Jackie’s question: About a year ago my stylist starting using Paul Mitchell products on me and I haven’t loved my hair since! Now it’s damaged and it breaks easily. My stylist blames me using the flat iron. I know that doesn’t help BUT I used the flat iron for years and have never had this happen. She tells me that’s because I had my hair colored so much. I have never had these problems until she switched to Paul Mitchell. Is it possible that his products make my hair start to break off and thin out?
The Left Brain’s snappy comment:
Jackie, thanks so much for the question. I see how you could think that Paul Mitchell made your hair go bad, but I doubt that’s really what happened. Paul Mitchell products are not different enough from other products you’ve been using (except for being overpriced), so there is likely a different reason you’re experiencing hair breakage. It is natural to leap to conclusions like this, but they are often incorrect.
Instead of worrying about Paul Mitchell, I’d blame 3 other factors for your hair problem:
3 Things likely causing hair problems
1. Flat iron usage is VERY bad for your hair. That’s probably the most immediate cause of daily breakage. If you want less damage consider ironing less frequently.
2. In the long run, the worst thing you can is chemically color your hair. Coloring breaks down the hair’s protein making it weaker. Frequent chemical processing literally pushes your hair to its “breaking point.”
3. The first two factors are worsened because you’re getting older and your hair is weaker. As we age our hair gets less dense and more prone to breakage. That’s probably why you’re seeing so much hair breakage more recently – Father Time is catching up with you!
So, what can you do?
Well, the shampoo doesn’t matter much as long as you’re using a conditioner. The Paul Mitchell conditioner is good, but so are many other cheaper, mass market brands like Fructis, Pantene, or Tresemme. You might consider using one of these every time you do your hair. The conditioner should provide enough lubrication so that pulling on it with a comb does not break the hair. It may even provide some protection against the heat of the flat iron. If you’re not using a conditioner, be sure to use a conditioning shampoo like Pantene 2-in-1. This should help slow your hair breaking problem.
The Brains’ bottom line
In truth, heat, coloring, and age are all conspiring against you to break your hair. You can’t do anything about the aging process but if you stopped coloring and reduced the heat exposure, your hair would break less. Of course, then you might not like how it looks. Such is the price we pay for beauty!
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Probably more related to the fact that you’re getting older and your hair is changing. Coloring is definitely a potential cause.
It is not likely related to the products.
I’ve been getting my hair colored at a PM Salon and my hair has never looked better. i’m spanish and my hair is very curly but PM products have made my dull hair shiny and the colors and rich and look beautiful. i have gotten many compliments. i think PM priducts are excellent!
I have some questions for the brains stemming from the original post, though any of the many hair professionals responding to this thread are welcome to chime in too.
I also have hair with extreme breakage that has been this way for years and I color and flat-iron it as well. I started using the flat-iron because I thought it caused less breakage than a blowout–I kept reading that using a brush on damp hair stretched it, so now I finger-comb it with the dryer then quickly run the iron over it to smooth it out. So which is more damaging: flat-iron or blowout? How much of a role does the temperature setting of the iron play regarding damage? Is the flat-iron significantly worse than a traditional curling-iron? Can you think of any non-damaging alternatives for smoothing and shaping my hair (I’m allergic to many leave-in products and because of the breakage my hair appears extremely frizzy)?
You said that coloring is the worst thing, I knew that bleaching was damaging, but I didn’t think that adding color was all that bad.
I used to use a temporary color(I think it was called semi-perminant), would that be less damaging than perminant?
Flat iron is more damaging. The direct heat on hair fibers is much more intense.
Flat iron is about the same damage as curling irons.
The least damaging would be to comb your hair straight, apply a styling product and let it air dry.
However, this won’t give you the best looking straight hair. You can use flat irons if you condition frequently & apply heat protecting leave-in products.
Temporary colors are less damaging than permanent.
hey im no professional but i have used alot of professional salon and non salon products.. paul mitchell gives my hair incredible shine and delicious smell, but it did cause tangles, breakage and massive hair fall
i thought it was hormonal initially bt it conpletely stopped when i switched brands of shampoo. I dont use their shampoos anymore i think their suitable only for certain hair types but when it comes to styleing products and serums theyr still the best iv ever used i especially like the super skinny serum, heat protection spray thingy and their foam pommade.
jackie, hi my name is LT and im gonna go ahead and answer your Paul Mitchell question. I am a Paul Mitchell hair stylists. to start off im just going to say that I have had paul mitchell the color on my head for over two years and i could not leave my house if i didnt flat iron my hair everyday. Paul mitchell the color has the least amonia in it then any other professional permanent color out there. And amonia is the damage causing agent in hair color. It also has a bees wax base which is very conditing. Flat Ironing is never going to be good for you but I will recommend the Paul Mitchell 1.0 smoothing iron. It has cilicone grips that actually pushes moisture into the hair strand. It is much less damaging then your traditional smoothing iron. but anyway about your hair breaking off there is one thing off the bat that you need to understand too much of one thing (good or bad) is NEVER good for you. reading your question it sounded a little like you were using a product from out strengh line (its pink)i could be wrong but im going to explain this using strenth line as my example. now your hair is made up of keratin which is a protien. so when your hair isnt doing to good a lot of stylists will recomend a protien treatment and usually that fixes things but a lot of clients will continue to use their protien shampoo or conditioner or treatment of whatever it is and thats where you go wrong. too much protien will WILL make your hair break off everytime. and thats the same for too much moisture or too much of anything. Paul Mitchell has product categories there is a moisture categories a strengh, volume, skinny and plenty more and i can promise that one of them will work for you. You just need a stylist that is educated enough in paul mitchell products to recomend the correct categorie. I really hope your problem gets fixed. Please dont give up on Paul Mitchell right away. when you are guided in the right direction I PROMISE you it is worth every penny. o ya ps. if you are not buying Paul Mitchell from a salon professional ITS FAKE. its called diversion you can research it if you would like.
judi. Freeze and shine hasnt changed. is your breakage all over your head? Your stylists has not changed but their products may have. going blonde can be very damaging. Have you recently permed or relaxed your hair?
hi jill. Paul Mitchell makes a flat iron called the 1.0 that actually pushes moisture into your hair. its amazing. im not gonna try to sell it to you anymore but i am going to suggest you go to a pm salon and ask for a style with knowldge conceltation about the 1.0 the thing sells itself. semi perm is deposit only and no it is not very damaging at all. most deposit isnt. your completely right about bleaching tho. good luck i hope everything works out
WOW LEFT BRAIN!! that was sooo dumb hahahaha maybe.. the ingredient list is on the bottle so pm doesnt get sued when someone has an allergic reaction?? idk just a thought… hahahha there is absolutly NO way your a licensed cosmetoligist
if you are im just gonna suggest that you quit
I have been a stylist for 35 years. Started using PM freeze and shine on client who could not do without. Started off slowly in summer months having itch on fore arms and continued to grow worse through the next years only in summer. Had to strt allergy meds. Found out the spray was clogging my pores on arms, and since we don’t have oil glands on arms just sweat glands. They were itching becuse of clog. It was quite painful besides looking like a dog all the time with a bad itch.
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