| Healthy strands boast tightly closed | | | | fine-toothed comb, yanking at tangles, |
| cuticle layers. If hair is in good | | | | brushing hair 20 times a day, |
| condition, it shines, swings, feels good | | | | absentmindedly tugging at locks, |
| when touched, and has no "cotton-candy" | | | | backcombing strands for a fuller finish |
| ends or split strands. The easiest route | | | | - these all constitute rough handling, |
| to healthy hair is to avoid as many of | | | | and they're all surefire ways to damage |
| the following damaging things as | | | | fragile tresses. |
| possible. | | | | Every time you handle your hair, even if |
| Shampooing | | | | you just push your fingers through it, |
| Shampoo works by removing dirt and | | | | you put stress on its cuticle layer, |
| excess sebum from the hair's surface. | | | | causing the cuticle's tightly |
| Gentle shampoos remove just what they | | | | overlapping tiles to come unhinged; in |
| need to. Harsh shampoos, however, can | | | | hair-care circles, this is known as |
| take with them your hair's protective | | | | mechanical damage. Particularly |
| sebum, that necessary natural oil that | | | | aggressive treatment can even strip away |
| keeps hair pliable, moisturized, and | | | | a section of these tiles. When this |
| healthy. In some cases, harsh shampoos | | | | protective armor is compromised or |
| also disrupt your hair's cuticle layer, | | | | removed, hair splits, frays, or snaps |
| roughing up those tile-like portions and | | | | off. |
| allowing damage to the interior cortex. | | | | Hair accessories |
| Wet hair is up to 30 percent weaker than | | | | Ponytail holders, barrettes, combs, |
| dry hair, so handle damp strands | | | | clips - most of us have been using these |
| carefullly! Wait untill your locks are | | | | and other hairdo helpers since |
| dry before doing any heavy-duty | | | | childhood. This is fine, as long as you |
| brushing, combing, or styling. | | | | don't use them more than one to three |
| Don't overdo it | | | | times a week. Wearing your hair day |
| In countries such as America, where | | | | after day in the same style can wear |
| people have a pathological obsession | | | | away the hair's cuticle layer and cause |
| with squeaky-clean tresses, hair is | | | | breakage in those locks that are |
| often overwashed. (As an American, I am | | | | contained by the accessory. For |
| allowed to say all of this.) When | | | | instance, the hair directly under a |
| strands are shampooed too frequently - | | | | barrette can be roughed up by the |
| this means washing hair when it doesn't | | | | friction created between the hair and |
| need to be washed - there is no dirt for | | | | the ornament's metal clasp. |
| shampoo to remove, so it moves to | | | | Similarly, if you're not gentle when |
| whatever else happens to be clinging to | | | | removing them, hair accessories can |
| your strands: This is usually your | | | | damage locks in another way: Try not to |
| hair's protective sebum. Get into | | | | yank free any tresses that become stuck |
| washing habits that suit your hair and | | | | in the hinge of a clip or a barrette or |
| you will benefit from healthylooking, | | | | wound around a ponytail holder. |
| naturally shiny hair. | | | | Unfortunately, ripping strands out of a |
| Rough handling | | | | hair ornament's grasp can strip away a |
| Raking through damp strands with a | | | | long swath of the cuticle layer. |