Although you may spend a great deal of time and money on your hair, all those styling products and tools can eventually harm both your scalp and your strands. A healthy scalp is one of the keys to growing nourished, strong and well-moisturized hair.
Hair Structure
The human hair is divided into two parts: the root, below your skin's surface, and the shaft, above the skin's surface. According to author and celebrity hairstylist A. Dickey in "Hair Rules!," your hair shaft also contains multiple layers: the innermost layer or "medulla," the middle layer, called the cortex and the outer layer, called the cuticle. Made up of layered protein cells, the cuticle is where visible hair damage appears. Things like chemicals, heat styling, brushing and other stressors can break or separate these layers.
Dry Hair
Dry hair lacks the necessary moisture to retain a soft, smooth appearance. Your scalp provides a natural oil called sebum that moisturizes your hair. As you age, your scalp produces less sebum, leading to drier hair. You can also cause dry hair in the way you handle it. According to author Lisa Akbari in "Every Woman's Guide to Beautiful Hair at Any Age," using a shampoo with a high pH can lift and separate the layers of the cuticle, drying it out. The government's Medline Plus website lists other regimen-based causes, such as overwashing and too much blow drying, along with medical causes such as anorexia or an underactive thyroid.
Brittle Hair
Brittle hair breaks frequently due to a weakened hair shaft. According to Akbari, you can actually cause brittle hair by shampooing too roughly. When you twist or push your hair around on your head while it's wet, there's a good chance you'll tear the shaft. Akbari says this causes poor elasticity, making future breakage likely. Similarly, frequent use of hot styling tools can strip away the cuticle's protective layers, thinning the hair shaft and causing it to split or break more easily. The harsh chemicals used in perms and hair dye can also "fry" your strands, making them brittle and breakage-prone.
Considerations
The styling products you use may be causing dry, brittle hair. Trichologist Philip Kingsley tells "Marie Claire" magazine that the silicone in many smoothing and de-frizzing products can actually dry hair out the more you use them. The silicone forms a protective barrier to keep moisture out and strands smooth. However, when you lock out too much moisture, you're contributing to dry hair. Kingsley suggests avoiding products with silicone--usually seen on product labels as "dimethicone"--or using them less frequently.
Prevention/Solution
According to Akbari, caring for your scalp is the best thing you can do to encourage healthy hair growth. When your scalp's pores become blocked, hair growth stops and your body's natural oil can't moisturize hair. If you don't shampoo about every three days, Akbari says, the dead skin cells shed by your scalp begin to clog pores. Similarly, non-water-soluble styling products can cause pore-clogging build up. Occasional use of a clarifying shampoo and scalp oil can fix both problems.
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