Black Hair Breakage? Tips About Your Hair Products to Prevent Further Damage Today

Black Hair Breakage?  Tips About Your Hair Products to Prevent Further Damage Today
Does your hair breakage fill you with dread? Do you agonize seeing broken ends stuck to your product containers?

Hair breakage can cause both social and psychological trauma, especially when you’ve paid out oodles of time and money on the latest treatments, followed instructions avidly, and dutifully taken the greatest care of your hair.

Most people who suffer from damaged hair spend heaps of money on treatment products which are full of chemicals that for the most part function solely to keep the product stable, pretty and smelling nice. With only a fraction of ingredients actually geared towards treating damaged hair, many people have no idea about the effects of the remaining chemicals.
So if you’ve stopped combing your hair out of desperation and before you go for the big chop, read on

Shampoos
Most hair shampoos consist approximately of 35% surfactants, which allow both the oils and water in the product to mix. Good wetting technique and gentle massaging assist the surfactants to release dirt trapped in the hair.

Surfactants such as ammonium lauryl sulphate often occur as the main detergent and possess the ability to clean exceptionally well. However beware when choosing. Similar to sodium lauryl sulphate, this particular ingredient is extremely harsh and one of many known irritants that can aggravate the scalp and further encourage dry hair.

Elasticity and porosity tests are simple indicators that will tell you whether you have chosen the right shampoo. Examine the condition of your hair after shampooing and before applying the conditioner.  For example, perform a strand test by running your fingers down the hair shaft.  Do your fingers slide easily to the ends or is there resistance? If you are finding resistance, try a shampoo with a change of detergent.  

Conditioners
Hair conditioners cannot reconstruct damaged hair, but they can make it feel more manageable and improve the appearance. Damaged hair is more porous absorbing more conditioner, so taking the right choice can make all the difference. For example, minute proteins such as hydrolyzed wheat protein, penetrate the cortex and successfully increase the elasticity of the hair, whereas amino silicones, such as dimethicone are believed to be more effective on relaxer damaged hair.  This is because amino silicones are able to bond tightly to the hair shaft providing additional strength. However beware, they are so good at their jobs, they tend to be notorious for product build up, creating dull, lifeless hair. So again, rather than guessing, apply a simple strand test after conditioning to assess what type of conditioner your hair really needs.

Black hair is extremely fragile but there are several ways to help reduce your hair breakage. Start learning to assess you hair and read your labels today. Know what you are using on your hair and how it affects your success.