Breaking hair

[Honey83]

Happy Sunday all

Late thirties and have always had fairly fine hair but how easily it breaks is driving me crazy and it's been like this for as long as I can remember.

Naturally I have dark blonde/mousy colour with some highlights. I know highlighting can cause the hair to break but during lockdown I grew out my natural colour to quite a few inches and had pretty much the same issue of it breaking off. So, addition, it just must not be able to handle any colouring.

It find it very frustrating because I don't spend hours abusing my hair. I wash it every other day and blow dry, I don't use harsh processing or straighten it to within an inch of its life but it would probably be the same condition if it was a full head bleach! I blow dry in the mirror over the sink and by the end the sink is full of hair and obviously this happening each time it's becoming very thin.

What can I do to prevent or improve?

Bump!

I have fine very long hair and use Philip Kingsley elasticiser every week, I’ve used for it for years and think it’s great. Healthy hair is elastic, ie stretches rather than breaks when pulled, so hydrated hair is key really. I also use the elastistyler and daily damage defence spray. Do sometimes switch it up with olaplex 0 and 3 with I think number 6 as a smoother, it’s good stuff but I prefer Philip Kingsley.

I take collagen, zinc, calcium and biotin supplements which is all meant to be good for hair growth too.

I also got suckered into trying the L’Oréal 8 second water, I’m not sure how good it is for your hair long term but it made my hair feel soft and look shiny, so maybe a short term fix?

Hope you find something that works for you.

@Inmypjsagain great, thank you so much ☺️

Following

The Redken Extreme range is really good for reducing hair breakage. I use the shampoo and conditioner plus the anti-snap treatment every day. Makes a noticeable difference.

My hair started getting very thin and breaking easily. I assumed it was damage from dye. Then I saw the dr about totally unrelated issues. I was diagnosed with PCOS, diabetes, low vitamin D and low folic acid.
Upped my green leafy veg intake and take Vit D daily. Switched to dove intensive repair shampoo and conditioner, and my mum trims an inch or 2 off every few months.
The difference is amazing. I'm almost back to my "old" hair, which i was always complemented on. And the total cost was £7 for a years supply of vit d. And about £1 more than I was spending on shampoo/conditioner.

Maybe a general multivitamin too, as I'm not sure what I would be lacking?

When I've tried shampoos and conditioners targeting dry or damaged hair its easily overloaded being so thin.

@HundredMilesAnHour

The Redken Extreme range is really good for reducing hair breakage. I use the shampoo and conditioner plus the anti-snap treatment every day. Makes a noticeable difference.

Another vote for the Redken Extreme range. I bleach my hair white blonde and it really helps.

I have fine hair and breakage, a hairdresser once said that unfortuantely it's the curse of fine hair, it's more fragile and it's not necessarily due to you doing anything 'wrong'.

I use Philip Kingsley Elasticiser which makes a huge difference to my hair, Olaplex is too heavy for my fine hair, but Philip Kingsley one is just right.

I also have next to no vitamin D reserves so take that daily, and I know I don't get enough vitamins from my diet so I take Viviscal which is rich in iron, vitamin c to aid iron absorbtion, zinc, biotin and niacin, all very important for hair growth especially iron. I track my nutrition through myfitnesspal.

I was also reading an article by experts which stated that Regaine is the only proven formula for hair growth scientifically. I haven't gone down this route, but would consider it the next step I would take if needed.

I am sitting in the hairdresser having this exact conversation!

I have hypothyroid which is probably part of it… and I have low iron, B vits and PCOS… and I don’t use conditioner either which I’ve just been told off for!

Will be heading to Boots afterwards and will look for Redken and Philip Kingsley, thanks for the recommendations.

@minipie

I am sitting in the hairdresser having this exact conversation!

I have hypothyroid which is probably part of it… and I have low iron, B vits and PCOS… and I don’t use conditioner either which I’ve just been told off for!

Will be heading to Boots afterwards and will look for Redken and Philip Kingsley, thanks for the recommendations.

The best (cheapest!) place to buy Redken and Philip Kingsley is usually lookfantastic.com (they seem to have discounts all the time these days - can be up to 30% off). Occasionally you can drop on big bottles of Redken in TK Maxx but I haven't seen any in a while.

Oh ok thank you!

Are you eating enough protein @Honey83. I have undyed long hair and it snaps despite me using hair strengthening shampoo & conditioner, and think it might be diet related. I don't use any heat treatment and comb it no more than two or three times a day

@KirstenBlest Well I thought so! I thought my diet was generally ok but based on some of the responses here maybe I have a deficiency I'm unaware of.

Just had a quick check on the boots website and H&B at the supplements.

I’m going to suggest you don’t wash your hair so frequently. Use a dry shampoo to get a extra few days between washes. I’m also going to suggest you stop using a hairdryer. Invest in some aquis hair turbans or towels and use them to get your hair to damp, then air dry.

To feed your hair, the night before you wash it, or for a few hours before, use a leave in oil like Fushi really good hair oil. Massage it into your scalp. use elasticiser on the lengths. Do this every time you wash, which hopefully won’t be more than once or at most twice a week.

Take a biotin supplement and make sure you are getting enough good oil in your diet.

It might be a mineral deficiency. Take a multivit multimin to see if that helps

I use castor oil overnight or for a few hours every now and then. Makes my hair feel nice but no idea if it helps

@Taoneusa thank you!

Great advice here

I hear you! my annoying thin fine hair do the same! What annoys me the most, is because of my pcos, i am growing hair dark and strong, in unwanted areas and the hair that I actually want are so fine they break and fall.... not fair!

In any case, I've got a suggestion that helped me a lot. Bio laurel oil! Massage your scalp and your hair with lots of laurel oil, let it stay for a couple of hours and then wash. I did that for a couple of months and it helped a lot

I take ferrous fumarate off eBay, one a day for the last 3-4 months & it’s only reading this thread that’s made me realise why my hairs fuller all of a sudden. I only took it because my periods are heavy.

I take a multivit too.

You can’t ‘feed’ your hair. Get your ferritin and haemoglobin levels checked. Under 10 and under 120 will cause hair problems. It’s not heat damage with what you’re doing.

@Fluffycloudland77 what kind do you get? I'm premenopausal with thinning hair and nightmare heavy periods.

Bells healthcare ferrous fumarate 210mg. Iron needs an empty stomach and no tea/coffee so I take at bedtime.

I don’t feel so tired all the time either.