Unhealthy hair usually has a rough texture, lack of shininess and luster, have split ends, lack of moisture and elasticity even after treatment and easily broken. Damaged hair will also get tangled up and result in knots due to hair dryness.
What are the signs of healthy hair? Healthy hair strands have a sheen and a luster, little breakage, minimal shedding, are moisture rich (so not dry), reflect light, do not break when brushed, and do not contain dandruff.
Unhealthy Hair. While healthy hair feels smooth, has minimal breakage, and appears shiny, unhealthy hair usually has frizz, split ends, roughness, and a lack of luster.
But we can all probably agree no one wants dry, brittle strands that split and break off, no matter your hair type, color, or cut. Unfortunately, it's your daily haircare routine that often causes the most damage to your mane — think heat-styling, aggressive brushing, sun damage, and improper washing.
Hard water minerals, pollution and product-build up are some of the worst culprits for limp, dull, lifeless locks. To achieve healthy, radiant tresses — together with daily shampooing — it is important to deeply cleanse your hair and scalp regularly to remove impurities and aggressors that can weigh strands down.
People with oily hair or who use hair care products daily should consider washing their hair once every 1–2 days. People with dry hair can wash their hair less frequently. Those with textured or coily hair should only wash it once every 1–2 weeks.
When hair starts to regrow, it appears like fine “peach fuzz.” It is usually translucent and thinner than the rest of the hair on your scalp. If you recently underwent surgery or had a head injury and are worried about hair growth on the bald spot, the appearance of peach fuzz is a positive sign.
Gently pull the hair at both ends and see how stretchy it is. If it's able to expand by around a third and then returns to it's original length, then you know your hair is healthy. If there is no give at all, then you have damage problems. Your hair needs a protein boost and some serious TLC.
While these terms are often used interchangeably and have similar symptoms, there is a common misconception that frizzy hair means damaged hair and this is simply untrue.
Damaged hair is brittle and can feel like straw.
Brittle, straw-like hair with inconsistent textures throughout the strand is often due to UV exposure, glycation, and damaging chemicals in waters like chlorine and hard water.
Does damaged hair grow back healthy? The only way to get healthy hair is to allow your hair to grow without further damage. If you'd damaged your hair by over-styling, too much heat or over coloring with harsh chemicals, the good news is - your hair will grow back healthy.
Hair will generally be at its best in the early 20s, says Burg, because “hair shafts are thick and cuticles are tight.” Women may see changes if they are stressed, extreme dieting or using contraception.
Dorin suggests a quick trick: "Take about 60 hairs in your hand and run your fingers through it. Usually between five and eight hairs will come out — this is normal." (You're running your hand through your hair right now, aren't you?)
So try not to stress out about a few individual strands of lost hair on your hair tie. If you're concerned that you're shedding more hair than this, or you've noticed substantial hair loss when you wash or brush your hair, you're probably not paranoid. This may be the first sign of sustained hair loss.
Ultimately, the best thing for damaged hair and split ends is to get that trim. If that's not possible, you can combat some of the signs of damage with products. “For instance, if your hair is looking dull, consider getting a shine spray to help infuse shine back into the hair (shiny hair = healthy hair).
Why is my hair frizzy all of a sudden? If your hair is suddenly frizzy, it could have to do with your environment—for example, you may not have known you were dealing with dehydrated hair until you entered a humid climate. It could also have to do with a heat styling product you used, a recent dye job, or bleaching.
Using products that are designed to nourish the scalp and hair can definitely speed up this process, but on average you'd be looking at six months to a year to fully see a difference in your hair's condition.