5 Signs You Are Damaging Your Hair

The Good Book, the Bible, says “a woman’s hair is her cover.” Isn’t it amazing that God Himself designed hair to be a form of covering and glory for women? This alone tells us how important our hair is and why we shouldn’t take its care lightly.

As women, we tend to be very particular about our hair. We pamper it, protect it, and we spend a good amount of money to make sure it looks presentable and stays healthy.

And of course, we cannot leave the men out. Many men today are equally conscious of their hair. Some spend money to keep their hair trimmed, moisturized, and stylish, and others even support their wives financially just to ensure “madam’s hair” is always neat and beautiful.

All of this clearly shows that most people, both men and women, value their hair. None of us wants to walk around with damaged, weak, or unhealthy-looking hair.

However, even with all the love we give our hair, some people become overprotective, using too many products or unnecessary treatments. Others, on the opposite end, become careless, ignoring the basic needs of their hair until it becomes too late.

Sometimes, hair damage creeps in slowly, and we do not notice it until the breakage, dryness, and dullness are already out of control.

But don’t worry, this post is here to help. Before your hair gets to the point where it feels beyond repair, here are the early signs of hair damage you should never ignore.

Parts Of The Hair

Before understanding hair damage, it’s important to know what the hair is made of. Hair isn’t just what we see on the outside, it has layers and components that determine how strong, healthy, or vulnerable it is.

The hair originates from the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. It consists of two major parts: the hair follicle and the hair shaft.

Understanding these two parts will help you understand how and why hair gets damaged.

Hair Follicle

The hair follicle is the root of the hair, the part hidden beneath the scalp. It is responsible for producing sebum, a natural oil that moisturizes and nourishes both the hair and the skin. This oil is essential because it protects the hair from dryness and breakage.

The follicle also acts as a sensory receptor, allowing you to feel slight movements or sensations along your scalp. More importantly, the follicle regulates hair growth by interacting with the body’s hormones. This is why hormonal changes like pregnancy, stress, or thyroid issues, affect hair growth and strength.

Hair Shaft

The hair shaft is the visible part of the hair, the strand you can touch. It is made up of three layers:

1. Medulla – the innermost layer
2. Cortex – the thick middle layer that gives hair its strength and color
3. Cuticle – the outer layer, which is thin, colorless, and acts as a protective shield

When the cuticle becomes damaged, the inner layers are exposed. This is the beginning of most hair problems: dryness, brittleness, tangles, and breakage.

The hair shaft also protects the skin and helps regulate body temperature, another reminder of how perfectly God designed the human body.

Causes Of Hair Damage

So many factors contribute to damaged hair. Some are lifestyle habits, others are environmental, and some are due to health conditions. Common causes include:

• Stress
• Poor diet
• Harsh weather conditions
• Exposing hair to extreme heat from straighteners, curlers, and dryers
• Overprocessing the hair with chemical treatments
• Frequent washing, which strips natural oils
• Excessive brushing or combing
• Improper drying, like rubbing hair aggressively with towels
• Elastic hair ties that pull at the roots
• Health conditions such as hyperthyroidism
• Bleaching and coloring the hair too often

Understanding these causes helps you prevent damage before it happens.

5 Signs Of Hair Damage You Should Never Ignore

Now that we know what causes hair damage, let’s look at the early signs. Paying attention early can save you time, money, and stress.

Roughness Of Hair

You can easily test this by running your fingers along the ends of your hair.
Healthy hair feels smooth, even if it’s textured or curly. But when hair becomes damaged, the ends feel rough, sticky, uneven, or snaggy.

This happens because the cuticles have lifted or broken away, leaving the inner layers exposed.

A slightly rough texture is normal, especially if you have naturally coarse hair, but if the roughness is increasing, that is the first red flag.

Porosity Issues

Porosity refers to how well your hair can absorb and retain moisture. Damaged hair tends to be highly porous because its cuticles are open or broken. This makes the hair look dull, dry, frizzy and hard to moisturize.

On the other hand, low-porosity hair resists moisture completely, making it hard for products to penetrate.

When your porosity suddenly changes for the worse, it is likely a sign of damage.

Lack Of Elasticity

Elasticity is your hair’s natural ability to stretch and return to its original length. It’s one of the biggest indicators of healthy hair.

To test elasticity:

• Take a strand of wet hair
• Stretch it gently
• Healthy hair should stretch up to 1/3 of its length and bounce back
• Damaged hair will snap, break, or remain stretched

When your hair loses elasticity, it means the inner cortex is compromised.

Dryness

A severely damaged hair will always look and feel dry. When the hair follicle fails to produce enough sebum, the hair loses its natural shine and moisture.

Dry hair eventually becomes: brittle, fragile, split at the ends and breakage prone.

If your hair products suddenly stop working or your hair never feels moisturized no matter what you use, dryness might be signaling deeper damage.

Tangling

While certain habits like sleeping without a satin bonnet can cause tangling, damaged hair tangles very easily because the cuticles are lifted.

This makes strands catch onto each other more frequently.

If your hair suddenly begins to tangle excessively, even when moisturized or in protective styles, that is a strong sign of damage.

Final Thoughts

Your hair is truly your crown, and just like any crown, it needs proper care and attention. Damage can happen slowly and silently, but the good news is that early detection can save your hair before things get worse. By knowing these signs and understanding how your hair works, you can take better control of your hair health and prevent long-term issues.