Although we lose around 100 strands of hair a day, that’s just a tiny fraction of the 100,000 hair follicles that can be found on an average human head.

So when you start noticing an unusual amount of hair clogged in the drain or stuck in your comb after just one shower and brush, you might need to pay more attention to your hair. Is your hair brittle, or is it thinning? Well, it can be hard to tell. And when you don’t really know what the problem is, you really can’t start to solve it properly.

How Is Brittle Hair Different from Thinning Hair?

Roughly 1 in 4 women suffer from thinning hair, and while most women experience it in middle age, it can happen anytime. A lot of women notice their hair thinning starting on the top third of the scalp while the hairline remains intact. Some also notice a widening hairless space and a thinner ponytail once the hair is pulled back. When the new hair grows thinner than the original hair, that’s how female pattern hair loss occurs. This results in lower hair volume and eventually stops growth. When something causes your hair to become brittle, it also eventually affects hair thinning. The hair is a fragile little thing. Dust, dirt, grime, heat, and even styling that require a lot of pulling and twisting can cause hair to be damaged.

Brittle Hair

If you notice a combination of dryness, dullness, split ends, and frizz in your hair, then it’s becoming brittle. Just like dry skin, it also has levels from mild to severe. It has a wide range of causes as well.

Regardless of your hair type, some common signs of brittle hair are the following:

• Hair feels spongy when wet and a mass of tangles.
• The colour applied fades quickly.
• It feels dry and rough to the touch.
• Hair lacks elasticity.

Brittle hair is also more likely to break when pulled or stretched. If your hair doesn’t hold colour well, it is also a sign of brittle hair.

Other external factors include UV rays, chlorine, and all kinds of chemicals that attack our hair on a daily basis. Over styling your hair using heat also contributes to brittle hair. The recent trend for blow-drying and straightening hair, for example, can quickly dry the hair which leads to brittle and damaged hair.

Thinning Hair

As explained previously, thinning hair is related to brittle hair. When you find a lot of hair when you brush that maybe because your hair is dry. Thinning hair in women is quite common. If you think your hair is thinning, refer to the signs below:

• When you wear your hair up in a ponytail, does it feel and look thinner?
• If you rake your fingers through your hair, does it come away with clumps of hair?
• Can you see your scalp through your hair?
• Does your hair feel lighter than it did before?

If you’re worried that you’re shedding more than you should, there are many reasons why excess hair fall could be happening. You hair count changes and it can be because of genetics and hormones. But that’s not all. The reasons for hair loss in women can also be attributed to diet, medications, illness, and even stress.

If your hair thinning is a problem for you, you may consult the expertise of a specialist health centre and a team like Gold City Hair. We can offer you customised treatments and solutions to your hair problems.