The hair shaft consists of dead, calloused skin particles. The living structure is the root: in it the cells divide and enable hair growth. The health of the curls, their appearance and often their density depend on whether the root receives the necessary nutrition. There are sebaceous glands in the root area of human skin: they produce fat. This is a natural lubricant that coats the scales of the hair shaft and lubricates them so that they do not bristle, split, break, lie flat and are smooth and shiny.
If the hair root receives enough vitamins and the sebaceous glands function properly, long hair also has enough nutrients and looks healthy and beautiful. However, when some internal processes are disrupted or external stimuli appear, the strands begin to split, break, become lifeless, dry out, become excessively electrified, lose their shine and elasticity, and sometimes even resemble straw.
You can restore damaged hair without dealing with the reasons that provoked the negative changes. However, if you identify unfavorable factors and then eliminate them, you will achieve a long-term effect and a more pronounced result. Otherwise, the situation will soon arise again and you will have to take action again.
Causes of hair damage
From the outside, the hair shaft is protected by a layer of small scales called the cuticle. These scales are tightly packed together, which keeps the hair smooth and retains all the vitamins, nutrients and moisture inside. Hair is considered damaged if the cuticle layer is even partially destroyed, for example if some scales have detached, opened or stood up. As a result, the flexible elastic rod loses the water it needs and becomes less durable.
If there is a lack of fatty lubricant, the cuticles will be damaged. She can no longer hold and stick the scales, they fall off, the stick remains unprotected and the moisture it contains evaporates quickly.
Let's look at the most common reasons that lead to a lack of fat lubricant and subsequent damage to the cuticle.
Lack of vitamins and microelements
When the roots receive the vitamins and microelements they need, they supply them to the entire hair shaft. Vitamins also help regulate the function of the sebaceous glands, that is, they form a strong protective film on the cuticle.
All vitamins and microelements are important for health. However, if you want to take care of your hair first, check if you are deficient in vitamins A, B, C, D and E. Vitamin A (retinol) improves the condition of the hair scalp, vitamins of group B normalize sebum production, accelerate cell division processes, C (ascorbic acid) and D have a positive effect on hair follicles, E helps the body better absorb the listed vitamins. Also check if you have a deficiency of zinc, copper, iron, calcium, selenium, manganese, silicon and phosphorus, as these help hair retain moisture and have a positive effect on the condition of the sebaceous glands.
Add fish oil, beef liver, meat (white, red), fatty fish, carrots, broccoli, herbs, sea buckthorn, peppers, citrus fruits, nuts, beans, buckwheat, oatmeal, eggs, milk and vegetable oils to your diet.
Take multivitamin complexes after an illness, as well as at the end of winter and spring, when the amount of useful elements in food decreases. Hair is one of the first structures to suffer from a lack of microelements, since it is more important for the body to nourish the tissues on which life and health directly depend.
Lack of moisture
When the cuticle is damaged, the hair shaft loses the moisture it needs. However, a deficiency can also occur for other reasons, for example if there is not enough water in the body itself. If you do not drink the prescribed amount per day, it will negatively affect sebum production.
The recommendation is simple: drink about 2 liters of clean water every day - this is a universal amount. And if you want to calculate your personal norm, multiply 30 ml by your weight. Increase your dose if you exercise or sweat a lot. You need to drink water: the body perceives soups and juices as food, and coffee even causes dehydration. If plain water doesn't taste good, add mint, lemon or cucumber. Drink it before meals, making sure to drink a glass on an empty stomach as soon as you wake up.
When there is a lack of moisture, the body behaves like it does when there is a vitamin deficiency, that is, it initially normalizes the function of the most important organs.
Eating harmful foods
The amount of nutrients is minimal in fatty, fried, spicy foods, rolls, baked goods, sweet soda and alcohol. If you eat such foods or drink alcohol, the body feels full, but does not receive any microelements important for its functioning. But do not think that you can eat unhealthy foods and drink multivitamin complexes to compensate for vitamin deficiencies. The fact is that these products contain elements that narrow blood vessels, negatively affect hormone levels, increase blood pressure and create additional stress on the body. Even supplying vitamins from outside will not be able to neutralize the damage.
Sometimes you can allow yourself to eat something fatty or spicy, but you shouldn't be tempted to do so.
Smoke
Tobacco contains large amounts of harmful substances. It also narrows the blood vessels, so that the small capillaries that supply the hair roots may even become completely clogged, preventing the follicles from receiving the nutrients they need.
Improper care, aggressive hairdressing procedures
The cuticle can be damaged from the outside, for example if it is overdried, injured or exposed to high temperatures. The following are considered harmful:
- Poor quality cosmetics. Perhaps shampoo, conditioner or other products do not nourish the tissue adequately, contain fewer vitamins than your strands need, are not suitable for your hair type and therefore do not solve your curl problems. It's important not to dry out your hair, but over-moisturizing it is also harmful. If all the fat needed comes from outside, the natural function of the sebaceous glands is disrupted. The solution is simple: choose the products that completely suit you.
- Incorrect washing. Don't wash your hair too often - this will only wash away the natural protective layer. Find your optimal frequency for washing your hair.
- Overheating. Curling irons, hot air hair dryers, flat irons, curling irons and other heating devices evaporate moisture from the surface of the hair. For the same reason, it is not recommended to wash your hair with hot water or walk in the hot sun without a hat. Reduce the use of thermal devices to a minimum, take a break and apply thermal protectant at least one week a month. If you use a hairdryer, choose a cool air setting and direct the wind in the direction of hair growth, i. e. from roots to tips - this will smooth the cuticles.
- Aggressive procedures. Permanent waves, coloring, highlighting, bleaching - such procedures destroy the hair structure. For example, the compositions used for coloring lift the cuticle cuticle to wash out the natural pigment. If you cannot refuse aggressive procedures, dye only the regrown ends, use good dyes, and then use intensive care specifically for colored hair.
- Mechanical damage. You can not comb wet hair, rub it with a towel, use a hard brush, for example metal, constantly use tight elastic bands or hairpins, or leave a towel on your head for a long time.
diseases
The most serious effects on the condition of hair and scalp are anemia, hormonal changes, and diseases of the digestive and circulatory systems. For example, if a person suffers from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, the vitamins and microelements contained in food are not fully absorbed and do not enter the bloodstream, and therefore the hair follicles.
Always monitor your health, consult a doctor if necessary, undergo annual medical examinations and do not develop chronic diseases.
How to restore damaged hair
Since the hair shaft is made up of dead cells, it cannot supply itself with nutrients; it is only supplied by the hair follicle. That's why it's important to take care of your health. You also need to restore the cuticle: if you do not glue the scales together, not all the vitamins that come from the root will be preserved inside.
Is it even possible to restore hair?
The hair shaft is made up of dead cells, they cannot be revived and their nutrition depends only on the roots. If the hair loses the moisture it needs, it cannot be completely restored. It is believed that damaged locks need to be cut and then only work with the hair follicles so that the growing strands are healthy and strong.
But not everyone is ready for a short haircut, so cosmetics come to the rescue. She has several tasks:
- Accelerate hair growth. Even if you are not ready to part with the length yet, cut the ends more often, so that you gradually completely remove the damaged strands.
- Give the roots vitamins. The hair that grows back will be healthy.
- Glue the cuticle scales together. This will be a temporary effect - the scales will still dissipate. But if you constantly use good cosmetics, they will constantly stay together.
If you want to get rid of damaged hair quickly, you can't ignore good cosmetics.
Which cosmetics should I use?
- Shampoo. Look for products to restore damaged curls - this action is usually written on the packaging. It is good if the composition contains oils, glycerin and panthenol. Choose a shampoo according to your hair type and pH level. If you have dry hair, the acidity level of your shampoo should be below 5.
- Conditioner balm. Do not neglect it, because this product seals the raised scales, gives the hair suppleness and helps retain moisture. For dry hair, the pH of the balm should be 4 or less. If the acidity is not specified, check what effect the product has. A nourishing conditioner ensures rapid growth of healthy hair, a protective conditioner helps if you often use thermal styling tools and walk in the sun without a hat, a nourishing conditioner ensures easy combing, which is especially important for long, thick or thin hairis , and a color-protecting conditioner will help preserve color, reducing the frequency of recoloring. Usually balms are applied only to the length, without attacking the roots. However, there are products that act directly on the skin - this is stated on the label. Regardless of the effect, you need to leave the balm on for a few minutes and only then rinse it off.
- Masks. They cannot fill the hair follicles and shafts with moisture, but they actively nourish them and fill them with useful substances. But don't use masks too often - 2-3 times a week is enough. Otherwise, they only burden the hair, overfeed it and disrupt the natural mechanisms of regulation, nutrition and hydration. This can lead to a dependence on masks, and in some cases the opposite effect is possible: products that are supposed to provide moisture begin to dry out the strands over time. And use masks correctly: anti-hair loss products are applied mainly to the scalp, cosmetic masks are applied to the entire length, 5-10 cm from the roots.
- Lotions, oils. Such products do not need to be washed off, so they work continuously on the hair and regenerate it well. Oils and lotions are applied to the damaged dry or wet ends of the hair after each hair wash and effectively combat the shedding of the cuticle layer, i. e. h. they help restore the hair structure. Many products have a cumulative effect that increases with constant use of cosmetics. But make sure that the oils don't weigh your hair down; do not apply it too heavily, otherwise the strands will look greasy.
It's good if you use all products and not just one, and even better if you choose cosmetics from one line. In most cases, such products reinforce each other's effects, so you can achieve the desired result more quickly than if you only use one product.
home remedies
The best effect is achieved by proven professional products that are available in pharmacies and specialist shops. But their effect can be supplemented with the help of folk masks: egg, honey, fruit, yogurt, kefir, henna.
Herbal decoctions have proven successful, especially from nettle, burdock root, hop cones, burdock, dandelion, chamomile, birch leaves, string, sage, marigold, St. John's wort, lemon balm, linden blossom. Use them after shampooing or even every day. Prepare decoctions immediately before use; do not store them, as the useful substances they contain will quickly be destroyed.