HOW IS HAIR DAMAGED?
Hair can be damaged in a variety of ways. The structure of a hair shaft contains important pieces that lead to your hair health. Once that altered your hair can be damaged and not look as good as before. The solution to avoid hair damage is to condition your hair enough times to make sure those properties of your hair are not lost.
Here are some ways your hair can get damaged:
FRICTION
When the hair strand rubs too much against another hair strand it creates friction. Friction can also be a form of combining forces such as when we comb or brush or are trying to untangle wet hair. With that, you can not only lift the cuticle cells from the surface, but you can tear them away
TENSION
Tension is not a friend to our hair either. When we pull our hair back in a ponytail, slide a hair straightener or curling iron down it, or put it in cornrows we create tension. Hair is incredibly strong – but with time even a ponytail is too much tension!
CHANGING THE CHEMISTRY OF YOUR HAIR
Changing the chemistry of your hair can lead to damage and further damage. It can happen either with chemical processing such as perms, straightening, or coloring. Those can lead to increased friction leaving your hair dry. UV damage is a type of chemical damage to your hair.
MECHANICAL PROCESSING
Mechanical processing means you are subjecting your hair to a temporary process like curling, straightening, or putting it into the hairstyle. Mechanical processing differs from chemical processing as the chemical changes are temporary, but they can still damage your hair! Hair straightening and curling work on pretty much the same principles. You are temporarily changing the shape of your hair with the use of an appliance and probably some kind of product. You are breaking some of the chemical bonds, but they will come back together over time.
In Conclusion
Pretty much everything but a basic office elastic can damage your hair. So, what can you do? Use a good styling product that will protect your hair from the heat and friction caused by straighteners and curling irons. Try not to do it every day – give your hair a rest from all the pulling and heating and tugging and all the other stuff that goes along with the styling. Let your hair down every once in a while, or wear a hairnet or snood at night and condition!