Brittle hair: what causes high brittleness and fragility of hair?

Brittle hair: what causes high brittleness and fragility of hair?
Photo source: Getty images

Like the skin, hair can also signal the state of the organism and its health or the presence of diseases. This is reflected in the softness, brittleness of the hair and its ends. In another case, their condition indicates the degree and correctness of care. The hair can also be negatively affected by the environment or an unbalanced diet and insufficient content of necessary substances.

Brittle hair is a reflection of the condition of the body, just like the skin or nails. Like the nails, hair also grows out of the skin and the skin is the basis of its nourishment.

In some cases, they signal a health problem.

The effect of the environment on the softness and brittleness of hair

The environment and various toxic substances are also important.

For example, smoking or smoky environments have a bad effect on hair and skin. Cold weather also has a negative effect. The same is true for chlorinated water in swimming pools.

cigar, cigarette smoke, smoky environment
Movement in smoky areas destroys hair. Photo source: Getty Images

Poor handling and improper hair care

Hair breakage can be caused by improper or poor handling.

This is more true for women than for men. Women usually make more use of hot air when blow-drying or using various brushes, irons and curling irons.

Hair without color and colored hair, frequent dyeing of hair as a reason for its poor condition
Frequent hair dyeing contributes to the deterioration of quality. Photo source: Getty Images

Not to mention hair dyeing. Here the problem arises in particular with the various substances contained in hair dyes. These affect their quality, strength and stability.

Often, improper care can also be behind hair breakage and hair breakage. The scalp and hair are dried out by daily washing. Even the use of unsuitable shampoos or full-body shower gels, as well as insufficient rinsing of these products when washing.

Stress also affects the hair negatively. If there is too much of it and it is negative, it has an adverse effect on our health. It affects the psyche and the body in general, and also deteriorates the quality of the skin and hair.

Lack of vitamins affects the softness and breakage of hair

If there is a deficiency of some vitamins or nutrients in the body, it will reflect not only on the skin, nails, but also on the hair. They become more sensitive, soft, dry and break.

Hair suffers when it does not have B vitamins and vitamins A, C, D, E.

Eggs are the main source of vitamin B5
The main source of vitamin B5 is egg yolk. Photo source: Getty Images

Thanks to vitamin C, collagen is synthesized, vitamin A is responsible for the activity of the sebaceous glands and vitamin E nourishes the hair cuticle.

Very important for the skin and hair is vitamin B. It restores the tissue of the skin and hair roots.

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) is of great importance in this unpleasant situation. It belongs to the group of essential vitamins, so the body cannot make it itself. It can be replaced in higher levels in the form of panthenol, which can also help with brittle hair.

In addition to vitamin deficiencies, reduced mineral levels will also have a negative effect. This is especially true if the intake of zinc, silicon, calcium is reduced. Reduced protein levels also cause a problem.

Hair breakage as a symptom of the disease

Increased hair breakage can be a symptom of some disease. And this is due to blood problems or as a complication of various inflammations and infectious diseases.

Mycosis is also a disease that can cause brittle hair. It is a fungal disease. It is caused by different types of microorganisms such as dermatophytes, yeasts or fungi.

Hair problems are most often caused by dermatophytoses, such as tinea capitis. Dermatophytes are pathogens that live naturally on animals. They are also transmitted to humans. They attack the skin, hair, and nails.

Often the problem is also hypothyroidism, which is a hypofunction (reduced function) of the thyroid gland. This means that the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones. Hypothyroidism especially affects women.

A tassel of rye, representing gluten intolerance, i.e. celiac disease
In celiac disease, due to reduced absorption of nutrients in the intestine. Source photo: Getty Images

A symptom of the disease can be not only brittle hair, but even hair loss. A similar problem occurs with celiac disease. Fats and even some vitamins are not absorbed into the human body. This results in skin and hair problems.

Hair problems are also experienced by people who suffer from anorexia. It is a psychological eating disorder. The person is constantly trying to lose weight. He reduces his food intake. Lack of protein also affects the hair inappropriately and makes it brittle.

Also reduced fluid intake is the root of the problem. Dehydration sets in and this causes dry skin, brittle hair and sometimes hair loss.

With anaemia, there can be a lack of iron in the body. This is compounded by problems with brittle and brittle nails and hair, as well as smoothing and redness of the tongue.

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