|
How to Fix 4 Common Hair Mistakes |
|
|
|
By
Diana Benzaia |
| |
You crunch, blow, and curl it every day to
make it look great, but all that handling could be sending your hair
down the drain--literally. Forty-one percent of women say they
experience hair breakage on a daily basis. And some styling faux pas can
actually cause hair to come out by the roots. Here's how to protect your
tresses from styling mistakes of the "too much" variety--too tight, too
often, or too hot.
Mistake: Overhandling
Giving your hair 100 strokes, teasing, or vigorous shampooing will
eventually fray the cuticle, the outer layer of the hair shaft that
protects the fragile inner filaments. The result? Hair breakage.
Hair Helper: "Treat your hair like it's the finest silk," advises
Rodney Cutler, owner of New York City's Cutler/Redken Salon. Use the
tips of your fingers to gently cleanse your scalp--no need to scrub.
Dirt, oil, and debris will float away as the lather passes over your
hair. After you condition but before you rinse, detangle your hair in
the shower with a wide-tooth comb. Try Pantene Pro-V's Restoratives
Breakage Defense shampoo, conditioner, and strengthening spray, lotion,
or leave-in créme to minimize damage ($5; drugstores). When hair is dry,
brush just enough to style it.
Mistake: Overheating
When exposed to high heat, the cells of the hair's cuticle separate and
break off, exposing the delicate filaments within. Your hair is apt to
snap where cuticle is missing, explains Paradi Mirmirani, MD, a
dermatologist at Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center in California.
Hair loses its smoothness and luster, too, when the cuticle is damaged.
Hair Helper: Never blow-dry sopping wet hair, says Cutler; it
can't take the heat. After rinsing, squeeze hair gently with a
towel--don't rub. Try the superabsorbent Aquis Microfiber Hair Towel
($18;
www.amazon.com, Bed Bath & Beyond). If you shampoo daily, use a
leave-in conditioner designed to protect blow-dried hair.
Direct medium heat airflow down the hair shaft in the direction that the
cuticle's cells are layered; blowing hair in all directions adds to
frizziness. Turn off the blow-dryer when hair is almost dry, and then
lightly brush to style it.
African American women should not use curling or flat irons more than
once a week or soon after color or relaxation treatments, cautions Susan
C. Taylor, MD, founding director of the Skin of Color Center at St.
Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City. If you must touch up,
use a heat protector spray such as Tresemm?nstant Heat Tamer ($4;
drugstores).
Mistake: Overprocessing
Most hair dyes, perms, and relaxing agents aren't dangerous unless they
are left on too long or used too often.
Hair Helper: "Don't perm more frequently than every 120 days,"
says Prevention advisor Mary P. Lupo, MD, a clinical professor of
dermatology at Tulane University School of Medicine. Never perm and
color on the same day--a few weeks in between is best, says Mirmirani.
In African American women, relaxers and other chemical processes may
contribute to a kind of permanent hair loss called central centrifugal
cicatricial alopecia (CCCA), although genetics also may be involved.
Women with CCCA can either relax or color, but not both.
Mistake: Too tight ponytails, braids,
or extensions
The pressure of a rubber band around a ponytail can wear away the
protective cuticle and cause hair to break. Anything that puts tension
on the hair follicle for a prolonged period, like braids or extensions,
can pull hair out by the roots, causing traction alopecia (balding),
which is sometimes permanent.
Hair Helper: Use only hair-protecting bands, such as Goody
StayPut Hair Elastics ($5; drugstores). If braids feel tight as they're
being styled, ask the stylist to start over, urges Taylor.
Likewise, extensions and weaves shouldn't leave your scalp feeling
tight, give you a headache, or cause inflammation, says Pantene
celebrity stylist Danilo. Your best bet: temporary clip-in extensions.
Check out
www.hairuwear.com for a wide array of choices. |
| |
|
Article Source: http://www.prevention.com |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
