Contrary to popular belief, damaged hair doesn’t just mean having split ends. Your hair can be negatively affected by oil, humidity and weather, dryness, and many other issues. The good news is that, in most cases, hair damage isn’t permanent and careful hair care can help to repair and improve the overall appearance and condition of your hair. To know when your hair needs some extra attention, let’s review some common signs of hair damage:
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1. Rough texture
One of the simplest methods of detecting damaged hair is by touch. Simply run your hands through your hair to check for rough or frizzy texture. While not everyone has silky smooth hair, take note if your hair starts to develop a rough texture that is out of the ordinary. In short, if your hair is feeling less than it’s best, it might be time for some extra care.
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2. Dull or lack of shine
The outermost layer of the hair strand—meaning the part of the hair that can be seen—is a layer of dead cells protecting the strand called the cuticle. As such, the state of the cuticle, or how your hair looks, is one of the first indicators that your hair might be damaged. For example, the cuticles of your hair should be smooth and shiny. If your hair looks dull or just isn’t as vibrant as usual, a hair treatment might be in order. If your hair still lacks shine after conditioning or extra care, it could be an indicator of deeper hair damage.
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3. Split ends
Split ends generally form at the ends of your hair, which are typically the oldest and most worn areas of the hair. As such, split ends are a great indicator that your hair has taken some damage and might need some extra love. Moreover, if left uncared for, split ends can get worse over time. To check if you have split ends, take a small bunch of hair and look closely at the ends. If you see a lot of ends that are broken in two, a trim is the best solution. To prevent split ends from happening in the first place, limit the use of heat on your hair and be gentle when brushing and styling.
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4. Dryness or lack of moisture
Having dry hair does not always mean you have damaged hair. However, if your cuticle has been severely damaged, the whole hair strand becomes porous, making it difficult for your hair to hold moisture. Conditioning should resolve the problem, but, if your hair doesn’t respond to conditioning and is continuously dry, your hair may have more serious issues.
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5. Too many tangles
When you have a healthy head of hair, the hair shafts are smooth. However, with damaged hair, the cuticles are rougher and more easily get stuck to other hair strands. This causes knots and tangles. Additionally, the drier and rougher your hair is, the more difficult it is to unwind those tangles.
