Modern hair styling trends are constantly changing and pushing the limits of customization. If you have participated in at least a few of these popular style changes, chances are your hair is suffering a bit. Be it hair dye, bleach, perms, or even ordinary household styling tools; we are putting our strands through a bit of trauma. So the question begs itself, how much is too much when it comes to hair styling?
How to tell if your hair is damaged
If you regularly use heat tools, hairspray, and hot water, you might be experiencing dryer than normal hair. Frizz and split ends are the earliest signs of damage and may be mildly inconvenient at worst. If you often take more extreme measures to style your hair, signs of further damage have likely haunted you already. If your hair is brittle, hard to detangle, constantly dry, shedding, or stiff, it is time to give it a break.
Sources of damage
The most significant sources of damage due to styling are chemical treatments. Anything that changes the internal structure of your hair will leave you with some damage. These treatments are considered aggressive because they weaken the outer layer of each strand in order to alter the natural chemicals. This causes severe dryness and a lack of elasticity. The most common chemical treatments include;
Bleaching: To lighten your natural hair color, you need to strip out the pigments within each strand’s cuticle. This is essentially what bleach does to turn brown hair blonde. The darker the hair, the more treatments one need’s to see a nicely toned, lighter color. The longer bleach is left in, or the more often you put your hair through this process, the weaker your strands become as the natural keratin is broken down.
Perms: A perm is a treatment that gives straight hair curls or waves by weakening and changing a strand’s core chemical structures. The hair is put into perm rods that help form the desired texture as different solutions are added to make specific chemical alterations. After this process is complete, the permed hair should keep its new chemical structure for a while before returning to the natural texture. While the results are beautiful and the consequences are not nearly as harsh as a bleach treatment, repeating this too much is not worth the damage.
Hair Dye: It is hard to say who hasn’t dyed their hair at this point, but we still need to be cautious with the products we use to achieve our preferred color. Some types of hair dye contain chemicals like alcohol that dry out strands of hair to help the color stay longer. Be sure to read the label and find out how hair could end up after using it.
Another source of damage that may fly under the radar is using heat to style hair. This includes curling irons, straighteners, blow dryers, and even hot shower water. If you don’t take the proper steps to protect your hair from intense heat, it will quickly lose elasticity and its ability to retain moisture. There are many products available to help style your hair without worries.
If you’re worried about your recent hair thinning or hair loss, have no fear! Allusions is here to help! Reach out to us today for your FREE hair restoration consultation. Let us help you understand your best hair loss solutions.
