WHY DOES OUR HAIR KEEP BREAKING?

WHY DOES OUR HAIR KEEP BREAKING?

When you sap "moisture" from your hair, it loses suppleness and is more susceptible to breakage, Women of color as well as men of color hair needs supplemental moisture to stand up to styling because it is naturally dry.  Curly textures tend to be the most vulnerable to drying out and breaking because the bends in kinky hair make it difficult for natural oils to work their way down the hair shaft.

Chemical and heat styling suck the internal moisture from hair, making it brittle and fragile. To avoid breakage, look for heat-shielding and hydrating products that contain silicone, Taylor says. They coat the hair and help seal in moisture.

LaVar tells her clients to avoid products designed for limp hair. Ingredients that add body can actually strip oils and remove moisture, she says. Experts also suggest wrapping your hair in a satin scarf or bonnet before bed to help your hair retain moisture. Cotton fibers in your pillowcase will wick away hydration. I use a satin pillow case, it helps keep my hair smooth, with very little tangles, but most of all it doesn't dry out my hair.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"If the product feels greasy, it's probably not adding moisture inside the hair," LaVar says. "You need a penetrating conditioner with lightweight oils that are absorbed rather than sit on top of the hair.

Kimble agrees. She says that lanolin or other greasy products moisturize, but they clog the pores on your scalp and weigh hair down. She prefers conditioners with essential oils -- like grape seed oil, for example -- that moisturize without leaving an oily residue. I recommend Grape-seed Oils & Tea Tree Oils, the oils are very light weight in texture, it absorbs into the scalp and hair. It doesn't leave the hair feeling weighed down.

you can find them at your locals drug stores, or shop on-line.

LaVar says that body lotion can be a good stand-in for a leave-in conditioner because it is designed to be absorbed into the skin. Rub a dime-sized drop between your palms and smooth it over the length of your hair.

By Liesa Goins
WebMD Feature