Your hair is more than just a crowning glory; it’s a significant contributor to your overall confidence and self-esteem. When your locks are looking their best, you naturally feel more upbeat and ready to tackle the day. Conversely, a “bad hair day” can cast a shadow, making you wince at your reflection.
The secret to consistently good hair days lies in nurturing its health from the inside out, rather than solely relying on styling and colouring. This holistic approach focuses on rebuilding your hair’s natural strength and condition. Dr Sharon Wong, a Consultant Dermatologist and co-founder of DOSE, is an expert in this area.
Dr Wong has shed light on common practices that can inadvertently harm your hair, from seemingly helpful products to dietary missteps that weaken your strands.
Hairstyling Habits to Rethink
- Repetitive Tight Hairstyles: Regularly pulling your hair into tight ponytails or braids for extended periods can be detrimental. The constant tension on the hair follicles can lead to inflammation and scarring, ultimately causing permanent hair loss known as traction alopecia.
- Dr Wong advises opting for looser styles or reducing the frequency and duration of wearing tight styles. While a special occasion style is generally fine, consistent tension inflicts cumulative trauma and recurrent inflammation. A key indicator that a style is too tight is persistent scalp pain that only subsides when the hair is let down.
Skincare for Your Scalp: What to Avoid
- Using Oils for Scalp Moisturisation: Contrary to popular belief, applying oils directly to your scalp can be counterproductive. Oils create an occlusive film on the skin, which can clog hair follicles. This blockage can lead to acne-like spots or scalp folliculitis, and can also attract debris and dead skin cells, exacerbating flaking and itching. Your scalp naturally produces sufficient oils; therefore, external oil application is often unnecessary.
- For effective scalp hydration, Dr Wong recommends humectants like hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, or glycerin. These ingredients draw moisture to the skin’s surface and are non-comedogenic, meaning they won’t block pores.
Heat Styling: Proceed with Caution
- Applying Straighteners to Wet Hair: Applying high heat from straighteners to wet hair is a recipe for disaster. The water molecules within the hair shaft turn into steam, expanding and causing structural deformities within the hair fibre, a condition known as “bubble hair.” This makes the hair highly susceptible to breakage.
- Straighteners should ideally be used on dry hair, on the lowest heat setting, and always after applying a heat protectant. While hair dryers can also cause damage, they are generally less problematic as they are used from a distance. Hair drying brushes, which diffuse heat, are also preferable to straighteners that clamp directly onto the hair. In all instances of heat styling, using the lowest possible heat setting and a heat protectant is crucial to minimise damage.
The Impact of Diet on Hair Health
Crash Dieting and Insufficient Protein Intake: Hair is predominantly composed of keratin, a protein. A diet rich in protein provides the essential building blocks for strong, healthy hair. Adequate calorie intake is also vital to support the rapidly dividing cells in hair follicles responsible for hair production.
- Crash dieting and inadequate protein intake can lead to hair shedding, poor hair growth, and weaker strands. If your appetite is significantly reduced due to weight loss measures (including certain medications or surgery), it’s imperative to consume nutrient-dense, protein-rich foods. Protein supplements may be considered if dietary intake remains insufficient.
Excessive Use of Bleaches and Dyes: The harsh chemicals found in bleaches and dyes work by breaking the chemical bonds that maintain the structural integrity and resilience of the hair fibre. Repeated exposure to these treatments will inevitably make hair brittle and prone to breakage.
- To mitigate damage, space out colouring treatments and incorporate bond-repairing products into your hair care routine.
Overnight Habits That Can Harm Your Hair
Sleeping with Wet Hair: A damp scalp creates a warm, moist environment conducive to the growth of surface bacteria and yeasts. This imbalance in the scalp microbiome can lead to issues such as dermatitis, flaking, and folliculitis.
- It’s best to ensure your scalp is completely dry before going to sleep.
Using Dry Shampoo and Not Washing It Out: The starch in dry shampoo absorbs sweat, moisture, and dead skin cells, giving your hair a refreshed appearance. However, these byproducts can accumulate on the scalp if not washed out, potentially blocking hair follicles, causing irritation, and leading to flaking.
- Ideally, wash out dry shampoo on the same day it’s used. If you’re a regular user, consider a weekly clarifying shampoo to deep clean your scalp.
Supplementation: When is it Really Necessary?
- Taking Supplements Without a Deficiency: There is no scientific evidence to support the claim that supplements like biotin improve hair growth in individuals who are not deficient. In fact, excessive biotin intake can interfere with the accuracy of certain blood tests, including those for thyroid hormones and heart health indicators.
- Dr Wong strongly advises having blood tests to identify any deficiencies before considering supplements. Only supplement what is deemed necessary and cannot be achieved through a balanced diet.
