Balding, breakage, or thinning? Identify The Types of Hairloss.

Hair loss isn't on the radar of most men during their 20's and 30's, but studies have shown that 25% of men see noticeable hair loss by the age of 30. That hair in your shower drain just got a lot more precious. Right? Thinning is often attributed to natural hair loss, but knowing what you're experiencing will help you take preventative action during the early stages. 

What is hair breakage?

Breakage and hair loss both result in thinning. Breakage occurs when hair is physically stretched or stressed beyond its limits and breaks at some point in the strand. You can quickly identify breakage by flyaways that are shorter and different lengths than the rest of your hair. Enough breakage can result in frizz, split ends, and patchy hair in high tension areas.

So what causes your hair to break? Excess heat, friction, tension, dryness, and misuse of chemical processes all cause hair to weaken and break. Despite common misconceptions, curly hair is fragile compared to straight or wavy hair. Constant tension and pulling of the hair in a specific spot can eventually lead to balding caused by traction alopecia. Traction alopecia is a hair loss condition from excess stress that damages and scars your hair's root over time, often killing the follicle never growing hair strands again. 

Protect your hair by only brushing hair when it damps or moisturizes, avoid heat, and use tension-free products like the PuffCuff.

What is hair loss?

Hair loss that leads to balding is a growing concern for men in their 20's and 30's. While balding occurs naturally and isn't a sign of health on its own, it's jarring to notice your once thick mane turning into a former shadow of itself. So how are you able to tell if you're experiencing hair loss? Look for the whole strand. Natural hair loss occurs at the root, so the entire strand of hair will fall out. These strands will commonly have a white "bulb" on the end that was attached to the scalp. Don't worry; the white bulb doesn't mean hair won't regrow in that area. It's simply the part of the hair that was closest to the root.

Differentiating hair loss from shedding can be tricky. Shedding hair is entirely natural. Each person sheds around 100-150 individual hairs a day. Keep a close eye on the density of your hair near your hairline and temples to track thinning over time.

Hair loss and breakage can both lead to thinning of hair, but knowing which one you're battling will help you understand how to prevent it from happening further. Combatting balding typically requires medications, but preventing breakage is easily accomplished through keeping hair moisturized, avoiding tension, and reducing the use of heat.

Below are some of our favorite products to keep your hair strong and healthy.