5 Simple Tips on How to Strengthen Hair 

What do hooves, horns, and hair have in common, except starting with an "H"? They're all made primarily out of keratin. This protein structure makes hair strong and resilient, but proteins deteriorate under the pressure of modern life, stress, pollution, chemical exposure, and extreme styling heat, leading to brittle, dull, weak hair.

Weak hair follicles can lead to shedding, breakage, and a monotone, dull appearance, so getting your hair strong and healthy should be your priority, regardless of your aesthetic end goal. In this article, we'll explore the signs and causes of weak hair and share essential hair care tips on how to strengthen hair so that every day can be a good hair day!
 

Signs and Causes of Weak Hair

As usual, the first step toward fixing the problem is recognizing you have one. The most common signs of weak hair follicles include extensive shedding - an increased hair fall as you brush or wash your hair. If your hairbrush is getting ever more challenging to clean and your drains keep clogging faster, these are signs you desperately need a hair-strengthening treatment. Thinning hair can manifest in balding patches, lifeless, dull hair, or a visible reduction in volume, making your hair appear flat. Other signs include breakage, characterized by short, broken strands best seen when trying to flat iron or smooth the surface, split ends, dullness, and brittle hair that feels dry and coarse, lacking the shine of healthy hair.

What are the root causes of hair weakness? 

• Chemical treatments such as bleaching and coloring can strip the hair of its natural oils and proteins, leading to damage over time.
• Environmental damage from UV rays and pollution can weaken hair structure and strip moisture.
• The frequent use of heat-styling tools, like flat irons and blow dryers, can contribute to brittleness and breakage by drying out the strands. 
• Poor nutrition also plays a significant role, as deficiencies in critical vitamins and minerals can hinder hair growth and strength. 
• Finally, chronic stress can disrupt the hair growth cycle, increasing shedding and thinning.

There are a few simple tests that you can perform at home if you want to diagnose hair weakness, such as elasticity and porosity tests.

However, if you're concerned about the health of your hair, it may be wise to consult a trichologist (hair and scalp specialist) or dermatologist. These professionals can provide personalized assessments and offer tailored treatments, healthy hair products, and tips on how to strengthen your hair based on its individual features.

How To Strengthen Hair Root to Tip?

1. Chemical Use Limitation

Many conventional hair care products contain harmful chemicals, such as:

Sulfates  - harsh detergents that create a rich lather but can strip away natural oils, leaving hair dry and brittle.

Parabens - act as preservatives in many beauty products, but they can disrupt hormonal balance and lead to scalp irritation, ultimately affecting hair growth.

Silicones - may provide a temporary shine and smoothness, but they can build up on hair over time, creating a barrier that prevents moisture and nutrients from penetrating the strands. This buildup can lead to dullness and increased brittleness, making hair more vulnerable to damage.

Reducing your chemical use would be a good idea, given that the scalp absorbs 60-70% of what you apply, so try to transition to natural, organic, or sulfate-free products. These alternatives often contain nourishing ingredients like plant oils, botanical extracts, and natural proteins that help retain moisture and strengthen the hair shaft. Natural hair products can also reduce the risk of irritation, maintain a healthy scalp, and promote hair growth from strong and healthy follicles. Not only will your hair feel softer and shinier, but you may also notice a reduction in issues like breakage and frizz. 

If you've been wondering how to make your hair grow super fast overnight (this is not possible, BTW, so don't believe the clickbait nonsense) or how to make your hair soft, going natural may just be enough to reverse the damage in its initial stages. 

2. Heat Styling Reduction

We all like our flat irons, curling wands, and blow dryers and feel lucky to live in an age where all these styling tools are available for easy at-home use. Yet, these can still cause serious damage by exposing the hair to unnaturally high temperatures that evaporate moisture, alter the hair's natural structure, and lead to brittleness, breakage, and split ends. The cumulative effect of heat damage can result in dullness and loss of elasticity.

Embrace air-drying occasionally if you can't do it all the time. The best ways to protect your hair from heat are not heat-protectant sprays and creams but to stop or reduce the exposure and the temperature you use for styling.  Skipping the elaborate styling routine will save you time and allow your hair to retain its natural moisture. If you need to style your hair quickly, consider heatless techniques such as braiding damp hair for waves or using rollers to create curls without heat. When heat styling is unavoidable, applying protective sprays can create a barrier that helps shield your hair - look for products containing nourishing ingredients that provide hydration while protecting against heat. The downside is that you can only achieve some effects by using high heat, so it's okay to use it occasionally if you let your hair recover between sessions. 

3. Product Selection for Strengthening Hair

Start by looking for shampoos, conditioners, and treatments that feature strengthening ingredients. Your best bet would be products abundant in keratin, biotin, or collagen. Keratin, the main building block of hair fibers, helps reinforce the hair structure, biotin supports growth and thickness, and collagen improves elasticity and shine. 

There are so many choices today. First, look for a clean formula sans the mentioned synthetic chemical heavy hitters, then focus on your hair type. We need different things. Fine hair may benefit from lightweight formulas that won't weigh it down. In contrast, curly hair often requires more moisture and definition as it will get dry before it gets oily. Damaged hair needs intensive repair treatments to restore strength and luster. 

In addition to store-bought options, look through your pantry, fridge, and spice cabinet. You're bound to have many strengthening everyday ingredients in your home, even if it's been a while since the last grocery shopping. DIY hair-strengthening remedies can be both hyper-nourishing and cost-effective… and tasty. A good rule for all-natural skincare and haircare is - if you would put it in your mouth, it's good for your hair and skin.  

For example, coconut oil is known for its deep moisturizing properties and can help reduce protein loss; egg yolks are rich sources of protein and vitamins, making them excellent for strengthening and conditioning hair, and avocado, packed with healthy fats and nutrients, can help quickly repair advanced damage and enhance shine. 

4. Scalp and Hair Treatments

It all starts with the scalp, so don't forget it. Each healthy follicle, happily living in a well-nourished and balanced scalp, will give you over 20 strong, lustrous hairs in its lifetime. Scalp massages can be particularly beneficial because they boost blood circulation and encourage the delivery of nutrients to hair follicles, enhancing overall hair health and growth. But while investing in the future healthy hair, we also need to help the already tired and weak strands. Hot oil treatments are a very popular option, as they deeply nourish the hair, penetrating deep into the hair fiber to help reinforce weak strands. Similarly, protein masks can boost essential proteins that repair and strengthen hair.

Effective scalp care, targeted strengthening therapies, and lifestyle and habit changes can create a holistic approach to hair care, hitting multiple angles simultaneously for better results.  A perfect solution that combines scalp and hair care is LUNA™ 4 hair, a 2-in-1 scalp massager designed to repair and strengthen the hair and purify the scalp. 

GET YOUR LUNA™ 4 hair

Unfortunately, the only thing it cannot do is force you to change some bad habits or chat about silk pillowcases. Combining red LED and T-Sonic™ massage, this revolutionary scalp massager's super soft yet sturdy silicone bristles ensure your scalp is clean and free of the dulling buildup of the product while waking up microcirculation for starving, tired hair follicles with a vigorous scalp massage. LUNA™ 4 hair can also serve the whole strands and boost the action of hair oils and serums, evenly distributing them and coating each individual hair to enhance the absorption and effectiveness of all your hair care products.

5. Dietary and Nutritional Advice for Hair Health

The decisions you make on your plate reflect throughout your body. The principle of GIGO (garbage in, garbage out) is gorgeously elegant and even more beautiful for its truth and application to everything in life. A system can only produce quality if it gets quality information and building blocks. Key nutrients such as biotin, iron, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids are essential for promoting strong, healthy hair, and incorporating foods like eggs, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish into your diet can help provide these critical nutrients. If you give your body broken or insufficient information, no amount of topicals will fix an inside deficiency. It may mask it for a while, but you'll still have a problem and soon find yourself right where you started. It is far more important to change habits than conditioners. 

Not all of us are privileged to get fresh fruit, vegetables, or fish; some may live in food deserts, have aversions to certain foods, or some may be unsafe during pregnancy. In these cases, supplements such as biotin, collagen, and various vitamins can be beneficial for filling any nutritional gaps. 

One other point, so common sense that it's often forgotten, is dehydration. Did you know dehydration is the most common cause of feeling hungry, dizzy or lightheaded, having a headache, or being constantly tired? Staying well-hydrated helps your body perform literally (we don't use this word lightly) all of the processes keeping you alive, including the lower priority tasks such as maintaining the strength and elasticity of your hair. No matter how busy you get, drink water. We've all had those achy, low-energy days when we felt bad for no apparent reason. A few extra glasses of water would have helped most of those. 

General Hair Care Tips

• When brushing or combing, go gently to minimize breakage, no matter how much the knot frustrates you. Consider using a wide-tooth comb, comb out from the ends to the root.
• Get a brush designed for wet hair if you comb your hair with a conditioner on or after rinsing. 
• Sleeping on silk pillowcases can reduce friction and help prevent tangles and breakage. Plus, it's classy, and you feel like a frikin' princess. 
• Using cotton t-shirts instead of traditional towels to dry your hair can prevent damage and frizz. The cotton of a T-shirt is softer and finer.
• Get regular trims, tiny if necessary, to prevent split ends. They look bad, destroy every styling attempt, and deteriorate the overall health of a strand, continuing to split further up. 
• Avoiding tight hairstyles can reduce stress on the hair shaft, helping to prevent breakage and hair loss. 

Enjoy a good hair day

We all like to say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I don't know who amongst the beholders would not let their curious eye wander over a great head of hair in utter admiration. Strong and lustrous hair will make you look fresher, younger, and more attractive; there is no doubt about it. Plus, your hair is a vibrant expression of who you are, an artistic canvas, and a reminder that not all in this life can be controlled. 

Strong hair is the foundation for any style and makes you look good, well-kept, and healthy. By embracing just these five fabulous strategies - limiting harsh chemicals, reducing heat styling, choosing the right products for your hair type rather than the newest hype, treating your scalp and hair together, and maintaining a nutritious diet, you can braid one hell of a good hair day for yourself. Tiny daily changes accumulate into great transformations. May you have a good hair day and turn some beholders' heads.