3 Steps to Recovering From Hair Damage

Recovering from hair damage can be tough but once you have a few simple steps in mind, you can actually halt the damage before it gets out of hand.

Pay Attention to The Signs

[ad name=”ad3″]While it would be easier to notice something is “off” with your hair and just keep it moving, you should never ever ignore signs that it’s going through changes if your goal is to have a healthy head of hair!

Short pieces of hair landing on the floor every time you comb or so much as gently pass your hand through your hair is a sign of a problem. If your hair feels like straw to the touch or is dull in appearance (or more dull than usual… since afro-textured hair often has less of a shine than other textures), there may be some issues to address.

The same way you would keep on alert when things happen to your body that are not the norm, keep your eyes open to anything different going on with your tresses so you can nip it in the bud early to prevent further hair damage.

Make An HONEST Assessment

If you do begin seeing signs that your hair may be experiencing some form of damage, take the time to look deeper. Be honest with yourself as you inspect your hair to see what’s going on. Is the hair really breaking off or is it just normal shedding? Could it be excessive shedding? Split ends? What about a bald or short patch (or two)? This could be a result of too much tension in those areas or something serious.

Read Here to Understand the Difference Breakage and Shrinkage

Think about how you’ve been styling your hair or what you might have been doing differently, both on your head and inside your body with regard to your diet.

See Also: 3 Cause of Thinning, Excess Shedding and Hair Loss

How bad is the damage- just enough that could be solved with a trim or a better moisturizing routine or is it so much (like severe heat or color damage) that you may need a major cut to get your hair back on track? Many of us don’t want to admit when our hair needs major help, especially if that means chopping off a few inches. But what’s the sense of holding on to damaged hair just to keep length that we’ll wind up losing anyway due to the damage? Let it go!

Read: 3 Stepts to Recovering From Hair Damage

Take Action!

After you’ve made an honest evaluation of your hair on your own, seek out the help of a professional to confirm your suspicions of hair damage. Any reputable natural hair salon will first do a consultation to see what your hair needs are before any service or styling is done. The stylist may tell you that whatever problem you’re experiencing can be handled by simply doing a few things on your own like drinking more water if your hair is really dry, switching shampoos, etc. On the other hand, we might be told that the damage could be something deeper. Whatever the case may be, be proactive and follow through on their suggestions!

See Also: 5 Ways To Repair Seasonal Breakage

The key is this: do your best to pay attention to what your hair is telling you. I’ve often seen women ignore signs of hair damage in an effort to keep length. You’ll only be making matters worse. Focusing on the health of your hair is a much better way to go!

By being alert to the signs, being completely honest with yourself that there IS damage and taking action to fix it, you can maintain and retain healthy natural hair.