How to Stop Hair Breakage in African American Hair
Whether you’re noticing more hair on your pillowcase than usual or it appears that your hairline is retreating further and further back, it’s immediately a cause for concern. There is nothing quite as stress-inducing as discovering that you’re suffering from excessive hair breakage.
The good news? As gut-wrenching as this realization may be, it’s the first step to fixing the issue. Because yes - you can learn how to stop hair breakage in African American hair before it’s too late! And in this complete guide, that’s exactly what we’re going to cover.
Below, we’ll highlight some of the proven ways to repair damaged hair for black women and make breakage a problem of the past. We’ll even discuss what increases hair growth and thickness for African Americans so you can start regrowing what you’ve lost.
First, though, we want to talk about differentiating between hair breakage and fresh hair growth.
First - Learn How to Differentiate Between Hair Breakage vs Fresh Hair Growth
Just as one can easily mistake normal hair shedding as hair loss, it’s all too common for women to misdiagnose hair breakage vs new hair growth. And the last thing you want to do is start making changes to your regimen if it’s not necessary in the first place. This will lead to more issues down the road.
Short, straggly little baby hairs that are just emerging from your scalp and broken, wispy hairs are almost indistinguishable. You should check the texture of these hairs to figure out exactly what’s going on. If the hair is soft, delicate, or wispy and you don’t see broken hairs on your pillowcase or in the drain, it’s probably new growth - yay!
On the other hand, if those little hairs are dry, crispy, and ragged at the ends - and you are seeing more hair fall than you remember - it’s probably hair breakage. And before you hit the panic button, we want to reiterate that you’re just a few moments away from learning how to stop hair breakage in African American hair. Not all hope is lost!
Before we share the secrets that other women around the world have used to stop breakage at the scalp, let’s talk about what could be causing your specific issue in the first place.
What Causes Hair Breakage in African American Hair?
Knowing what causes black women’s hair loss is key to coming up with a perfectly tailored treatment plan.
For example, if your breakage is the result of excessive styling or heat tools, the solution is as simple as changing your regimen. On the other hand, if your breakage is the result of dryness caused by overfrequent shampooing, you’ll want to lay off the washing and add a moisturizing treatment to your hair care regimen.
With that said, afro hair is inherently more prone to breakage than white hair - which is something we discuss in great detail in our article covering white hair vs black hair. Your hair is tightly coiled and subject to dryness. As you may already know, dryness is the most common cause of breakage.
In saying that, your genetics may not be entirely to blame for your hair breakage woes (although they do play a role!). So, here are the most common culprits for hair breakage in black women.
Over Manipulation & Styling
Because black hair is so tightly coiled, attempting to straighten it through aggressive combing, heat styling, and brushing can contribute to damaged hair cuticles. At first, these may present themselves as split ends. But left unchecked, the hair shaft will contribute to splitting down the middle and result in full-fledged breakage.
Lack of Moisture
Whether it be caused by heat, frequent washes with a harsh shampoo, or simply the tight nature of your hair - lack of moisture is the leading cause of hair breakage. Brittle hair is more easily broken - especially when you manipulate it using any of the tactics discussed above (brushing, combing, styling, etc.)
But with so many things continuing to dryness, it’s tough to diagnose the actual root cause. That’s why we’ll talk about a number of ways to combat dryness and lack of moisture in the hair follicles below.
Poor Diet
You are what you eat - and if your diet leaves much to be desired then your hair health will too! To get a bit more specific, a diet deficient in key vitamins (like vitamin E, biotin, etc.) and fast/proteins will result in excessive breakage.
You can overhaul your diet and remove certain foods while adding new ones to attempt to stop the issue. We’ll talk more about this below as we get into what you really came here for - to learn how to stop hair breakage in African American hair!
How to Stop Hair Breakage in African American Hair: Tips for Preventing Damage & Encouraging Regrowth
Knowing what causes your issues with hair breakage is step one. Step two is actually doing something about it and taking action. But before you can do that, you need to know how to stop hair breakage in African American hair - so read on below as we unveil all the ways women like you have made breakage-related problems a thing of the past!
Detangle Gently
It should go without saying that taking the time to gently detangle will help you avoid breakage-related problems that could arise from aggressive detangling. Trust us, we get it - you’re in a rush and you need to work fast to brush through your locks. But at what cost?
We recommend only detangling when your hair is wet as this will make it easier to work through the knots. Similarly, we encourage you to go slower with a wide tooth comb. It’ll take you longer to get your hair ready to leave the house, but it’s so worth it when you see fewer broken hair fragments on your pillowcase or in the sink.
Avoid Heat Styling
High temperatures can be disastrous for African American Hair - so when it comes to styling, it's best to err on the side of caution. Exchange your hot curling iron or flat iron for a heatless solution like air-drying, blowouts or roller sets instead. And if you must use heat, make sure to apply quality leave-in products designed for heat protection beforehand. If anything, use these heat treatments sparingly - because you now know what they can contribute to!
Limit Chemical Relaxers
Just as heat styling can wreak havoc on African American hair, so can chemical relaxers. So, try to limit your use of these to as infrequent as possible. And, when the time comes for another application of relaxer, choose one that's formulated specifically for African American Hair - these products are usually gentler on the hair and better able to protect it from breakage and split ends!
Keep Hair Hydrated
Above all else, you must keep your hair hydrated. After all, most breakage is in one way or another related to a lack of moisture. What can you do to keep your hair hydrated beyond using a quality conditioner, though?
For one, take note of your washing habit. There are two ways you can be contributing to excess breakage: using a poor shampoo and washing too often. Both of these need to be addressed if you want to unlock healthy, luscious locks.
So, read our articles on what ingredient in shampoo causes hair loss and how often should black hair be washed. Ruling out toxic chemicals in your shampoo and avoiding overwashing will do wonders to soften up your hair and keep breakage to a minimum.
But from there, you can be more proactive in your moisturizing endeavors. Find a quality leave-in conditioner that nourishes and hydrates your hair. Then, incorporate deep conditioning treatments at least 1-2 times a week depending on your level of dryness.
Following these steps won’t just help stop breakage in your hair. This is also how you keep African American hair from frizzing in humidity. It’s also a great dandruff treatment for black hair, and can help with scalp eczema black hair as well.
Get Regular Trims to Address Split Ends
We mentioned earlier that split ends eventually turn into full-fledged breakage. That’s why it’s so important to learn about what split ends look like in African American hair. By knowing the warning signs of breakage, you can trim your split ends before they split to the point that the hair follicle can’t be saved.
This is something you can do yourself with a mirror, a quality pair of hair shears, and some free time - along with that guide we just linked above. Otherwise, you’ll want to get regular trims at your salon. Our article on when to cut hair for growth can help you find the proper frequency for which you should be tackling split ends.
Rethink Your Diet
Rethinking your diet can have profound effects on your hair health. And frankly, this is something worth doing just for the sake of living a healthier life in general.
There are two sides to the coin here:
Both of these are important considerations. Start by removing inflammatory food groups that contain gluten, sugar, alcohol, and dairy to name a few.
From there, you can incorporate foods that contain the ingredients your hair needs most to prevent damage. These include proteins, omega fatty acids, vitamins A & E, zinc, iron, and biotin. If you struggle to get all of these in your diet every day, a multivitamin can help.
But, there is one more way you can make breakage-related woes a thing of the past - and it’s perhaps the most effective solution of all that we’ve listed thus far!
Strengthen Your Hair With Allurium Beauty
At Allurium Beauty, we’ve made it our mission to help women like you feel confident looking in the mirror and love who you see staring back at you. It’s all possible through our hair serum - which is considered to be among the best hair growth products for African Americans.
It won’t just help you prevent hair loss for black women - it can actually encourage new growth! With an abundance of ancient herbs and minerals proven to encourage healthier hair, the results women like you have gotten through the serum are astounding. Don’t just take our word for it - see what’s possible yourself by getting your Allurium hair growth serum today.
Final Thoughts on How to Stop Hair Breakage in African American Hair
We hope this article on how to stop hair breakage in African American women has provided you with clarity on what your next steps should be. First, do your best to identify the root cause to blame for your hair loss woes. From there, you can take action by following the steps we’ve outlined above.
You can learn more in our blog about how to treat hair loss in black women. We have a complete guide on how to regrow bald patches in African American hair along with articles on how fast does black hair grow, how to treat dry scalp in African American hair, and a whole lot more.
But now, it’s time to take what you learned in this guide on how to stop hair breakage in African American hair and address the problem once and for all, restoring your confidence for good!