Common Causes of Afro Hair Breakage and How to Prevent It

Whether you are transitioning, in protective styles or growing a natural afro hair, knowing the most common reasons that cause afro hair breakage and how to prevent them will cause you to shift the way you care for your afro hair and enable you to grow healthier, stronger afro hair.

Let’s dive into how you can protect your afro hair from unnecessary breakage.

Dryness

Afro hair is naturally prone to dryness due its natural curls. Here, your scalp natural oils cannot easily flow down to the hair shaft, thereby causing dryness and making your afro hair susceptible to breakage.

How to Prevent It:

• Hydrate:  Start a moisturising routine with water-based leave-in conditioners and hair mists.
• Seal in Moisture: Use natural oils like jojoba, castor, or argan oil to lock in hydration after moisturising.
• Deep Condition Weekly: Deep condition your hair weekly with products containing moisture-rich ingredients like honey, aloe vera, or shea butter.

Excessive Manipulation

Afro hair is fragile, and excessive styling, brushing, or combing can lead to unnecessary stress on your strands. This includes constantly changing hairstyles or using tools that tug and pull on your hair.

How to Prevent It:

• Go Gentle: Start at the end of your hair and work your way up to detangle your hair with a wide-tooth comb or your fingers.
• Limit Heat Styling: Cut back on the use of flat irons, blow dryers, and curling wands. When heat styling is unavoidable, always apply a heat protectant.
• Protective Styling: Try as much as possible to opt for low-maintenance styles like braids, twists, or buns that keep your hair hidden, reduce manipulation and have your hair out of sight.

Moisture and Protein Balance

Afro hair does best on balance of protein and moisture. If there is too much moisture, it weakens your hair, and too much protein makes your hair stiff—both lead to hair breakage.

How to Prevent It:

• Listen to Your Hair: You might need to have a protein treatment if your hair feels extremely mushy. The goal should be to moisturize if it’s dry and brittle.
• Use Balanced Products: Look for hair masks or treatments that combine moisture and protein for overall hair health.
• Don’t Overdo It: To keep the ideal balance, switch between moisture and protein treatments.

Neglecting Your Ends

Since the ends of Afro hair are the oldest and weakest section of the strand, they are extremely vulnerable to breaking and splitting if left unattended.

How to Prevent It:

• Trim Regularly: Get rid of split ends every 6–8 weeks to prevent them from travelling up the shaft.
• Moisturise and Seal: Pay extra attention to your ends during your moisturising routine.
• Protect Your Ends: Tuck them away in protective styles or use satin scrunchies instead of elastic bands to avoid unnecessary tension.

Sleeping on Cotton Pillowcases

Believe it or not, your pillowcase could be harming your hair health. Cotton pillowcases absorb moisture and create friction, which can lead to dryness and breakage of your afro hair.

How to Prevent It:

• Switch to Satin or Silk: These fabrics are softer on your hair, reducing friction and retaining moisture.
• Wear a Bonnet or Scarf: A satin or silk bonnet is an excellent alternative if you’re not ready to swap your bedding.
• Nighttime Routine: Apply a light hair oil or moisturiser before bed to keep your strands hydrated while you sleep.

Love Your Afro Hair

Afro hair care doesn’t have to be difficult. You’ll be well on your way to having strong, gorgeous afro hair by taking care of these typical reasons for afro hair breakage and implementing good hair care practices. Keep in mind that your hair journey is just that—a journey—and that patience and consistency are essential!

At TeesAfroHair.co.uk, we’re excited to support you every step of the way. Stay tuned for the launch of our e-commerce section, where we’ll be offering a range of carefully curated products designed specifically for Afro hair. In the meantime, explore our blog for more tips to help you on your hair care journey.

Join our community and let’s celebrate the beauty of Afro hair together!

For more hair care insights, visit us at www.TeesAfroHair.co.uk and follow us on social media for updates on our product launch. Your crown deserves the best!