Wondering how to strengthen hair? Don’t worry, I’ve got this guide on how to make hair roots stronger and thicker and strengthen hair follicles naturally.
Do you often see people with voluminous and thick hair, but hear that they have a lot of hair fall? How is that possible?
Well, what can be wrong here is that their hair may look voluminous and thick, but is not strong. When the hair strands are weak, it will be more prone to hair fall.
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It is very important that our hair strands are strong in order to maintain healthy and luscious hair.
So first of all you need to diagnose whether your hair is weak, by looking for signs and symptoms, what is causing it and then find the right ways to strengthen your hair.
Well, this article will let you in on all the details about weak hair, their apparent causes and ways to strengthen your hair.
So check it out below.
How can you tell if your hair is weak?
It is important that you look out for various signs and symptoms that will help you tell whether your hair is weak or not, so you can take necessary action.
Here are some of the common signs:
- Your hair tends to stand limp.
- You have excessive hair fall.
- Your hair lacks lustre.
- The tips of your hair have split ends.
- Your hair tends to become frizzy.
- You have many broken hair strands.
- Your hair begins to thin out.
How To Strengthen Hair
1. Start off with natural methods like oil massages
Choosing to use natural methods for hair care is always one of the best and preferred courses of action.
Firstly, let’s talk about oil massages; one of the best ways to strengthen your hair is by massaging your scalp and hair with warm oil, in turn stimulating blood circulation in the scalp, strengthening the hair follicles.
Most often people also add in a couple of drops of essential oils into their carrier oils before massaging it into the scalp.
Essential oils are known to be more potent and are very effective for the hair. Using rosemary essential oil or peppermint essential oil along with a carrier oil of your choice can strengthen your hair.
Apart from oil massages, a lot of people try using other natural remedies like fenugreek hair masks, egg hair masks, onion juice hair rinses, homemade flaxseed gel, apple cider vinegar hair rinses etc in order to naturally strengthen the hair.
2. Avoid using heat on your hair
The frequent use of heat styling tools on your hair is a big no-no!
Whether it is a straightening iron, curling wand or maybe even a blow dryer, these heat styling tools apply direct heat to the hair and not just weaken, but also dry out the hair strands.
When the hair strands are dry and weak, they tend to become more prone to breakage and hair fall.
So limiting your use of heat styling tools and maybe using the blow dryer on the cool setting can do you good.
3. Make sure to have a balanced diet
Most often people do not realize how much of an important role their diet plays in maintaining good hair health.
Making sure you have a balanced diet by consuming foods rich in protein like eggs, fish, meats and dairy.
Also consume foods rich in iron like seafood and green leafy vegetables, foods rich in zinc like red meats, nuts, whole grains and cereals.
Another group of foods you need to include in your diet are those containing omega-3 fatty acids like mackerels, cod, herring, salmon and sardines and foods rich in vitamins like all types of fruits and vegetables.
If you have a balanced diet, your hair will be strong and healthy. When the body lacks nutrients, then it automatically results in weakened hair strands and hair loss in the long run.
For those who aren’t able to get sufficient nutrition of all forms from your diet, then you could consider taking multivitamin supplements.
4. Use shampoos with no sulfates
If you are using a shampoo that contains sulfates, make sure to stop using it right away! Shampoos that contain sulfates and parabens are extremely damaging to the hair and can cause your hair to become dry as it strips the hair off all its moisture and this will weaken the hair strands considerably.
Therefore, if you can lay your hands on a good all-natural ingredient shampoo, then it will be the perfect one for you.
5. Do not overwash your hair
Very often we feel that our hair becomes dry, greasy or sweaty and tend to over wash our hair.
But this practice can weaken the hair strands over time. When the hair is washed too often, it also loses all its natural oils and dries up.
Therefore, washing your hair once every two days or maybe three times in a week is sufficient, while you could maybe use a dry shampoo between washes if and when it is really required.
6. Stay well hydrated
Drink loads of water. Yes, you heard that right!
Lack of water can lead to dehydration and when there isn’t sufficient water in our bodies, it will tend to make the hair stand limp, become dry and become more prone to damage like breakage.
So make sure to drink a lot of water (around 2 to 3 litres on an average, with all liquids included) or at least stay hydrated by consuming herbal drinks or fruit juices throughout the day.
7. Detangle your hair the right way
Detangling your hair involves two things – the comb or hair brush and the detangling process in itself.
Well, using a wide-toothed comb should be your must-use comb every time you want to detangle your hair as it will help make your detangling process smoother and easier, without tugging on your hair strands, which can otherwise cause them to weaken when under pressure.
Always start off with removing the tangles from the bottom and slowly work your way towards the top of your hair.
8. Use a microfiber towel post hair wash
Microfiber towels are very absorbent and will help dry your wet hair easily, while also protecting your hair strands as well. Microfiber towels are light and do not tug on the hair strands when used on the hair.
This is important because the hair strands are at their weakest when the hair is wet and any tugging will just weaken them further.
9. Deep condition and moisturize your hair
Always remember that the drier your hair is, the more prone it is to damage and the more it becomes weak.
When you use hair masks or deep condition your hair, it keeps the hair well-moisturized and strengthens it over time.
You can either use hair masks, deep condition and rinse off or even use leave-in conditioners that will be on your hair for extended periods of time giving your hair more nourishment.
10. Avoid hairstyles that are tight
There are some people who often use rubber bands or elastic hair ties and tie their hair up into a tight ponytail, braid or bun.
Well, this can tug on your hair strands when worn for long hours and weaken the hair.
It is important to let the hair loose often and more importantly when you sleep to avoid this tugging.
What causes your hair to become weak?
Well it is very important to figure out what’s causing you this weakened hair problem, especially once you have started to notice some apparent signs repeatedly.
Some of the main causes can be that your hair is very dry and therefore it has become more prone to damage like breakage, frizziness and split ends.
If you are someone who uses heat styling tools on your hair often, then this could be one of the reasons your hair is dry.
Some other reasons for hair dryness can be lack of moisture and the use of sulfate shampoos.
It is also important to note that your diet and stress too are linked with weakening of the hair strands.
If your diet isn’t a balanced one and lacks sufficient nutrition in all forms, it can lead to vitamin deficiencies making your hair prone to weakening over time.
In addition to an improper diet, if you have high levels of stress, it automatically affects your hair, causing it to lose its strength and eventually fall out.
If you tend to very frequently perm, bleach or dye your hair, the harsh chemicals used in the process can cause your hair strands to weaken over time.
Also, if you suffer from scalp conditions like dandruff or more severe conditions like eczema or seborrheic dermatitis, then there are chances that your hair strands could have weakened.
Some people use hair ties or often tie their hair up in tight hairstyles. This can cause tugging on the hair strands making them weak over time.
There are some people who also suffer from hormonal imbalances due to internal factors like puberty, pregnancy, childbirth, menopause etc, which could also have an effect on the hair.
The final takeaway
I hope this article has helped you figure out what exactly has caused your hair strands to have weakened and found the right ways to help strengthen your hair strands.
Keep your hair well-moisturized to avoid it from getting dry and succumbing to breakage. Keep changing your hairstyle and do not always wear tight hairstyles.
Make sure to have a balanced diet or maybe even consume multivitamin supplements if your diet isn’t sufficient.
Always remember, if you wish to have healthy hair, then maintaining your hair strength is very important.
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To Summarize