Why Is My Hair Dry and Brittle?

You pull your hair out of the ponytail and a fine halo of short, snapped pieces is sticking out around your face. The ends feel like straw. The mirror says you’ve been washing it wrong, drying it wrong or aging badly, and you’re not sure which.

The habits that do it

The AAD’s¹ list, with its fix for each:

• Rubbing shampoo through the length. Massage it into your scalp only and let the rinse water run through the lengths. The AAD’s² healthy-hair tips say the same: apply shampoo to your scalp instead of the entire length of your hair.
• Skipping conditioner. Use it after every shampoo.
• Rubbing hair with a towel. Wrap hair in a towel, or a t-shirt, to absorb the water, and let it air dry.
• Brushing wet hair. Hair is delicate wet. For straight hair, let it dry slightly before combing. For textured hair, the AAD¹ says to comb while it’s damp, with a wide-tooth comb.
• Heat tools. Use the lowest heat setting and limit it, the AAD¹ says, to once a week or less.
• Heavy hold products that strain hair. Choose styles that don’t need them.
• Tight styles. Pulling hair back tightly in a ponytail, bun or cornrows stresses it. Wear it loosely and use covered rubber bands.
• Weaves and extensions. Weight and tension can damage hair, so the AAD¹ suggests lightweight products, specialized salons and rotating styles.
• Chemical treatments. Coloring, perming and relaxing weaken hair. Space them 8 to 10 weeks apart and do only one service at a time.
• Brushing 100 strokes a day. Brush gently, only for styling.

How often to wash

It depends on your hair. The AAD² says people with straight, oily hair may shampoo daily, and that if your hair is dry, textured, curly or thick, you can shampoo when needed, at least once every 2 to 3 weeks. Conditioner goes on the ends only for fine hair, and the full length for curly or dry hair.

Heat, in more detail

The AAD’s³ styling guidance is specific. Let your hair partially air dry before you style or comb it, and blow dry less often. Flat irons belong on dry hair, on low or medium heat, no more often than every other day. A curling iron should stay in place for a second or two. It notes that no matter your hair type, excessive heat can damage it.

Those limits differ from the once-a-week guideline in the habits list, so treat them as an upper limit and try less. On handling wet hair, the AAD³ says most people should touch wet hair as little as possible, but people with tightly curled or textured hair should brush it wet to reduce breakage.

If the dryness comes with shedding rather than snapping, see why your hair is thinning. If you’ve been tempted by hair growth vitamins, read that first.

When it’s the thyroid

The AAD’s⁴ thyroid checklist lists hair changes: coarse, dull, dry and brittle hair that breaks easily, or soft, fine hair with lots of shedding. It also lists thinning or missing eyebrows on the outer edge, and a dry, itchy scalp with dandruff. Skin and nail changes can come with it, such as dry, pale, cool skin, or thick, dry, brittle nails with ridges. The AAD says that if you’ve checked off signs and aren’t feeling like yourself, to discuss it with your primary care doctor, who can decide whether blood testing for thyroid disease is warranted.

Our article on an itchy, flaky scalp covers the scalp side.

The play

Try this: three swaps, then watch the breakage

Wash your scalp only, and put conditioner on after every shampoo.

Swap the towel rub for a wrap, and let your hair partly air dry before any heat.

Drop heat to the lowest setting and use it less often. After a few washes, notice whether the snapped pieces around your face are fewer.

When to get checked

If you’ve made the changes and the hair is still dry and breaking, or the AAD’s⁴ other thyroid signs sound familiar, book a visit. The AAD says to start with your primary care doctor if you’re not feeling like yourself, and a dermatologist can look at the hair and scalp.

Book an appointment if any of these fit:

• Your hair stays dry and brittle after you’ve changed your habits
• Your eyebrows are thinning at the outer edges
• You have dry, pale skin or brittle, ridged nails
• You’re not feeling like yourself, and the dry hair is one of several changes
• Your hair is shedding or thinning, not only breaking
• A scalp that’s dry, itchy and flaky keeps coming back

Start with the towel. The rest can follow, one habit at a time.