In our quest for styled, lustrous hair, we often adapt to certain hair habits that damage our hair. These habits in the long run adversely affect the hair quality, making them fragile to break off easily. If the hair damage is not fixed, it can even cause bald spots.
Hold on, the good part is even simple changes and precautions can protect your hair from further damage, and for the damage that is already done, Traya is here to fix it for you. In this article, you will find common hair practices that affect your hair adversely and how to repair damaged hair in men.
What Exactly Is Hair Made Of?
Before jumping further, let’s untangle some hair science. First, you should know the hair structure to understand how hair damage occurs.
Hair consists of two structures. The first one is the hair follicle containing the hair bulb, the living part located under the skin. A human scalp contains approximately 100,000 hair follicles.
The next part is the hair shaft or hair filament, the nonliving part which is composed of a strong protein called keratin. The hair shaft further comprises three different parts, which include -
- Medulla: The innermost and most fragile part, it consists of a thin core of cells and air spaces.
- Cortex: It is the middle layer of strong keratin fibers that gives hair its elasticity, flexibility, and strength. It also contains most of the hair pigment called melanin.
- Cuticle: It is made up of dead cells that overlap in layers to form scales that provide protection to the hair shaft. It is smooth and maintains hair moisture.
So, now that we know what hair is made up of, we shall dig into what happens in men damaged hair. Grooming habits, environmental stress, and exposure to chemicals cause weathering of the hair shaft and texture changes which eventually leads to hair breakage. Moreover, further damage may cause the outermost layer of the cuticle to wear out, and the overlapping layer breaks off. As a result, the cuticle loses functionality, and the whole hair shaft becomes weak and prone to splitting.
Causes Of Damaged Hair
- Regular use of heat and styling tools such as blow dryers, hot combs, or hair straighteners.
- Harshly rub hair with a towel to dry it and brush your hair while it's still wet.
- Regular hair colors and bleaching damage hair quality.
- Styling hair that causes hair pull or habits of hair pulling can cause traction alopecia, which makes hair fragile and weak by putting the follicles under a pulling pressure..
- Use of hair products such as shampoos loaded with harmful chemicals that harms the cuticle layer.
- Malnourishment, like any other body part, will affect hair. Hair needs proper nutrition to maintain the hair cycle. The deficiency of specific vitamins and minerals causes disturbances in the hair cycle.
- Hormonal imbalances due to diseases/disorders or unhealthy lifestyles affect hair badly and cause damage.
- Stress is another reason for triggering hair problems.
Treatments For Damaged Hair
The best way to get strong, thick hair is to prevent hair damage, as once the hair shaft starts splitting, the split can continue all the way up to the roots leading to hair damage. One of the most simple hair damage treatments is to make small changes in your daily routine. Here is a curated list of some tips that’ll help you prevent further hair damage:
Choose The Right Shampoo
Shampoos are meant for cleaning debris, residue, and extra oil from the scalp and hair. You need a shampoo that does not contain harsh chemicals and at the same time does not strip your hair from natural oils. Shampoo with the right ingredients can enhance hair health and prevent damage. A gently cleansing shampoo that moisturizes like Traya’s Defence shampoo will help prevent damage due to dryness.
Eat Right
There are some factors like genetics you can’t change, but you can always consume the right diet. Munching on a diet low in nutrients results in damaged hair and may also cause hair loss. Vitamins and minerals play an important role in the hair cycle and cellular turnover. An adequate amount of dietary protein is required to support the synthesis of structural hair proteins. Similarly, vitamins A and E are required to protect the hair from oxidative stress. Other vitamins and minerals like iron, folate, etc aid in hair growth and also exert daily hair repair functions. Try including a variety of foods in your diet such as green leafy vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, etc.
For times when one cannot achieve enough nutrition feasibly through diet, supplements can also help. Hair vitamins and minerals such as zinc, biotin, iron, folic acid, and vitamin B3 play a key role in nourishing your hair cells. These vitamins help in hair growth by promoting blood flow to your hair and making them stronger and healthier. Eating disorders are another possible reason for damaged hair in men because they cause malnourishment, and result in impaired hair cycle or even delayed hair growth. One may even notice new hairs that break off in the middle of the growing cycle. In such cases, it is necessary to take multivitamins to cope with the body’s requirements.
Check On Your Hair Dryness
Dryness can cause unexpected damaged hair in men. It may happen due to heat, low humidity, or lack of natural oils. Sometimes dryness may also be caused due to washing with hot water. Always wash your hair with lukewarm water. Oils and oil massages help moisturize the scalp and hair, thereby reducing dryness. Traya’s scalp oil is a perfect mix of essential oils that not only prevent dryness but also deliver essential nutrients to make your hair strands healthy and strong.
Use A Hair Conditioner After Shampoo
Shampoo is needed to clear the dirt and hair debris. You should use the conditioner along the lengths of your hair to ensure moisture is provided and locked in.
Do Not Overbrush
Over brushing can cause split ends. It creates a lot of friction in your hair and leads to hair breakage and damaged hair.
Stay Away From Chlorine
Chlorine can seriously cause hair damage. If you regularly go to swimming pools, ensure to wear a swimming cap and rinse immediately after coming out to protect hair from damage.
Replace Your Pillowcase/Headscarves/Bandanas
In some cases of damaged hair, the culprit is the rough fabric that comes in contact with hair and causes too much friction. Use satin pillowcases/bandanas instead.
Use Of Medications
If you suffer from genetic hair problems such as alopecia areata that are damaging your hair, you can opt for a topical minoxidil solution that can help improve hair quality and help in hair rejuvenation. You should consult a doctor before starting a medicated treatment though.
Hormonal And Dosha Imbalances
If your damaged hair is because of hormonal imbalances or pitta doshas (ayurvedic reasons), you can fix it with a holistic treatment, which offers a 3-science blend of Ayurveda, Dermatology, and Nutrition to heal hair issues. A comprehensive, customized, doctor-prescribed treatment like Traya’s can help you improve these important elements of internal health for healthier, stronger, and thicker hair.
Although hair damage is mostly reversible, it requires proper treatment to mitigate the effects. You can check Traya or get in touch with your Traya hair coach if already on a plan to get more support.
FAQ’s
Q1) How To Repair Damaged Hair Fast At Home?
It is important to know that reversing hair damage doesn’t happen overnight. If your hair damage is due to your styling or grooming habits, there are a few things you can try to repair, such as avoiding those damaging styles, using a hair mask, optic for better shampoos, massaging with nourishing oils, changing grooming habits, etc. If you have severely damaged hair you will require proper hair treatment that can fix all the root causes. Traya offers one such complete holistic hair treatment to fix all your hair problems.
Q2) How To Repair Damaged Hair Naturally?
To find a solution for damaged hair, one must know the possible causes. Good hair grooming habits, a wholesome diet, regular exercise, and the use of the right hair products may improve your hair quality.
Q3) What Is The Best-Damaged Hair Treatment?
There is no one treatment that can work for everyone. Men's damaged hair can occur due to various reasons and thus treatment can work only if it addresses all the reasons.
Q4) How Can I Restore My Damaged Hair?
To restore your damaged hair, practice healthy hair habits such as washing twice a week with good hair care products. Use satin pillowcases and avoid too much heat styling and chemicals. Eat a good hair diet that nourishes your hair as well as helps in hair rejuvenation.
You can also use medications or hair serum to undo hair damage. Traya offers the most effective hair care products to help you restore and even improve your hair quality.
