Healthy hair is vibrant and shiny, and can take years off of your appearance. Some people mistakenly think that hair cannot be damaged if it is easy to style, but the opposite is true. Damaged hair is rougher than healthy hair, so it will often stay in an up-do or pony tail better and hold curl longer than healthy hair. There are several ways to tell if your hair is healthy. If, after going through these steps, you believe that your hair is damaged, the first step toward repair is to have a hairdresser snip off all of the damaged ends.
Step 1
Look in the mirror. Do you see little white dots sprinkled through your hair? These are split ends. Look at the hair around the crown and along your part: are there shorter hairs sticking up along these areas? This indicates hair breakage, either from poor hair health or excessive styling.
Step 2
Take a strand of hair and drop it into a container of water. Does it float? This indicates healthy hair. Hair that is porous will absorb water and sink. Hair becomes porous as a result of damage or dryness.
Step 3
Run your fingers through your hair. Does it feel smooth? This indicates healthy hair. Unhealthy hair will feel brittle or rough.
Step 4
Pay attention in the shower. It is normal to lose up to 200 hairs each day, but a dramatic increase in the amount of hair that comes out while shampooing indicates a problem with your hair's health.
Step 5
Notice changes in your hair while styling. Hair that normally holds a style, looks shiny or lies flat that suddenly starts to frizz, become unruly or appears dull could be damaged. Damaged hair becomes frizzy more easily and split ends are so fine that they often make hair appear unruly.
Tips and Warnings
- Fake healthy looking hair by combing a leave-in conditioner through your hair while it's wet. Shine serum can hide a multitude of problems, including split ends, frizz and damage from heat or styling.
- Most damage occurs because of over styling or aggressive coloring. If this doesn't apply to you, visit a doctor. Sudden changes in hair quality can be related to certain health conditions such as thyroid disease, lupus and diabetes.
Things You'll Need
- Wide tooth comb
- Container of water
- Mirror
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