Why Is My Hair So Thin? Is It Breakage?
Did you know it’s actually normal to lose between 50 and 100 strands of hair a day? This is also why you’ll notice greater amounts of hair loss if you don’t comb or brush your hair daily, or when taking your hair out of a protected style. You’ll also notice more hair in the drain if you don’t wash your hair daily. With approximately 100,000 hairs on your head at any given time, normal shedding is hardly noticeable.
So what does it mean when the hair loss is noticeable?
Before you jump to the conclusion that your hair is beginning to thin, stop and consider the other factors that might be at play—because your hair loss could actually be due to breakage.
Hair Thinning Vs. Hair Breakage
Hair thinning, also referred to as hair loss and alopecia, is defined by the weakening of the hair follicle, which causes hair to fall out at the root. Hair breakage, on the other hand, is largely dependent on the follicle’s moisture content. When your hair loses moisture, it becomes brittle and prone to breakage. This breakage can occur at any point along the hair shaft, and often results in shorter pieces of “shed” hair.
There are a multitude of causes that can be behind both hair thinning and hair breakage, and understanding these differences can be the first step to identifying your specific needs.
Causes of Hair Thinning
- Stress due to tight styling
- Medications
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Thyroid problems
- Chemical burns from perms and relaxers
- A change in birth control
- Hormonal fluctuations present around childbirth and after menopause
- Autoimmune conditions
- Physical or psychological trauma
- Skin diseases or infections
Causes of Hair Breakage
- Chemical processing or burns from perms, relaxers and bleaching
- Damage from heat styling
- Lack of hydration
- Thin, fragile hair follicles
- Over-brushing, combing or roughly detangling fragile hair
- Frequency and tightness of ponytails
What You Can Do About It
Once you’ve determined whether your hair loss is due to thinning or breakage, you can move forward with a solution. When it comes to hair breakage, Better Not Younger has you covered. In 2021 Better Not Younger sponsored a study that determined women who used Wake Up Call Volumizing Shampoo experienced 95% less breakage. When combined with Wake Up Call Volumizing Conditioner, the study found that 98% of the women experienced less breakage.
Not only can Better Not Younger’s volumizing shampoo decrease hair breakage, but it can thicken your hair as well. A big chop or a handful of trims can also help remove the old, damaged hair as your new, healthy hair comes in.
You should also be extra gentle when detangling knots – when your hair is at its breaking point, make sure you wet your hair first before working through the tangles. Although your hair is stronger when it’s dry, anyone with curly hair will tell you they detangle it in the shower after applying conditioner, especially if the knots are extensive. While small sections can be gently detangled when your hair is dry by loosening the tangles with your fingers, for major problem areas: wet (and conditioned) is best.
Step 2: The After-Breakage Hair-Care
After turning your hair breakage around with Wake Up Call’s shampoo and conditioner, pull out the Superpowers to keep your hair-care health going. If dry hair is an ongoing struggle for you, a fortifying hair and scalp serum could be the key to keeping moisture locked into your follicles.
If you need more information before adding hair and scalp serum to your product line-up, we’ve got you covered. Better Not Younger has a plethora of articles on the benefits of hair serum, when you should use it, and which serum is best for hair.
You might also want to be a little heavy-handed when applying your hair masks, at least for the next few months. Make a point to repair your hair from the inside out as well by adding hair, skin, and nail supplements to your daily regimen. Your hair will bounce back before you know it!
Most important of all, know that we’ve got your back. Reach out to us on Facebook and Instagram—we’re more than happy to answer any questions you may have. Better Not Younger has everything you need to combat hair breakage. With a wide array of products, our Shop page has you covered at every stage of the process. Make sure to check out our blog for more hair care information as well!
Tell Us: Have you experienced hair breakage? Share in the comments below!