Q: Does hair weaken with age and certain conditions, like pregnancy or illness? What about poor lifestyle choices, like bad diet or smoking?

Ouidad: Time and age does cause havoc by weakening hair from the natural loss of moisture, proteins, and vitamins as well as environmental wear. Illness and poor diet can also weaken hair — because they cause a shock to the body’s systems. Pregnancy, on the other hand, is very enriching to the hair since the body is filled with nutrients.