For the most part, there are two main sources of breakage.
1| Hair that is damaged will break
2| Excessive manipulation causes breakage
In essence, if you can strengthen your hair and manage breakage related to manipulation (also known as mechanical damage), then you have a fighting change. By the way, if you can deal with the #1 cause of damage (weakness in the hair) then you are indirectly impacting breakage cause #2. Why? Because stronger, more resilient hair, will be better able to withstand the stress of manipulation. We've all probably experienced dealing with hair so weak that combing meant broken hairs all over the place. That's truly a scary place to be.
That's why I'm here to offer a little help if your intention is to build additional strength in your hair. From my experience, you can tackle weak hair little by little in various steps in your regimen. For example, if I've noticed more broken hairs than usual, I'll probably kick off wash day with a coconut oil pre-poo. My goal is to allow enough time for the coconut oil to sink into the strands, bringing with it the delicious natural protein and fatty acids.
During the wash, I decide on which protein rich conditioner to use depending on the level of damage. Sometimes, I just feel like my hair needs a little boost. In that case, I like to utilize unique proteins that mimic the natural strength in the hair like special keratin found in Paul Mitchell's Awapuhi. Redken's Extreme Strength builder contains 18-MEA + Ceramides. I've discussed both of these ingredients at length in the past and how much they mean to our hair. I respect Redken's hair mask because it contains ingredients that rebuild the integrity of the hair without creating that feeling of a heavy protein treatment. Speaking of ceramides. My all time fave is Biolage CeraRepair. Instead of using as directed, I apply to my hair after the deep condition prior to roller set. Works like a dream as a leave in conditioner.
But, in all honesty, my favorite of all protein building products has got to be BabyFace's pure protein. The level of gratitude I have for those who created this product can not be expressed. I adore how this liquid turns all of my moisturizing conditioners into powerhouses. No need to go out and buy a bunch of conditioners that leave my hair with a stiff feeling. Baby Face Pure protein is every thing. No one should be without it.
The other day, I stumbled upon a product on Amazon that immediately peaked my interest for two reasons. Reason #1 | Great Reviews.
Reason #2 | The price.
Typically, when a hair product falls under a higher price range, it likely to perform better than it's lower priced counterparts. That's not always the case, but in my experience, there's a correlation between performance and price. A $36.00
When your hair is strong and resilient, all is right with the world. I'm always looking for suggestions. What's your favorite anti-breakage product?