From the Research
Hair breakage in a 36-year-old female with normal blood tests is most commonly due to physical or chemical damage rather than medical conditions, and the most effective approach to address this is to reduce heat styling, limit chemical treatments, and switch to gentle hair care practices. The primary causes of hair breakage include heat styling (blow dryers, straighteners, curling irons), chemical treatments (coloring, perming, relaxing), mechanical damage (tight hairstyles, rough brushing), and environmental factors (sun exposure, chlorine) 1. To address this, it is recommended to:
- Reduce heat styling and use heat protectants when necessary
- Limit chemical treatments and space them further apart
- Switch to gentle hair care practices including using a wide-tooth comb on wet hair, avoiding tight hairstyles, and using silk pillowcases
- Choose sulfate-free shampoos and deep conditioning treatments weekly
- Consider a protein treatment every 4-6 weeks to strengthen hair structure
- Trim ends regularly every 8-12 weeks
While blood tests are normal, ensuring adequate nutrition with protein, zinc, and iron supports hair health, as evidenced by a study on nutrition and hair deficiencies 2. However, the use of biotin as a hair supplement is not supported by high-quality studies, as shown in a recent review of the literature 3. Hydration is also important, so drinking sufficient water daily is recommended. These changes should show improvement within 2-3 months as new, healthier hair grows and damaged ends are trimmed away. Additionally, a study on the effect of a nutritional supplement on hair loss in women found that a 6-month supplementation with omega 3&6 and antioxidants acted efficiently against hair loss, improving hair density and reducing the telogen percentage and the proportion of miniaturized anagen hair 1.