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Hair can be damaged by
physical injury, chemicals, heat, and by disease. When not caused
by various diseases, we are left with types of damage that can
be prevented and are under our control.
Hair is constructed largely from proteins called keratin, which
provide both the central core of the hair shaft and the cuticle
scales that coat the shaft and give it pliable strength. When
we talk about damage to hair, we are talking about damage to
the keratins. Damage usually affects the cuticle scales first;
this reduces the pliable strength of the hair and makes it harder
to manage, and it opens the way for damage to the keratins that
make up the hair shaft's central core. |
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We are familiar with advice to avoid excessive
sun exposure that can damage our skin. The same advice holds
for avoiding excessive sun exposure that can damage hair. As
with sun damage to skin, it is the ultraviolet component of solar
radiation that damages hair.
The ultraviolet wavelengths break
chemical bonds in the keratin proteins that constitute most of
the bulk and strength of the hair shaft. Weakened keratin proteins
weaken the hair shafts and render them more likely to become
dry and "weathered" in appearance. It also makes them
weaker and more likely to break when combed or brushed.
If you spend a lot of time in the sun and you find that this
is damaging your hair, you can try a number of products which
advertise that they have UV protection in them. Probably the
easiest and simplest way of protecting your hair would be to
use a cap or a hat. |
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Hair volume can be defined as hair that maintains
body and fullness, continues holding a shape and has height and
lift away from the head.
The volume of a person's hair will be determined by the hair
diameter (i.e. the size of each hair strand), the density (how
much hair you have per square centimeter), the stiffness of the
hair, the curl in the hair (curly hair will have more density
then straight hair if taken per hair) and finally the degree
to which hairs stick together. As such, hair volume is due to
physiological factors, and is also therefore genetic in nature. |
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Chlorine is a potent bleaching agent and causes
severe damage to hair keratins. Thus, chlorine in the swimming
pool can both
lighten and weaken hair. Damage to keratins can be even more
severe when the proteins have already been damaged by chemical
or thermal hair styling treatment. Chlorine-damaged hair can
manifest its damage in hair breakage, split-ends, decolouration
and difficulty
in styling.
The belief that swimming pool chlorine causes blond or gray hair
to turn green is not altogether true; the greenish sheen comes
from metals such as copper or iron that are dissolved in pool
water and are oxidised by chlorine after they are taken up by
hair shafts.
A first line of defence against swimming pool chlorine is
(1) rinse hair thoroughly in fresh water immediately upon leaving
the pool, and
(2) shampoo with a product that will limit chlorine damage to
keratins.
A shampoo of this type should be acid/alkaline (pH) neutral.
Some hair experts recommend limiting or preventing chlorine damage
by applying a protective conditioner covered by a latex or silicon
cap before entering the pool. |
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Keratin proteins are easily damaged by excessive heat. Two
common ways for this thermal (heat) damage to occur is by (1)
use of heated implements for hair straightening or styling, and
(2) using the blow dryer at too high a temperature for too long
when drying hair.
Hair styling implements should be used at the lowest effective
temperature for the least amount of time that will produce a
desired effect. They should be used only as often as necessary
to maintain a styling effect; Excessive application of heated
styling implements can cause an accumulation of hair damage over
time.
The blow dryer should never be used at high heat to dry hair.
Blow drying should be done on the "cool" setting to
prevent thermal damage to hair keratins. |
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A common old wives tale is that men and women should brush
their hair with at least 100 strokes a day. It is known today
that too-frequent and too-hard brushing can physically damage
the cuticle of hair shafts and result in hair weakening and hair
breakage. While "100 strokes a day" was once useful
to clean and lubricate the hair, these functions are performed
more effectively today by appropriate use of shampoos and conditioners.
Excessive combing or brushing can also damage the hair when the
hair is tangled, and excessive force is used, thereby pulling
out hairs on a regular basis. Reasonable and gentle brushing
with a wide toothed comb or a soft brush can never be damaging. |
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