What should you know about thinning, dry, brittle hair?

Breakage leaves shorter hairs, split ends, uneven length, or fine fragments, often after bleaching, heat, chemical straightening, friction, or tight styling. Shedding releases full-length hairs from the root and may follow illness, major stress, dietary restriction, or hormonal change. A dry, flaky, painful, or inflamed scalp adds another possible source of trouble. A clinician can examine the scalp and hair, review medicines and diet, and decide whether testing is useful.

Look for widening areas, reduced density at the part, clumps of shed hair, or hairs snapping along their length. These observations are more helpful than judging thickness from one wash day.

Reduce bleaching, straightening, high heat, and tight styles. Use conditioner on the lengths, detangle from the ends with a wide-tooth comb, and dry without vigorous rubbing. Avoid starting high-dose supplements without discussing the ingredients and your diet with a clinician. If thinning continues or the scalp is abnormal, arrange a dermatology review; treatment should match the reason for the change.

Seek assessment for sudden or marked shedding, smooth patches, scalp pain, pus, heavy scale, bleeding, or hair loss involving eyebrows or eyelashes. Arrange care when fragile hair follows a restrictive diet, new medicine, or significant illness, especially if tiredness or other body symptoms are present.

Ask whether your pattern is mainly breakage, shedding, or a scalp disorder; whether medicines or nutrition could contribute; and which tests, if any, fit your symptoms. Ask how to protect fragile lengths while the cause is investigated.