LOTS OF SHORT HAIRS ON MY HEAD

Unless you have just done the big chop, seeing lots of short hairs on your head can be unsettling. However, worry not because this is more common than you think. Sometimes you will style it in a bun. If this is the case, you may be wondering if the flyways you are seeing are new growth or hair breakage.

If you notice lots of short hairs on your head, you probably have a lot of baby hairs, or you have hair breakage.

Why Do I Have Lots of Short Hairs on My Head?

Sometimes the short hairs on your head will be because of multiple reasons, but in other cases, it is simply one reason. The two most causes of short hairs are new hair growth, and these hairs are referred to as baby hairs, and hair breakage, which could result from many causes. Stress can also be a significant cause of short hair. So, if you are wondering why you have so many tiny short hairs, now you know.

Are Short Hairs New Growth?

If the short hairs on your head are due to baby hairs, you have no reason to worry, and all you have to do is give your hair time to grow to full length. However, if the short hairs are due to hair breakage, you will need to assess the cause and take corrective measures to stop your hair from breaking.

According to Elle Magazine, baby hairs occur when the hair cycle becomes shorter, meaning that new hairs grow slower. As such, they never become as long as the hairs covering your head.

Are Short Hairs Hair Breakage

Short hairs due to hair breakage can occur due to stress or styling your hair too tight, overheating, and using harsh chemicals on your hair. For instance, wearing your hair in a tight ponytail fashion can cause traction that would result in the hairline hairs breaking, hence appearing shorter than all the other hairs on the rest of your head. Damaged strands can regrow back to their regular length over time.

How Do You Know if Short Hair is Breakage or New Growth?

So how do you know if the flyways you are noticing are hair breakage or simply new hair that is growing? Short hairs that are due to hair breakage will be different from those resulting from baby hairs or new hair growth. The pattern of the short hairs will give you a clue about what is causing these flyaways.

If the short hairs on your head are a result of new hair growth, you will notice that the pattern is widespread all over your head. In this case, you may notice short hairs all around your head and not just on one side.

According to realsimple.com, if the short hairs are because of new growth, you will notice them all around your head, and they will be of the same length. However, noticing short hairs on only one section implies breakage.

Additionally, short hairs resulting from new growth will be easy to manage and comply with the hairstyle you are going for. Short hairs resulting from breakage tend to be unruly and do not comply with most hairstyles. Short hairs resulting from hair breakage tend to have frayed ends. You will also notice that the ends of these hairs tend to be of a different texture than the hair growing from the root. Simply put, a broken hair strand will have a coarse edge, while a new hair will have a tapered end.

How To Prevent Hair Breakage

If you have realized that your short hairs are because of hair breakage, there are steps to take to prevent continued hair breakage and allow the damaged ends to heal and regrow.

Scalp Massage

Scalp massages have been shown to increase blood circulation on the scalp, promoting hair growth. Research shows that a standard head massage can lead to an increase in hair thickness in about 24 weeks.

Also, such a standard head massage can also lead to changes in gene expression, favoring genes that enable increased hair growth. It also transmits mechanical stress to human dermal papilla cells in subcutaneous tissue, promoting hair growth.

Avoid Heat or Use Heat Protection

Too much heat can weaken your hair, leading to breakages and causing you to see several short hairs on your head. If you are the kind of person who frequently blows and dries your hair, you can cause it to break. Blow drying continually shrinks and expands the strands, which finally leads to breaking.

If you fail to apply a heat protectant during the process, you can inflict damage on your hair and scalp. This also applies to any other heat-styling equipment you could use. Use a protective spray or leave-in conditioner on your hair before applying any heat to it. Your hair will appreciate it.

Check your Hairstyle

Some hairstyles can inflict significant damage on your hair, especially if they are tight. For instance, if you like updos and other pulled-tight hairstyles, take note of the hair along your hairline and at the nape of your neck.

Your hair is likely flighty because of recurrent strand stress that leads to breakage along the hairline if your flyaways are the same length as the area where you frequently tug your hair up. When hair strands are disturbed during their telogen, or “resting phase,” a hundred-day period during which they are fully created, damage to the hair follows.

Hydrate Your Hair

Your hair is more susceptible to injury if it is dry since dry hair is brittle and more easily damaged than appropriately hydrated hair. You can hydrate and moisturize by using conditioner on wash days and ensuring consistent deep conditioning treatments. When you do this, your hair will be covered in a protective layer that makes it less brittle hence less susceptible to damage.

How to Tame Short Hairs

While attempting to tame flyaways, make sure to brush your hair with care. Being too rough with your short hair can end up causing more harm than good.

Choose the Right Tool for the Job

You can opt to use a toothbrush or even a mascara wand to tame down the short strands. You can also opt for a rat tail comb if you want to be precise. A natural fiber paintbrush can also settle down any flyaways that you may have. Using combs with soft bristles can go a long way to helping you tame your baby hairs.

Dampen Your Short Hair with Water

Cold water can work wonders on moisturizing your baby hairs and making them compliant. More often than not, the short hairs will refuse to lie flat because they are damaged and too dry. Wet the hairline and use a thin comb or toothbrush to comb the baby hairs in the same natural direction near the hairline.

Use a Styling Cream or Hair Spray

Hair spray will serve the same function as water and dampen your baby hairs, making them compliant with your hairstyle.

If you opt to go for styling cream, use products with a stronger hold, especially if you have curlier or thicker strands. Opt for a nourishing formula that hydrates your hair while smoothing the frizz. You want to be gentle with your baby hairs since they are super fragile. Find products that can tamp down your baby hairs without being sticky on the forehead.

Protect Your Hair at Night

One of the greatest ways to take care of your mane at night is to protect your strands. Sleeping on a silk pillowcase or wearing a satin bonnet or scarf will keep your hair hydrated while you sleep and assist in preventing hair breakage.