Unhealthy hair usually has a rough texture, lack of shininess and luster, have split ends, lack of moisture and elasticity even after treatment and easily broken. Damaged hair will also get tangled up and result in knots due to hair dryness.
Healthy hair should never feel brittle and dry, but smooth and hydrated. Typically, if you have long hair that means it's growing out healthily, but it is possible to have long, damaged hair if you color it too often. So pay attention to the feel of those locks!
"Hair that is low porosity will float. Hair that is 'normal' porosity will float and then begin to sink slowly. Hair that is high porosity will sink immediately."
According to Colombini, healthy hair actually takes the longest to dry. While it's less than ideal, your hair may take a long time to dry simply because you maintain healthy hair practices and your strands are able to easily absorb and retain moisture.
Diagnosing Weak Hair
Weak hair can be defined as limp, droopy, thin or falling out. Split ends, extreme dryness or excessive oiliness can all be signs of weak hair.
Excessive Styling
Tight hairstyles, frequent braids and hair extensions cause stress on the hair shaft and can lead to weaker hair. Dyeing, perming, excessive heat styling like straightening, curling and blow drying damage the cuticle [1], which is the outer protective layer of hair.
Both dry and damaged hair can appear frizzy and dull, and can feel brittle. You might notice stray hairs and split ends.
How to Identify Stress-Induced Hair Loss. Telogen effluvium (stress-induced hair loss) usually causes diffuse thinning, a type of hair loss that affects your entire scalp. If you have telogen effluvium, your hair will normally look thinner and less dense than normal, especially under bright light.
By removing damaged hairs, haircuts promote healthy hair growth and stops the spread of split ends through the strands. This allows long-term hair health with less need for expensive products or conditioners. It is recommended to trim hair once every four months to maintain perfect hair health.
Fortunately, in the vast majority of cases, you can eventually grow the damaged hair out as long as the follicle itself has been preserved. The most common causes of damage are below. Damaged hair can still grow eventually, but routine damage can result in negative consequences for your hair.
The simplest option is to take a wet or dry strand of hair and gently stretch it. If it barely stretches and snaps, you need more moisture and might have too much protein. Also, if you brush your hair and strands fall out, you need protein. Equally, if your strands feel dry, you are likely lacking moisture.
“Vitamins are essential for healthy hair growth and may help in preventing hair shedding and thinning,” says Michele Green, M.D., a cosmetic dermatologist in New York. “The best vitamins for hair growth include B vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin E, zinc, biotin and iron.
Tangling, knotting, frizz, dullness, breakage: these are all signs of very dehydrated hair. The good news? There are easy ways to treat and prevent not just the annoying symptoms of dryness, but the dry, dehydrated hair itself.
People with oily hair or who use hair care products daily should consider washing their hair once every 1–2 days. People with dry hair can wash their hair less frequently. Those with textured or coily hair should only wash it once every 1–2 weeks.
First, let your hair dry naturally, about 70-80% of the way dry. Then, with your dryer on the coolest setting (don't touch that hot setting!), blow your hair dry, keeping the dryer about 6-inches away from hair at all times and moving it around continuously. Voilà: gorgeous, healthy hair, without the heat.
How do I know if my hair needs protein or moisture? The easiest way to tell if your hair is dehydrated or lacks protein is to do a hair strand test. Take a wet or dry strand of hair and stretch it gently. If it doesn't stretch easily, snaps quickly, and feels dry, brittle or rough, it means you need more moisture.
“Gently blow drying with the right hairdryer on the lowest heat and speed setting until it is 90 percent dry, is actually better for the hair than air-drying,” says Mahony, adding that this largely comes down to your hair's response to being wet.
Water is effective at washing away dirt, dust, and other water-soluble debris from the hair and scalp without stripping the hair of this sebum. However, Mamelak notes that if there are other oils in the hair (from a haircare or styling product, for example), a good portion of these will be left behind as well.