First things first, breakage is normal. It’s natural for older hair to weaken and split, it’s just the process. It doesn’t always mean you did something wrong, but knowing how to minimize split ends and heal your hair after breakage is where you can make the difference. Breakage doesn’t always look like large clumps of hair in the sink or shower, most times it’s not that deep — yet.
One thing I learned about being natural is that breakage isn’t always noticeable. It can be as subtle as ends that feel rougher than usual or a few sections that aren’t holding moisture the same. Curly hair can camouflage split ends in ways straightened hair can’t, especially if you don’t know what to look for. I’ve been straightening my hair more frequently to switch things up and I noticed that my silk presses weren’t lasting. The slightest humidity would make my hair puff up and look more like a blow out than a silk press. At first, I thought that was the price I paid having natural hair in Atlanta but it turned out it was a little deeper than that.
What I Learned About My Hair
When I started to pay attention to the longevity of my styles, how my hair felt, and my growth, here’s what I noticed.
I need more trims…
I would trim my hair every 3-6 months. Let’s be honest — six months is entirely too long to go without a trim or dusting of my ends. I now get trims every 2-3 months. This helps me catch split ends before they starts to travel up the hair shaft. The longer you go without trims the more the breakage spreads — and the more length you end up losing in the long run.
Regular trims aren’t the enemy. They’re insurance.
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My ends needed more moisture…
This went hand in hand with the trims. I noticed that regardless of how good the product was, my ends weren’t retaining moisture like the rest of my hair. My ends were constantly dry, didn’t curl the same, and felt dull. All of that ultimately led to me trimming my hair.
Damaged hair is dead weight. Once you let it go your hair will flourish again.
Understanding the treatments I need…
Whether it’s at home or at the salon, most of us do a treatment for the sake of doing it and not knowing exactly what our hair needs. I’m guilty of that, I religiously do moisture treatments when in actuality, I may need a strengthening or protein treatment. Here’s a quick breakdown on what treatment you may need.
Deep conditioning treatments provides moisture to dry, damaged, or color-treated hair, improving softness and shine.
Protein treatments strengthens hair and prevents breakage by replenishing lost protein, which is ideal for dry, brittle hair.
Olaplex treatments use a bond-building system that repairs and strengthens hair from the inside out, especially beneficial for chemically damaged hair.
Detox treatments helps remove buildup from products, chemicals, or environmental factors.
Breakage is a symptom not the root problem. Breakage happens when the hair lacks moisture, has a protein imbalance, experiences excessive manipulation, and old split ends that haven’t been treated. Treating a lot of these root issues can be as simple as using the right treatment. If you’e unsure which treatment is best for you, consult a hairstylist who specializes in your hair type.
My New Hair Care Approach
Now that I realized what may be the cause of my breakage, here’s how I style and approach my hair routine differently.
- Trim my hair every 2-3 months
- Do little to no wash n’ go styles
- Stretch/blow dry my hair before styling
- Interchange my hair treatments when necessary
- Take vitamins that promote health and growth from the inside out
- Minimize manipulation
- Take Multivitamins
- Maintain iron levels
Doing all of these in the last three months has already showed significant results. My ends are healthier, my silk press last longer, and there’s less breakage overall. If you’re struggling with breakage I highly recommend you start paying attention to what your hair needs, get rid of any damaged strands, and start healing your hair from the inside out. Your hair will thank you later.
I linked all the products and vitamins that have helped me in my Amazon storefront if you want good recommendations on where to start.