Close up natural curly hair
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Weak hair follicles, damage due to chemical processing and dry cuticles can all contribute to hair that easily breaks and falls out. In order to deal with severe hair breakage, you may need to make some changes in the way that you care for, style and even cut your hair. Some extra care can help you keep your tresses shiny, healthy and strong.

Visit your hairdresser to discuss the condition of your hair and hear your hairdresser's recommendations. Hair is essentially dead matter, so any time you try and fix breakage by using a fancy shampoo or product, you are only fixing it temporarily. The best way to deal with severe hair breakage is to head to the salon and cut most of the damaged portions away. This will leave you with the newer hair growth that is near the scalp and not as damaged to work with.

Skip the chemical processing, like hair coloring and relaxing. These use harmful chemicals that dry out your hair, leaving it brittle and prone to breakage. Chemicals from these processes can also cause irritation to your scalp. If you must use relaxers or color, choose semi-permanent ones that have less harsh chemicals, and wait six weeks in between treatments, says KidsHealth.org.

Give your hair a break from heated styling tools. Too hot tools like curling irons and straighteners can burn the hair, leaving it dry and broken. It can also cause your hair to break as you work to tame it. Try using heated tools no more than three times a week, and use a heat protecting product when you do use them.

Choose a sulfate free shampoo that will be gentler on your hair. Sodium lauryl sulfate is the chemical that makes your shampoo sudsy, but it also dries your hair out. Conditioner can restore some of the moisture, but switching to a sulfate free shampoo can keep your hair moisturized and strong, says HairLossBuddy.com. Look for it where organic products are sold.

Eat a balanced diet. The CNN Health website notes that a diet rich in vitamins and omega three fatty acids can help you grow hair that is thicker, shinier and stronger. Adding two or three servings of fish, like salmon and trout can increase your omega three fatty acid intake, as will fish oil pills.