Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. Thanks for your support!
I recently watched a TikTok video, in which a creator said: “Dry hair is brittle hair and brittle hair is broken hair.” I wish I could remember who said it so I could give proper credit where it is due, because that single line completely changed my hair.
Image created with OpenAI’s DALL·E.
At the time, my hair was coming out in frightening amounts. Not just a few strands in the shower or on my brush, but full-on clumps. One day, I showed my husband the tangled mass of hair in my hand and his eyes grew wide. “Should I take you to the hospital?” he asked. The amount of hair was alarming.
But the TikTok mantra replayed in my head. That’s when I realized: I wasn’t losing hair from the root. My strands weren’t shedding from the root, they were snapping. My hair was simply too dry and brittle and the chunks I thought were fallout were actually breakage.
That shift in understanding was the beginning of my hair comeback.
Oil Treatments For Your Scalp
I started experimenting with @Vanilla Swirl’s TikTok-famous oiling routine. She makes her own DIY blend of castor oil, jojoba, coconut and rosemary oils (among others) and massages it into her scalp once a week. Watch her full tutorial and get her exact recipe here. I tried it and while it felt luxurious and nourishing, it was also time-consuming and messy. The oil needs hours to sink in, and between work, family and travel, I couldn’t commit consistently to the process.
Still, the principle stuck: Hydration was key.
Oil the Lengths of My Hair
After my summer travels, I simplified the process. Instead of long oil treatments for my scalp, I began layering hair oil into my hair after every wash. When my hair was damp, I smoothed a generous amount through the lengths and ends. Midway through blow-drying, I added a little more. Once my hair was fully dry, I sealed it with one last pass of oil.
I don’t oil my scalp with this method; it’s purely for the hair shafts and ends. My go-to hair oil is Moroccanoil, which leaves my hair silky and shiny, though I’ll happily reach for Trader Joe’s hair oil when I want something more affordable. Both work really well.
Real Results
The change was almost immediate. Six months later, the difference is dramatic. I no longer pull out massive clumps in the shower. My bathroom floor isn’t a sea of broken strands. Instead, my hair feels thick, healthy and strong.
For me, the culprit wasn’t hormones, vitamins or an underlying condition. It was simple dryness, and once I addressed it, everything changed.
I’m not a hair expert and I know everyone’s hair has different needs. But if you’re struggling with breakage, maybe this mantra will help you too: Dry hair is brittle hair and brittle hair is broken hair. Sometimes the simplest advice (in my case, discovered in a random TikTok scroll), can spark the biggest transformation.