What should you know about hair breakage after a Brazilian blowout?

A blowout smooths hair by changing its surface and setting it with heat. If the hair was already dry, bleached, relaxed, or repeatedly styled, the added processing can leave strands brittle. Short pieces around the shoulders, uneven ends, white dots, and split ends suggest shaft breakage. Shedding with a full-length strand and a tiny bulb at one end is different and may come from the follicle. Breakage does not prove that the product was contaminated or that an ongoing scalp disorder is present.

Pause further chemical straightening, colouring, bleaching, and high-heat styling while the damaged length grows out. Wash gently, condition every time, detangle from the ends upward with a wide-tooth comb, and avoid tight ponytails or extensions. Blot rather than rub wet hair, and use low heat with a heat-protective product if drying is necessary. A stylist or dermatologist can examine the hair and suggest trimming of split ends; products can improve feel but cannot fuse a broken shaft back together.

Arrange a dermatology assessment if breakage is rapid, accompanied by patchy thinning, scalp pain, burning, blisters, crusting, marked itch, or redness, or if hair is breaking close to the scalp. Seek prompt care for swelling of the face or breathing trouble after a product exposure. A scaly patch with broken hairs may need evaluation for scalp ringworm, while hair loss along areas under repeated pulling can relate to traction alopecia.

Ask whether the pattern is shaft breakage or shedding from the follicle, whether the scalp needs testing, and which ingredients or procedures to avoid. Bring the product name, application date, photographs of the hair before and after, and a list of other chemical treatments.