As soon as your hair grows out of your scalp, it is already dying. If you damage your hair through excessive treatments or colourings, the hair can’t repair itself because it doesn’t have life within it anymore. You can use conditioners, moisturizers and hairstyle treatments that may help, but the hair will never be as healthy as it once was.

There are many ways your short or medium hair can become damaged, and some of these are difficult to avoid. There is the always unavoidable sun and natural wearing of your hair that may damage it, although not as much as the things you do to it yourself. However, you can take steps to protect your hair from many of the elements that usually cause damage.

When your hair looks healthy, it has a tightly closed, smooth cuticle layer that aids in protecting the inner hair from becoming dried out. This layer will allow your hair to keep in some of its moisture and will also give medium or long hair some shine, strength and elasticity.

You may incur damaged hair from the cuticle scales becoming uplifted, which results in less shiny hair, dullness or brittleness. Hair that is damaged in this way will be weak, porous, dry and difficult to manage. There are several tell-tale signs of damaged hair, including lack-luster, dull hair; brittle and dry hair; perpetually tangled hair; hair with split ends and flyaway hairs; hair that is difficult to manage and hard to style.

Some of the things that cause hair damage include excess brushing, which can tear the hair. Excessive combing can do the same thing, especially if you comb or brush your hair a lot when it is wet. Your hair is more vulnerable to tears and breakage when it is wet. Comb or brush your hair gently, using a natural fiber brush or a wide-tooth comb, to avoid this problem.

Hair clips and pins hold the hair very tightly, in order to keep it in place, but this tightness may cause the hair to break. Rubber bands in pony tails can also cause breakage. Overheating also damages hair, so the best thing to do is to let it your hair dry naturally. This isn’t always feasible, but if you can do it now and then it will help prevent some heat damage. If you have to use a blow dryer, put it on the coolest setting.

The sun and salt water or chlorinated water can also hurt your hair. Be sure to wash your hair with a healthy hairstyle product after you swim, otherwise the chemicals and salt can make your hair dry and brittle.

These are just a few ways you can help prevent damaged hair from being an ongoing problem.

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