Weak Hair: Signs, Causes & 6 Ways To Strengthen It

Healthy hair, lustrous hair, voluminous hair, thick hair, beautiful hair. Ultimately all these wishlists boil down to the strength of your hair. Agree?

Weak hair roots can lead to easy breakage, hairfall and tons of other hair concerns. Identifying the signs of weak hair and the exact cause can help you avert hair issues before things go out of hand. So we have compiled a list of simple and easy tips to strengthen weak hair. Try on!

Signs Of Weak Hair

• Increased hair breakage
• Split ends
• Lacklustre hair
• Hair roughness
• Tangled hair
• Thin hair
• Frizzy hair

What Causes Weak Hair?

1. Excessive Styling

Tight hairstyles, frequent braids and hair extensions cause stress on the hair shaft and can lead to weaker hair. Dyeing, perming, excessive heat styling like straightening, curling and blow drying damage the cuticle [1], which is the outer protective layer of hair.

2. Hormonal Imbalance

Hormonal problems like hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) [2] and hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) [3] cause significant weak hair. With conditions like PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) [4],women may experience male-pattern baldness on the scalp.

3. Improper Diet

Whether you are going on crash diets or office stress is messing up with your meals, the effect manifests on your hair. Eating healthy is important for healthy and strong hair. Lack of vitamin A, D, E, iron, zinc, biotin, niacin, folic acid, selenium and protein can cause weak hair [5].

4. Underlying Disease

According to the normal hair cycle, your hair grows, then rests and sheds to get replaced with new hair. But for people with health issues like pneumonia, the hair goes through the resting or stagnant phase for a long period, causing weak hair and hair loss.

Hair miniaturization [6] is another condition in which the follicle shrinks in size. Miniaturized hair follicles cannot grow healthy hair. Instead, they produce hair that is weaker, shorter, brittle and duller.

How To Strengthen Weak Hair?

1. Increase Vitamin, Iron And Zinc Intake

Vitamin deficiencies can cause weak hair. Thus, it is important to increase your intake of vitamins. Following is a list of foods high in vitamins required for strong hair.

Vitamin	Foods
Vitamin A	Carrots, spinach, eggs, milk, yogurt, pumpkin, sweet potatoes
Zinc	Lentils, pumpkin seeds, oyster
Iron	Eggs, spinach, lentils, red meat
Vitamin C	Citrus foods, bell peppers, strawberries
Biotin	Salmon, avocados, dairy, liver, egg yolk, nuts and seeds
Vitamin D	Fish, egg yolk, milk
Vitamin E	Almonds, avocados, spinach, sunflower seeds

Consult your doctor if you feel you are unable to get all the above nutrients from your diet. He may prescribe vitamin supplements for strong hair.

2. Deep Conditioning Treatments

Look for deep conditioning treatments that contain powerful ingredients and longer leave-in time. A well moisturized scalp is the key to strong hair. Dry scalp can cause flakiness, dandruff, weak and brittle hair.

3. Keratin Treatment

Keratin [7] is a protein essential for strong hair. Keratin treatment involves the application of a product containing keratin and letting it sink into all hair strands. Keratin treatments [8] smoothen hair, remove frizz and give a shiny finish.

4. Hair Mask

Eggs are rich sources of protein and vitamins. The peptides in egg yolk are believed to help in hair growth. Make an egg mask and apply it on your hair. Here's how:

1. Use 3 egg yolks and mix with 3 tablespoons of warm coconut oil.

2. Apply this mixture to your scalp and hair.

3. Let it sit for 15 minutes and wash with a gentle shampoo.

5. High Protein Foods

Your hair is made up of a structural protein called keratin. Are you getting enough protein in your food? Up your protein intake by including foods like eggs, fish, cottage cheese, nuts and seeds.

6. Scalp Massage

Scalp massage helps in increasing blood circulation to the hair follicles on the scalp. You can massage your scalp by applying gentle pressure using your fingertips for 5-10 minutes everyday. You could also massage your scalp with warm coconut oil and apply the oil all over your hair. Wash with your regular shampoo after half an hour. Coconut oil heals damaged hair cuticles and makes them stronger.

Tips To Prevent Weak Hair

• Use the right hair care products to prevent further damage to hair. Choose shampoos and conditioners made for your unique hair type.
• Try and limit dyeing, perming, straightening, blow drying and curling. Remember that heat is the enemy of strong hair.
• Use a good detangling spray and paddle brushes to comb your hair.
• Use a leave-in conditioner or serum to tame frizzy hair.
• Trim your hair every 6-8 weeks to get rid of split ends.
• Avoid using hot water while washing your hair.

How Do I Know If My Hair Is Weak?

One of the easiest ways to check if your hair is weak is to gently pull out a hair strand and pull it at both ends. If the hair breaks easily, it is considered weak.

Another way is to wrap some hair strands around your finger and examine for lifted ends. Too many lifted ends imply weak and damaged hair.

Wrapping Up

From vitamins to masks and massages to gentle products, there are several things that can come to your rescue in your battle against weak hair. Most importantly, avoiding chemicals and heat styling is a crucial factor in this process. So, are you geared up to strengthen your hair to achieve the hair quality you have always wanted?

Begin By Knowing Your Skin