Hello everyone, I am back with a post on how to prevent and stop hair breakage in the middle of your hair. Hair breakage in the middle part of our hair is a common problem which most of us may have experienced at some point in our lives. Audrey Sivasothy, author of “the Science of Black Hair” describes this as when your hair falls in a w-shaped pattern along the back of your hair as opposed to a u or v shape or a blunt hemline.

Here is a picture of Lungi, a fabulous South African blogger when her hair was still relaxed, she is now fully natural. She kindly gave me permission to use her photo, please be sure to check out her blog – By Lungi for hair, beauty, travel, lifestyle and loads more.


Hair breakage in the middle part of our hair occurs because the middle part of our hair sometimes tends to be coarser and drier than the other parts. Also because it is more difficult to reach when applying products in our hair, the middle part of our hair may be neglected and subsequently break off. Hair breakage in the middle of our hair may also occur as a result of physical elements such as incorrect relaxer application, improper use of chemical services, heat damage, using hair pins in the middle section of your hair or tight ponytails in the middle section of your hair, tight weaves, tight braids and so on.

I shared with you all in my last relaxer post how I was experiencing some breakage in the middle of my hair and how I intend to nurse that area back to health. There are several ways hair breakage in the middle of our hair can be stopped and even prevented, I will be sharing them below:

Section your hair and pay particular attention to the middle portion of your hair when moisturising and sealing: When you are experiencing hair breakage in the middle of your hair it is important that you concentrate your moisturising and sealing efforts particularly in the middle portion of your hair. A rule of thumb to help you and what I have been doing lately is to first section my hair (I usually do 4 sections) and then moisturise the middle sections of my hair first before I go over the rest of my hair. We usually have a tendency to moisturise the outermost parts of our hair better as they are easier to reach however to stop hair breakage in the middle of our hair it is important to moisturise and seal that section properly.

When deep conditioning focus on the middle section of your hair: Deep conditioning is an excellent way to repair the hair and add nourishment to it. It is important to deep condition regularly to correct hair breakage in the middle of your hair. In a situation where you are experiencing hair breakage in the middle part of your hair you will need to focus the deep conditioner in the middle portion of your hair making sure to apply it properly over that section.

Protein Treatments: Protein Deep Conditioners are an excellent means of fixing hair breakage. It is important to incorporate protein deep conditioners in your regimen to reduce breakage in all parts of your hair including the middle section of your hair and to make that part of your hair stronger.

Detangle hair gently particularly the middle section of your hair: When detangling your hair you need to be extra careful with the middle section of your hair in a situation where you are experiencing breakage in that area. Handle that part of your hair with a lot of care making sure to use a product that would provide lots of slip to make detangling easier. Also try finger detangling that area first before going over it with a wide tooth comb (or you can skip that step altogether if you feel you do not need it).

Limit Heat: The frequent use of blow dryers can cause hair breakage which can also translate to breakage in the middle section of your hair. The mechanical damage from brushing your hair while blow drying; can also lead to hair breakage in various areas of your hair including the middle section. It is therefore advisable to air dry as much as possible for healthier hair and to prevent the middle section of your hair from breaking off. Also heat styling tools such as curling wands, flat irons and so on should be avoided.

Scalp massages: Scalp massages concentrating your efforts on the middle part of your hair will go a long way in growing it out and will also stop breakage in the middle part of your hair. Spend a few minutes whenever you can giving yourself scalp massages all over your head concentrating on areas where you need it the most. It is important to use an oil that will actually stimulate growth (please refer to this post where I share the 5 best Oils for Hair Growth) such as Wura’s Secret Hair Growth Oil or Castor Oil.

Avoid wearing harmful protective styles: There are certain protective styles which rather than aiding hair growth – may actually hamper it and cause breakage in the middle section of the hair. Protective styles such as tight braids or weaves should be avoided. Also it is important to make sure your ponytails or buns are not too tight and to keep on switching their position on your head.

Protect your hair at night: At night it is important to cover your hair with a silk/satin scarf/bonnet to prevent hair breakage. However to prevent or stop your middle hair from breaking off, it is even more important that the hair that has been covered is loosely put in a hair scrunchie or something that would not apply too much tension to the hair. You can also do some loose twists or braids and keep them protected underneath the scarf/bonnet.

I will encourage everyone to try out these tips to stop or prevent hair breakage in the middle of their hair. Thank you as always for taking your time out to read this post, it means a lot to me – please don’t forget to share with others who might find it beneficial. If you have any questions or comments please share.

TONKABELLE, xoxo



“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us” – Ralph Waldo Emerson