Spot Hair Damage Early: 5 Must-Know Healthy Hair Tips

Most of the time, when your hair ends up in a rough place, it didn’t happen overnight. In this hair guide, you’ll find 5 healthy hair tips that will help you get ahead of some common hair problems that challenge longer hair growth.

There were signs leading up to it. Those signs may have been subtle, but they were there. Ignoring the signs that lead to hair breakage and other setbacks is what derails us from maintaining healthy hair.

The funny thing is, ignoring signs in any area of your life can lead you down a road where the destination is not one you want to be at. This could be in relationships (that man that showed you who he was, and you ignored it. Remember that?), your work, your finances, and certainly your hair.

I have learned through over 20 years of experience with my fine natural hair that it is best to tackle the little things that cause our hair to lose its health and vitality right away.

Also, this article on healthy hair tips isn’t a full fix. It’s the checklist you need to know when your hair is trying to tell you something’s wrong.

Sign #1: Extreme Dryness

No matter how much you add moisture to your hair, it still feels dry. If this sounds familiar, your hair is trying to tell you that surface-level moisture is not enough.

There could be a barrier between your hair and moisture that’s preventing the absorption of the moisturizer. So, in this case, clarifying your hair would be in order.

It could also mean that your cuticles are so tight (low porosity hair) that you are moisturizing in the wrong way. If you have low porosity hair, you’ll benefit from using a heat source like a steamer to gently raise the cuticles so that moisture can get into the hair strands.

See: How to Moisturize Low Porosity Hair

If your hair is still dry after moisturizing, you need to hydrate, and this happens on wash day when you deep condition. Simply spraying water onto your hair is insufficient.

A woman with curly hair looks thoughtfully at the camera while a text overlay poses a question about dry hair, suggesting a discussion on healthy hair tips.

Sign #2: Tiny Hairs in the Sink When You’re Styling

Seeing small hairs in the sink when you are styling your hair is a telltale sign that something is going on. It could be one of a few things:

Your ends are weak, frayed, and splitting, so the hairs are breaking off
The moisture and protein levels are out of balance
- If it’s too dry and has lost elasticity, it’s dehydrated, and you need to deep condition to hydrate the entire hair shaft.
- If it’s lost elasticity and it’s overly stretchy, you are experiencing protein loss and need to do a treatment that helps to strengthen the protein structure in the hair.
You could be stressing your ends when styling. This includes:
- Pulling on the ends
- Adding excessive heat (which also damages and weakens them)

A close-up image of a bathroom sink drain surrounded by small strands of hair, accompanied by text suggesting tips for addressing hair breakage.

Sign #3: Excessive Shedding

While shedding 50-100 hairs per day is normal, if you are seeing more than that, there’s a problem. Check out this article from the American Academy of Dermatology that offers a comprehensive explanation of shedding and hair loss.

When you are shedding more than normal, the cause could be excess stress, changes to your hormones, or scalp issues. It’s important to evaluate and address these causes as soon as possible before you lose too much hair.

A hair comb, a circular metallic object, and loose hair strands are arranged on a surface, accompanied by the text "Is it normal or too much shedding?" and a prompt to find out more about healthy hair tips.

Sign #4: Hair Appears Lifeless

When your hair is healthy, it will reflect light. If you find that your curls are looking dull, no matter what you do (btw, adding oil to it doesn’t fix the problem), it’s because of one of these reasons:

Product build-up on the hair shaft – this also causes your styles not to be as appealing. You’ll find it difficult to hold a curl, and the definition will be inconsistent.
Lack of nutrients – In addition to stress levels and hydration habits, an imbalanced diet could be the cause.
Loss of Hydration – When your hair isn’t sufficiently hydrated, it can lose its sheen

Many years ago, when I was still getting in touch with my curls, I noticed an inconsistent curl pattern. I knew they could look better. So, I set out to evaluate my hair to find the cause of the issue.

I started with clarifying my hair, and then I did a series of Zizyphus treatments. Read more about my experience with the herb, Zizyphus, and see my before and after photos from just one treatment, although it took several to get back to this:

hand holds a section of curly hair while text prompts readers to explore solutions for hair that is not curling or falling flat, contextualizing healthy hair tips.

Sign #5: Your Hair Doesn’t Appear to Be Growing

Unless you have health issues, all hair grows on average at a rate of 1/2 inch per month. So, if you notice that your hair is the same length all the time, that’s a sign that it’s breaking off at the same rate it’s growing, maybe more.

This is one sign that you need to address as soon as possible. Especially, if you have a goal of longer hair.

Recognizing these red flags is the first step. Now, here’s how to take action.

What to Do Next

If any of these signs hit close to home or if you’ve been trying to fix your hair issues without success, the Hair S.O.S. Personalized Problem Solver & Progress Tracker is designed to help. It identifies the root causes and offers instant, tailored solutions (plus product suggestions) so you’re not left guessing. [Check it out here]

Author Bio: Michelle has been caring for her fine natural hair for over 20 years. Through trial, error, and education, she now helps other women navigate their natural hair journeys with confidence and faith.