Are You Over Manipulating Your Hair?

It’s something about a full fro of curls that makes you just want to put your hands in it! That’s what my guy tells me all of the time and I have to admit I’m a bit guilty of wanting to touch it often myself.

Whether it be positioning each loose coil to the perfectly imperfect place, or trying to fluff for more volume which my fine hair craves daily, I’m guilty of constantly touching it.

I often have to literally tell myself to not be so handsy as it could actually hurt my hair health.

Here are 4 signs that you could possibly be over manipulating your hair.

Frizz

Number one for me is excess frizz. Though frizz may not be indicative of poor hair health, an overabundance of it has the power to kill your style.

Have you ever been trying to perfect your style, only to have messed it up and be left with a head full of frizzy curls? I’m sure you already know these immediate effects of over manipulation.

Dryness

Dryness can be a more subtle sign that you are touching your hair too much. If you notice a decrease in moisture retention it is possible it’s due to constant styling and handling of your hair.

This is commonly seen with people who wash their hair too often. Depending on your specific hair needs, if you wash your hair too frequently, i.e. more than once a week, you will see a lack of moisture because the scalp will lose its ability to replenish the natural oils* it has lost.

Breakage

Another telling sign is if you experience breakage at a higher rate. It is understood that shedding is natural, but if you are frequently seeing strands break off and not fall it may be a result of over manipulation. Your strands are becoming weakened, dry, and brittle and will no longer be able to flourish.

Build up

Lastly, if your product is building up on the strands and becoming visible to the eye you may need to slow down on the styling processes.

I’m guilty of adding more product throughout the week as I refresh and retwist my hair, but keep in mind as you’re adding more product it adds another layer to the strand. As the product builds up, the natural shine and luster of the hair is lost.

So if your hair is exhibiting a dull appearance or being weighed down, it’s a sign that you’re doing too much and should pull back on the styling products.