While there is great relief in brushing out all the knots in your hair, experts are warning that detangling wet hair could cause more harm than good.
The advice comes as Absolute Collagen has noticed that the hashtag #hairbreakagetips on TikTok has had 2 million views over the last 12 months. While searches for ‘why is my hair snapping’ have increased by 538% in the last month alone.
So if brushing in your post-hairwash routine, you might want to rethink, as Darcy Laceby, Co-Founder of Absolute Collagen has shared how it could be damaging your hair.
“While it may be tempting to use a heavy hand to detangle your hair, especially after washing it in the shower, you may be causing lasting damage. Many people don’t realise that when your hair is wet it is at its most fragile and it is more prone to snapping or splitting.
“So, those who have been brushing their hair when wet and may be experiencing hair breakage. Hair is made of protein and also craves protein to stay healthy, collagen supplements include protein and the essential amino acids that positively impact hair growth and overall condition. In fact, our recent clinical trial found that 60 per cent of people reported less hair breakage after 12 weeks of taking the liquid collagen supplements.
“If you do find yourself having to brush your hair when it is wet, make sure you are not tugging down on the strands as that will ultimately result in tearing the delicate and already vulnerable strands. To help protect your hair, use a brush with flexible bristles that will gently glide through your hair without snapping strands and ultimately save you from split ends.
“Start brushing at the ends of your hair and work yourself up to the root to ensure fewer knots are being pulled through the length of your hair. If you don’t have a wide-tooth comb, a great technique is to use your spread fingers to gently comb through your hair whilst conditioning your hair in the shower.”
For more information on the clinical trial and other haircare advice, visit the Absolute Collagen website.