Make These 3 Changes to Prevent Breakage in Fine Natural Hair
natural hair breakage prevention for fine strands
Hair breakage is a serious concern when you have natural hair due to all of the twists and turns that make up a hair strand. It’s even more of a concern when you have fine natural hair which is more fragile.
Even though fine natural hair is fragile, there are still very intentional things you can do to protect it from breakage. Below, I highlight 3 very easy ways that can protect fine hair from breaking off.
These aren’t the only ways. For example, neglecting to heat style is a way to prevent heat damage that leads to hair breakage.
These are just simple things you can do that help stop hair breakage significantly while also helping you to experience the realities of hair growth.
Practice Low Manipulation
The biggest way to prevent hair breakage in fine natural is to handle it with care.
One of the mistakes that many naturals make is doing too much with their hair. Too much styling is a big culprit.
Low manipulation styling is very helpful. The less you handle your hair, the more you protect it from breaking. This also includes utilizing low manipulation on wash day.
For example, finger detangle your hair only once on wash day versus doing so during the pre-poo, the wash AND the styling.
Find what works best for detangling and stick with it. I no longer detangle during the pre-poo or the wash. I detangle when I have loads of conditioner in my hair just before the final rinse.
Regular Oiling
If you’ve ever seen how long Native American women’s hair grows, you know that one practice they do regularly is hair oiling.
Natural oils are great for not only keeping your fine strands flowing freely so that they don’t get all wound up with each other. Oiling your hair regularly helps fortify the strands.
I like to oil my hair at night 3-4 times per week so that it has a chance to absorb the oil by morning.
An oil like almond oil is light enough to coat your strands without weighing them down. Almond oil is also rich in Omega-3 fatty acid, Vitamin E and magnesium, each of which help strengthen the hair strand.
Regular Doses of Protein
The addition of protein to one’s diet is helpful for the body in general but also helps strengthen the hair (nails too) from the inside out. It’s a viable means of natural hair breakage prevention
Add to a diet rich in protein, protein treatments and your fine natural hair will be constantly strengthened (assuming you aren’t re-damaging it with heat or chemicals).
I consume protein with every meal but also give my hair protein treatments every 3-4 weeks. How often you apply protein your hair should be based on what your hair is asking for on wash day.
Read this article to discover when to do a protein treatment on natural hair.
I then, follow protein treatments with a deep conditioning treatment (sans protein) to balance it with moisture.
On the weeks I don’t protein treat, I always deep condition solely. There’s never a time that I don’t deep condition my hair. Protein treatments are an important part of a fine haired girl’s regimen, but so is deep conditioning.
There are more than 3 ways to prevent breakage in natural hair. These three are easy ways that can make a big difference, especially when you are just starting out with learning about your natural hair.
