How to Prevent Hair Breakage in Curly Hair? Tips and Tricks

I. Introduction

Curly hair is very delicate, it needs to be handled gently and kindly. But just like any other hair, curls also come with lot of hair problems one such is the hair breakage in curly hair. Yes, hair breakage is one of the serious problem in curls as it leads to other hair problems like hair thinning.

Being a curly haired girl myself, I know how difficult it is to manage the curls softness and smoothness. Curls have a tendency to be always on drier side which makes it frizzy and unruly.

Having a hair breakage is like the calling sign for you, to start taking care of your curls. You might be wondering, why is the hair breakage such a big problem-

Well, hair breakage can cause following other problems-

• Preservation of length- Hair breakage keeps on making your hair shorter in length.
• Disrupted curl pattern- Breakage can cause curls to be disrupted, affecting the hair health.
• Elasticity- Hair breakage reduces hair elasticity.
• Increased frizz- Breakage creates frayed ends at the hair, which results in frizzy and unruly hair.

So, it is necessary to take care of the breakage problem in curls. Let’s see how to do it-

II. Understanding Curly Hair Breakage

A. Causes of hair breakage in curly hair

Before, we start with the cure and solution for curly hair breakage, let’s understand the causes of hair breakage in curly hair. There can be many reasons for hair breakage in curly hair, but some of the common reasons are:

• Dry and dehydrated hair- Curly hair tends to be on drier side, this is because of the lack of natural oil from the scalp. Dry and dehydrated hair are more susceptible to damage and breakage.

• Tight hair styling- If you keep on tying your hair in a tight hairstyle, chances are they will weaken and it will result in hair breakage.

• Over-brushing- Curls should not be touched more. The more you touch it, the more it becomes drier and leads to breakage.

• Improper detangling- Detangling curly hair is one of a task, you need to be patient and should follow a proper routine for gentle detangling of hair.

• Lack of moisture- Curly hair requires more moisture to be soft, smooth and defined properly. Lack of moisture makes the curls dry, brittle and prone to breakage.

B. Identifying signs of hair breakage in curly hair

We know the reason for hair breakage, but what are the signs we should look for to understand hair breakage in curly hair-

• Split ends- Split ends occurs when your hair becomes weak and are more prone to breakage.

• Tangles and knots- Hair breakage leads to more of tangles and knots, particularly at the end of the hair.

• Hair shedding- 5-10 shedding of hair is normal, but if you see more, then believe me your curls are getting weak.

• Lack of elasticity- A healthy curly hair has lot of elasticity, it can be stretched and return to its original shape. But a weak hair, if stretched will lead to hair breakage.

• Hair thinning- A lot of hair breakage leads to hair thinning. You will see a noticeable thinning of hair.

III. Building a Hair Care Routine: Tips to Reduce Breakage

A. Gentle cleansing techniques

 1. Choosing sulfate-free shampoos-

First thing which you need to do is to use sulfate-free shampoo. Protect your curls from the chemical as much as you can. Chemicals like sulfate and parabens, strip the natural oil from your hair.

Some of the good sulfate-free shampoo for curly hair are:

a) Nexxus Clean and Pure Clarifying Shampoo-

With such amazing reviews on Amazon, this clean and clarifying shampoo helps to gently cleanse the hair and make it nourished and hydrated. Made with essential ingredients, the shampoo provides nutrients to hair and keep them moisturized.

Features:

• Nourishes and hydrate the hair
• No Silicones and Parabens
• Provides natural shine to hair

b) Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner Set-

This Moroccan Argan oil shampoo is made in Italy and gives you amazing shine and hydration. The sulfate-free shampoo repairs the damaged hair cuticles and hydrates them.

Features:

• Sulfate and Paraben free
• Provides shine to hair
• Hydrate and nourishes the hair strands

c) Cantu Sulfate-Free Cleansing Cream Shampoo-

Made with Shea Butter, this shampoo helps to cleanse the hair and scalp. Free from all the chemicals, the shampoo helps to nourish the hair strands and reduce hair breakage.

Features:

• Helps to reduce hair breakage
• Cruelty free
• Nourishes and hydrate hair
• Makes hair soft, smooth and stronger

d) Briogeo Be Gentle Be Kind Aloe + Oat Milk Ultra Soothing Shampoo-

As the name of the shampoo tells us that it is for the gentle and kind hair and scalp type. This hypoallergenic, essential oil infused soothing shampoo helps to hydrate, nourish and soften the curly hair.

Features:

• Formulated with skin-soothing ingredients
• Hypoallergenic shampoo
• Hydrate and nourish the hair strands
• Vegan and Cruelty-free

2. Co-washing (conditioner-only washing)

Co-washing means not using any shampoo but using conditioner twice. If you have got very damaged and dry hair, then Co-washing is for you. In this, you skip the harsh chemical shampoo and instead use a conditioner to wash your hair.

Doing this, will help to repair your damaged and dry hair and keep them nourished.

Some of the co-washing are-

a) Creme of Nature, Argan Oil Hair Conditioner-

This lightweight, co-washing hair product is color safe, and gently removes dirt from scalp and hair. It hydrates the hair and keeps them nourished.

Features:

• Sulfate-free co-washing
• Optimal finger detangling
• Adds moisture and shine to hair

b) Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk Sulfate Free Cleansing Conditioner for Curls-

This hair milk cleansing conditioner helps to remove the dirt from scalp and hair. It quickly detangles the curls and keep them nourished and hydrated.

Features:

• Helps to prevent frizz
• Hydrates and nourishes the hair
• Adds extra protection in the hair

c) tgin Quench 3-in-1 Co-Wash Conditioner-

This is considered as a 3-in-1. It does the work for cleanser, conditioner and detangler. This co-wash helps to reduce frizz and transform the dry hair into soft, smooth and healthy hair.

Features:

• Remove excess product build-up
• Improves manageability
• Makes curls bouncy
• Transforms hair into soft, smooth and healthy hair

 B. Hydration and moisture retention

1. Deep conditioning treatments

It is necessary to provide deep conditioning treatment to hair once or twice a month. This helps to nourish the hair and keep them moisturized. You can either try DIY hair mask or go for deep moisturizing mask.

DIY hair mask for deep conditioning

a. Avocado hair mask–

This nourishing hair mask helps to keep the hair healthy and soften. Avocados are rich in minerals that nourishes the hair and add extra shine to it.

• Take 1 ripe avocado and mash it.
• Add 2 tbsp. of olive oil.
• Mix the two ingredients
  Apply the mask on your hair strands and scalp.
• Keep it for one hour
• Wash it off with lukewarm water.

b. Shea Butter hair mask-

What better than applying shea butter on your hair and keeping the strands nourished and hydrated for long time. This deep conditioning hair mask is very beneficial to moisturize the hair strands.

• Take 1 tbsp. of shea butter and melt it.
• Add some coconut oil in it
• Also add little argan oil in it
• Mix the ingredients properly
• Apply the mask on your scalp and hair strands.
• Keep it for 1-2 hours. Wash it off with lukewarm water.

c. Honey and Olive oil hair mask-

Both honey and olive oil helps to nourish and hydrate the hair strands. They help to lock the moisture in the hair and keep them soft and smooth,

• Take 2 tbsp. of honey and 2 tbsp. of olive oil
• Mix them together
• Apply the solution on the hair
• Leave it for 15-20 minutes
• Wash it off with shampoo and conditioner

Other Deep Conditioning Hair Mask:

a) Arvazallia Hydrating Argan Oil Hair Mask-

This deep conditioning hair mask deeply hydrates and nourishes the hair strands. It makes the hair soft, smooth and easy to manage. The argan oil infused hair mask helps to improve hair elasticity and hair shine.

Features-

• Formulates with essential nutrients and vitamins
• Improves hair texture
• Increases hair elasticity

b) amika soulfood nourishing mask-

Nourish your hair’s soul with Jojoba seed oil and Sea buckthorn. Both these help to keep your hair healthy by providing them with antioxidants. They deeply condition hair and improve hair elasticity and hair shine.

Features-

• Hydrates and nourishes hair
• Deeply condition hair
• Seal the split ends
• Improves hair shine and elasticity

C. Protective styling options

It is very necessary to opt for protective styling option. This way you can style your hair and also minimize the hair breakage and promote healthy hair growth.

Some of the good protective styling option for curly hair are-

• Twists- Twists hair styling is one of the very popular hair styling method. It also protects the hair and keep the curls moisturized.

Two strand twists

Flat twists

Mini twists

• Braids- Braiding your hair helps to protect the hair from environmental damage. Popular braids are-

French braid

Box braid

Dutch braid

• Pineapple technique- This is the famous technique mostly followed by curly haired people. In this technique, you loosely gather all your hair at the crown of the head and tie it with a scrunchie.

• Buns and Updos- One of the easiest way to style your hair and also protect it. In this the curly hair are tied up in a bun or updo. The hairstyle helps to protect the hair from friction.

High Bun

Low Bun

Top Knots

D. Proper drying methods to reduce hair breakage

It is very necessary that you dry your hair properly. Drying your curls play a major role in the texture of hair. If you use heating tools to dry your hair, it will result in split ends and hair breakage.

Some of the safe drying methods are-

• Microfiber towel drying- Use microfiber towel to dry your hair. This helps to reduce friction in hair and keep them healthy.

• Air drying- Let your hair dry naturally.

• Plopping- This is a technique which helps to enhance the curls and reduces its drying time.

After you have washed your hair with conditioner, apply the leave-in conditioner and then wrap your hair in a microfiber towel or cotton t-shirt.

This method will not only dry your hair quickly but will also enhance the curls.

• Diffusing- If you wish to dry your hair quickly and also want your hair bouncy, then you should use a diffuser on the blow dryer. Divide your hair into section and use the diffuser to encourage curl volume.

• Scrunch out the curls- After you have washed your hair with conditioner, apply the styling product like gel and mousse. Now, scrunch out the curls with your hands.

IV. Daily Tips to Reduce Hair Breakage

Hair breakage is a very common hair issue which almost all of us face once in a lifetime. Apart from using good hair products, there are other ways to reduce the hair breakage.

It is important to keep your hair healthy in all the ways. Things which you incorporate in your daily routine, largely affects the hair health. Let’s check out some ways to reduce hair breakage in curly hair and make them healthy-

• Regular trims to prevent split ends-

Keep trimming your hair every 2-3 months, this helps to keep them healthy and bouncy. Also regular trimming reduces the split ends and hair thinning.

• Protecting hair while sleeping (e.g., satin pillowcases, silk scarves) –

This is the most important thing to do in curly hair routine. Most of the curly hair breakage starts in the night as we do not protect our hair in the night. Cotton pillowcases increases friction in the hair and leads to hair breakage.

It is good to use satin pillowcases and satin scarves to protect hair from friction. Also, you can tie your hair in pineapple technique.

• Maintaining a balanced diet and staying hydrated-

Apart from taking care of your hair, you also need to keep yourself healthy. For this, it is necessary to have a full balanced diet including all types of nutrients.

Staying hydrated is another useful tip to keep your hair healthy. Water helps to flush out the toxins from the body and make it clean.

• Minimizing stress and practicing relaxation techniques-

Stress has the most effect on your hair health. The more stressed you are, the more your hair will become weak and as a result hair breakage. To avoid this, you should practice some relaxation technique like meditation and yoga, to keep yourself healthy from inside.

V. Troubleshooting Common Issues

Apart from the curly hair breakage, some of the other common hair issues are-

A. Dealing with shrinkage-

As soon as the curls become dry, they get shrinked. So, the actual length of curls are never known.

B. Managing frizz-

Curls are always on drier side, which makes them frizzy and unruly. To deal with the frizzy hair, you should try some of the DIY hair mask and also make sure that curls are well hydrated.

C. Addressing scalp health concerns-

Many times it is noted that due to the dense spiral hair structure the scalp is not visible which makes it difficult to clean. To combat this issue, you should try to massage the shampoo or co-wash which you apply on the scalp.

VI. Final Thoughts

So, in the above blog, you have come to know about what are the symptoms of hair breakage and what is the main cause of it? Apart from this common hair problem, I have also tried to provide you with the solution of how to take care of hair breakage in curly hair.

Apart from this, it is very necessary to have a good hair care routine. Choosing good hair product according to your hair type and being consistent in your hair care routine makes sure that your curls are healthy, bouncy and defined properly.

How do you take care of hair breakage in curly hair?

FAQ on Hair Breakage in Curly Hair