Top 5 Common Hair Problems and How to Prevent Them

To tackle common hair problems like hair loss, dandruff, split ends, frizz, and dryness, the affected person needs to combine proper hair care practices, maintain a balanced diet, and also use suitable products that cater to one’s specific concerns.

Hair loss (alopecia) is indeed a common health issue for both men and women, although it is quite normal to shed some hair each day. People who  do experience more than normal hair loss may have the inherited tendency to “common baldness.”

Male pattern baldness is the most common cause of hair loss in men, with a receding hairline and also baldness on the top of the head. Women can develop female pattern baldness, in which the hair becomes thin over one’s entire scalp. Sudden and temporary loss of a large amount of hair can be related to the stress of an illness or the recent delivery of a baby.

Alopecia areata does cause hair loss in small, round patches, while tight elastics or braids may cause hair loss at the hairline (traction alopecia). Certain diseases (eg, thyroid problems, diabetes, and also lupus), medicines, or poor nutrition can also cause hair loss.

Infections of one’s scalp do include bacterial infection of hair follicles (folliculitis), infestation of head lice (pediculosis capitis), as well as fungal infection of scalp ringworm (tinea capitis). Itching and excessive flaking of the scalp are also seen with both dandruff (seborrheic dermatitis) and psoriasis.

Common hair problems affecting one’s hair and scalp

Common problems affecting the hair and scalp include hair loss, infections, and disorders causing itching and scaling.

1. Heat damage

When styling hair, a lot of people often reach for heat-based styling tools. Extreme heat changes the shape of keratin within the strands of a person’s hair.

When using heat over 150 °C (302 °F), hair can indeed become weaker and less elastic. At over 230°C (446°F), hair tends to begin to burn or melt.

2. Cuticle damage

Hair cuticles do not actually absorb water evenly, implying that they distort when wet. This swelling can make the hair’s surface rough and also increase strand friction.

Water on the surface of one’s hair does cause strands to stick together, leading to increased tangling and cuticle damage when harshly combed, brushed, or even styled. Too much heat can cause cuticle damage.

3. Split ends

Known common hair problems include split ends. These do occur when the cuticle layer is stripped away by continuous damage. Without this sleeve, rather than holding it together, the cortex can split.

When the cortex is, of course, severely damaged, the hair strand does become brittle. Cracks can then form if the strand is bent or if impact-loading actions are placed on it.

Top 5 Common Hair Problems and How to Prevent Them

If you brush frequently, these cracks can propagate down the length of the hair strand until it finally splits.

4. How to prevent frizz and flyaways

Common hair problems can involve frizz, which can manifest in four main ways:

  1. Uneven density involves visible and uneven gaps in one’s body of hair.
  2. Low fiber-to-fiber alignment

Fibers are not evenly aligned down the hair strand body. This is prevalent in curly hair, where the fibers do not align with each other to form controlled curls.

low-edge definition

Fibers are not aligned with the edges of the hairstyle structure.

Uneven surface area distribution 

Frizz can be caused by a change in weather conditions or even by physical interactions with the hair disrupting the style.

Damage to hair strands can rather cause a hairstyle to drop out quicker, increasing the rate at which hair frizzes.

5. Smoking

Smoking affects hair, including its follicular growth cycle and fiber pigmentation, often leading to a loss of natural hair growth. Smoking damages DNA, which can cause early graying or lightening of the hair at the roots.

Conclusion

Healthy hair means more confidence and better looks. So deal with common hair problems immediately.