"My hair is constantly breaking! How can I fix this?"

This is probably one of the MOST frequently asked questions I receive on a weekly basis. To be honest, it's such a tricky question to answer because everyone's hair is unique and there's a ton of variables to consider, but it's a valid question that deserves an explanation or two.

First things first, breakage is inevitable. It will happen, and that's okay. <— Read that again if you need to!

There is no such person, race or hair type that is exempt from this. Hair breakage is your hair's way of letting you know that something is off and for you to address your hair's needs accordingly. With healthy balanced hair, you'll notice a decrease in the amount of breakage you receive and an increase in length retention.

So, when it comes to relaxed hair breakage, I've learned that there are several key factors that you should avoid being guilty of, if you want to grow your relaxed hair long and healthy.

5 Reasons Why YOUR Relaxed Hair Is Breaking! And How To Fix It: 

1. Moisture Deficiency

This is hair that is super dry, rough, and brittle! Your hair is snapping and popping off into tiny piece everywhere you turn with little to no manipulation. Why? Well, dry moisture deprived hair lacks elasticity. This is a result of your hair not receiving adequate moisture levels for your hair type. Elasticity is an indicator of your hair's health. If you can't stretch a strand and have it return to its previous length and shape, then we have a problem. Hydration and moisture should be the cornerstone of your hair regimen until your hair is restored and balanced. The question is how can you fix moisture deficient hair? Simple. Up your moisture levels. 

Here are some ways to do that:

• moisturizing your ends with a water-based protein-free moisturizer and sealing with an oil - nightly
• misting your hair periodically throughout the day or right before you moisturize and seal
• deep conditioning weekly with a protein-free moisture based deep conditioner
• throwing in a mid-week co-wash
• baggying your ends after you moisturize and seal for several minutes (to an hour) to lock in moisture

Having a low moisture regimen is a recipe for dryness and breakage. Be sure to read your product ingredient labels in search for moisture-based ingredients. Overusing protein-based products (products containing hydrolyzed silk, keratin, collagen, etc.), without balancing it with moisture, will contribute to dry, ridged hair that is prone to breakage. Always analyze your hair!

Check out my video on MOISTURE vs. PROTEIN | The Benefits & Differences, Reading Product Ingredients + MORE

2. Protein Deficiency

Protein deficient hair is overly stretchy, limp, and weak! This is a result of excess moisture in the hair causing the hair structure to be overly elastic. Without adequate structure in the hair, the hair can be prone to breakage. I know protein gets a bad rep in the haircare world, but it's so necessary for balanced healthy hair. Protein binds to the cuticles and penetrates deep within the cortex to heal the hair from the inside out. A lack of protein in the hair can compromise the hair structure, increase weak strands, cause thinning, and promote breakage. So how can you fix protein deficient hair? Easy. Give your hair a dose of protein every so often when you notice the symptoms above.

Here are some ways to incorporate protein into your regimen:

• use a protein-based leave-in conditioner on wash days and then layer it with a moisturizing leave-in for the perfect balance.
• use a light protein conditioner/reconstructor biweekly or monthly, depending on your hair's needs. Always follow up with a moisture based deep conditioner for balance
• include protein-based foods in your diet i.e. eggs, meat, nuts, protein shakes etc. Protein is essential for hair growth and it's always best to nourish your hair from the inside out!

3. High Manipulation

If you are guilty of changing your hairstyle daily, or combing and touching your hair often then listen up - you need to stop! No, seriously. Over manipulating your hair and constantly adding stress to your strands will lead to breakage. Pulling, tugging, tension, and friction is a recipe for disaster. Over manipulating your hair will put you further and further away from your hair goals.  Less is better, trust me. Keep styling to a minimum and you'll notice minimal breakage over time!

Here are a few ways to limit daily/weekly manipulation:

• put the comb down and finger comb - first!
• use a wide tooth comb instead of a finer tooth comb
• keep your fingers out of your hair
• thoroughly detangle on wash days, not daily
• keep your styles simple and tension free
• slow down and detangle, take your time

4. Lack of Protection

Understand that safe and effective preservation of your hair/ends, leads to healthier longer hair. We all know that the ends are the oldest part of the hair. They are porous, fragile and require more care to see length. With that being said, it's vital that we protect our ends from the elements, i.e. clothing, environment etc., as much as possible. Going to bed without proper protection, i.e. satin scarf, bonnet or satin pillow case - is a problem. Wearing your hair down and having it rub against harsh clothing - is a problem. Using heat appliances without heat protection - is a problem. Not giving your ends a break from daily wear and tear - is a problem.

Here are a couple ways to protect your hair for healthier hair:

• wear a satin bonnet/scarf/pillowcase to bed
• wear smooth fabrics when wearing your hair down
• use a heat protectant every time you use direct heat
• throw your hair into a tension free protective style - frequently

5. Not Removing Product Build Up

Believe it or not, product build up can inhibit your hair cuticles from accepting additional products possibly leaving your hair dry, dull, and rough.  Blocked cuticles and dryness will lead to breakage. Product buildup and residue can leave the hair feeling weighed down. The cuticles are unable to breathe, the hair becomes unmanageable, and it begins to suffer. If you notice that your hair is lacking shine, tangled/matted, constantly breaking, difficult to comb, constantly dry or rough - you need to clarify your hair asap. Clarifying your hair with a sulfate shampoo will rid your hair of product, residue, dirt, and buildup allowing your cuticles to breathe and accept product. Removing buildup monthly will give your hair a clean slate allowing your hair to hold on to moisture, feel softer, smoother and much more manageable.

BONUS: 

6. Neglecting Your Trims

Failing to trim when it's needed is setting yourself up for future disappointment. Neglecting your trims for the sake of temporary ‘length’ isn't worth it in the long run. Why? Well, missing your trims can cause your split ends to get worse. Unkempt ends can lead to further splits causing tangles, breakage and eventually thinning. Maintaining a trim schedule that rids your ends of thinning, splits, single strand knots etc. is crucial in preventing breakage. I highly suggest doing light dustings every month (taking off 1/4" of an inch) and trim with every relaxer or every 12-14 weeks (taking off 1/2-1" inch). 

Don't avoid your trims, choose health over length - always!

 

Click Here to Grab Your FREE Healthy Hair Care Checklist Now!

Yup, that was me ↑

My hair was over-processed, limp, tangled, thin, fragile and damaged. I literally thought this was 'normal' until I came across ladies on the hair forums, back in the day, who had hair that was the TOTAL OPPOSITE of mine. Their hair was down their backs, thick, luscious and most importantly - HEALTHY!

At that moment, I knew everything I had been doing to my hair was completely wrong and change needed to take place asap. My hair demanded TLC and lotsss of it. I was a victim of over-processed hair for many many years and didn't even know it.

But what causes over-processed hair any way?

Over-processed hair can be the cause of frequent and misuse of relaxers, colour treatments, heat-styling tools, excessive manipulation etc. Your hair will feel weak, dry, brittle, stringy, and prone to breakage (basically damaged!). 

My hair fit this description perfectly. 

My frustration was at an all time high and tears were definitely shed! But my frustration led me to research, and my research revealed that there is light at the end of the tunnel!!

Here Are 7 Tips I Used To Help Repair My Over-Processed Hair:

1) Frequent Trims

The dead ends had to go! I got my hair trimmed immediately after making up my mind that I was going to take better care of my hair. My fresh ends gave me a clean slate to work with and automatically boosted my hair health! My ends were now even, appeared fuller and the breakage was minimized. Though, my thin ends were still present, they were no longer split. Instead of doing the big chop, I opted to trim my thin ends with each relaxer to eventually eliminate the over-processed scraggly ends overtime.

Scissors I use to Dust My Ends ↓ (Click Below):

Hair Shears

2) Spaced Out My Relaxers + Relax Correctly

Lets face it, doing a touch up every 6-8 weeks was the 'norm' for many of us relaxed hair ladies. This was my reality. Any time my new growth popped up, I relaxed my new growth like clockwork. Back then, it was basically that 'unwelcome guest' on my scalp that needed to bounce! LOL  

Too, relaxing all the way down to my ends was a regular thing. Processing already processed hair made zero sense, but it was common culture. I mean, I used to sit in relaxer as if it was conditioner not knowing the damage this was causing. No wonder I had thin, weak, over-processed hair!? I had to unlearn all of this. 

With time and research, I learned that spacing out my relaxers (every 10-12 weeks) and only processing my new growth (virgin hair), while coating the previously relaxed hair with hair grease, was the healthier way to go. My hair got a much needed break and instantly started to increase in fullness with each relaxer touch-up session. This was a game changer in my relaxer routine.

Relaxer I Use ↓ (Click Below) :

ORS Olive Oil Relaxer - Normal Strength

Dax Hair Grease

3)  Invest in Quality Treatments/Tools

What's the saying? Put your money where your mouth is...well I did just that! I took the time to research ingredients, go to the Beauty Supply Store and invest in products that I knew would help me in achieving my hair goals. 

Not only that, but I grabbed a hooded dryer, wide tooth comb, satin scarf/bonnet etc. to help promote healthier hair. I started using hair treatments, protein and moisture based products, leave-in conditioners which all contributed to the health of my hair. 

These products gave my hair the strength, hydration and nourishment it needed in order to combat all the damage over the years. Honestly, I wish Olaplex was around back when I first started my relaxed hair journey because this salon quality product line was everything my hair needed and more!! If you can invest in Olaplex No. 0 + No. 3, I highly recommend it. It certainly takes the guess work out!

Treatment/Tool Faves ↓ (Click Below):

Olaplex No. 0 & No.3

Joico K Pak Reconstructor Treatment

Joico Moisture Recovery Balm

Hooded Dryer

Widetooth Comb

4) Deep Conditioning

This literally became my hair's best friend! Remember, over-processed hair is hair that is  s t a r v e d  of all its nutrients. Deep conditioning is the best method to feed your strands the nourishment it requires. 

For me, deep conditioning after every shampoo was (and still is) mandatory! My coarse dense 4c hair requires it - period! Applying a hair mask, deep conditioner or treatment for 20-30 mins with a heat source on a weekly basis was probably one of the best things I did for my over-processed hair. 

This routine not only kept my hair soft, smooth and manageable throughout the week but it helped to prevent breakage while increasing the thickness and overall health of my hair, overtime. 

Deep Conditioner Faves ↓ (Click Below):

Keracare Humecto

Silk Elements Megasilk Cholesterol

Aussie Moist

Shea Moisture Intensive Hydration Hair Masque

TGIN Honey Miracle Mask

5) Protein Will Be Your Friend 

Over-processed hair (especially fine hair) requires a dose of protein a little more frequently than hair that is healthier and balanced. My over-processed hair was always super fragile, dry and a tangled mess. Tangled hair and dryness is a common characteristic of over-processed hair as the cuticles have been lifted due to excessive heat styling, improper use of chemicals, etc. 

Protein treatments fill in the gaps and openings along the hair shaft while helping to close the cuticles, increasing moisture retention and reducing tangles. Protein increases the hair's ability to accept and hold on to moisture - yup, you read that correctly! Because the gaps along the hair shaft are filled, your hair is better able to preserve moisture assisting you in retaining length. Yes, protein tends to make the hair a bit ridged and rough (this is normal) but following up with a moisture based deep conditioner is a life saver as it will help soften, increase elasticity and make the strands more manageable. Don't forget this step but don't over do it!

Also, hydrolyzed proteins infuse strength into the hair while increasing the diameter of the hair strand. Essentially, protein makes your hair look and feel thicker/fuller with each use. My hair got thicker in just 3 short months of incorporating protein in my hair regimen. This was the boost my hair needed!

Protein Faves ↓ (Click Below) :

Aphogee 2 Minute Reconstructor

ORS Hair Mayo

ORS Replenishing Conditioner

Shea Moisture JBCO Hair Masque

6) Lay Off The Heat Tools

Using flat irons, blow dryers, curling irons, etc. can make over-processed hair much worse. I was the type of person to apply heat to dirty hair, day-after-day *rolls eyes* Of course I saw no issue with it, but eventually I noticed my hair getting shorter and shorter year after year. I stopped using these hot tools and soon enough I started to notice a positive difference in the health of my hair. 

I opted to air dry after each wash day and my hair has thanked me for it over and over. Giving your hair a much needed break from hot tools will give your strands a chance to rebuild, retain moisture and regain strength. I made a hard decision to save heat styling for special occasions or just relaxer day. Of course, I used it responsibly never forgetting my heat protectant but this sacrifice boosted the health of my hair, tremendously.

7) Pre-poo Before You Shampoo

It's so worth the extra effort!! Coating my hair with an oil/conditioner, or both, prior to shampooing was another small step in combating my over-processed hair. Pre-pooing made a difference because it provided an extra layer of conditioning benefits that my malnourished hair craved. 

Penetrating oils can repair dryness and damage caused by heat, chemicals and colouring. After wash day, my hair would always feel softer, smoother, detangled and more manageable when pre-pooing was part of my routine. 

Prepoo Oils ↓ (Click Below) :

Coconut Oil

Olive Oil

Avocado Oil

BONUS: Leave your hair alone. As hard as it may be, this is vital. Keep styling to a minimum to avoid unnecessary breakage. The less you do, the better! 

Understand that it will take time for your hair to be repaired to its healthiest state. By the 3rd month, you'll begin to notice more volume and fullness in your hair. However, it will take any where from 6 - 12 months to really get your hair back on track and in tip-top shape. 

Give yourself space and grace to grow and understand your hair and its needs. Patience and consistency will definitely be a prerequisite on the journey to rebuilding your hair.

Keep at it - you got this!!

Xo

I say this all the time, small healthy hair habits, overtime, will eventually add up resulting in healthier longer hair! But, let's go deeper. 

Happy Monday, sis!

Great news.

Q&A is back in session and it's a good one. As always, I like to host Instagram Hair Care Question and Answer sessions each month and the questions that I don't get a chance to answer on IG, I answer here on the blog. It's something I always look forward to, so let's get to it!

DO YOU MOISTURIZE AND SEAL EVERY NIGHT OR EVERY OTHER NIGHT?

Typically, I moisturize and seal every other day. But if my hair feels like it needs a slight moisture boost, I will moisturize. Always listen to your hair. If it needs moisture, moisturize it. 

HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR ENDS MOISTURIZED? MINE SEEM TO NEED LOC DAY/NIGHT?

I moisturize using my water-based moisturizer and oil to seal. Perhaps you need to change your method (instead of LOC, try LCO) or the products you are using. I find that doing the LCO method (Liquid, Creme, Oil) instead of LOC locks in MUCH more moisture and you won't feel the need to moisturize twice daily. If you're still noticing extreme dryness, try clarifying your hair and ends using a clarifying shampoo (2x lather), use a sulfate-free shampoo (1x lather), then follow up with a moisturizing deep conditioner (zero protein) and see if that helps to restore moisture. Ensure that you are using quality deep conditioners to help restore hydration into your strands.

ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR SWIMMER'S SHAMPOO OR SHAMPOO WITH EDTA? NEVER HEARD BEFORE NOW.

Sally Beauty and Amazon.com carries ION Swimmer's Shampoo which is great for removing chlorine build up and mineral deposits off of the hair. It's perfect for pool or beach days.

In today’s video I’m sharing my wash day HOLY GRAIL moisture deep conditioning routine for my relaxed hair. I swear by these oils for stronger, thicker, healthier hair. It’s perfect for both RELAXED and NATURAL hair.

Ever since I introduced Avocado, Coconut and Olive oil into my healthy hair journey, my hair improved so much! These oils are packed with amazing benefits that maximize healthy hair growth, reduce breakage, increase elasticity and shine and of course fuller healthier hair. 
PRODUCTS/ITEMS MENTIONED OR SHOWN:

Keracare Humecto Creme Conditioner - https://amzn.to/3nfjVep
Avocado Oil - https://amzn.to/3eumRAd
Virgin Coconut Oil - https://amzn.to/3sH3OaU
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - https://amzn.to/3vfKqn8
Magic Star Wide Tooth Comb - https://amzn.to/3aA1Hzj
Scarf for Air Drying - https://amzn.to/3xlBxKj
Science of Black Hair - https://amzn.to/3gu422B
Hooded Dryer (mine is 11 years old - found a better one) - https://amzn.to/3sLDcW9
Taliah Waajid Protective Mist Bodifier Leave-in Conditioner - https://amzn.to/3xhpr54

SHOP MY AMAZON STORE:

www.amazon.com/shop/hairliciousinc.