.

Use a high-quality hair dryer to avoid damage and burning your hair. For hair straighteners, use ceramic because it is the least damaging to your hair.

4. Pulling hair too much when styling (tying hair too tight, improper hair extensions, etc.)

To avoid breakage, we should not tie our hair back or clip it too tightly. Ideally, when tying hair, we should use a soft hair tie (non-elastic). You should not tie your hair in the same style every day because it puts pressure on the hair in that position and can easily cause breakage in the area where the hair is tied.

If you perm or get hair extensions, you should not do it too often, but give your hair time to rest and recover. Therefore, each perm or hair extension should be at least 2-3 months apart. Hair extensions also require skilled professionals, because removing the extensions incorrectly can damage the hair.

If you wear clips in your hair extensions, remember to remove them before washing your hair.

5. Chlorine and salt water in swimming pools

Swimming has many health benefits, however, to have shiny, smooth hair, you need to know how to protect your hair when swimming.

The first thing to do is wear a swim cap, which, while not completely preventing salt water or chlorine from pool water from affecting your hair, will at least protect your hair from overexposure to pool chemicals.

After swimming, you should rinse your hair and use a shampoo specifically for swimmers, or you can use conditioner to limit dry, broken hair caused by pool chemicals. You should use hair conditioner at least once a week to nourish your hair for people who swim often.

6. Washing your hair too often or incorrectly

Hair produces oils that help moisturize and protect our scalp. Using harsh shampoos or washing too often can damage the cuticles on our scalp.

For people with oily hair, you need to wash your hair more often. You can only wash the scalp because this is where the oil is secreted. Avoid rubbing the hair shaft too much to minimize hair damage.

7. Not moisturizing your hair

Dry hair is a cause of hair loss. Some of the causes of dry hair are sun and weather damage, heat exposure, and chemical damage.

You can condition your hair or apply a natural hair mask every week to provide nutrients and moisture to your hair, making it shinier and smoother. For example, rinse your hair with beer, use a beer + banana hair mask.

To have stronger hair, you can simply avoid some daily habits that lead to hair loss as follows;

- Cut hair too often: Just like leaving your hair too long without cutting it, cutting it too often can be counterproductive. Hair needs time to grow back, minimizing damage. Even cutting your hair the wrong way can damage your hair.

- Always tie your hair: The longer you leave your hair down during the day, the better it is for your hair. Keeping your hair in a bun or ponytail for long periods of time can damage your hair.

- Improper hair care: Make sure you use the right products depending on whether your hair is dry or oily, curly or straight, or has dandruff. If you swim or do work that involves frequent exposure to heat or chemicals, you will need to take extra care of your hair.