Got Damaged Hair? Tips to help prevent and repair your damaged hair

Today’s modern technology in the hair industry has given us many avenues to achieve new desired looks from perming, coloring and hi-lighting to straightening, blow drying and curling the hair. We all want what we don’t have, right? With all this new technology we can achieve almost any look but what we don’t realize is that if not used properly we can really damage our hair. So how do we know if we are damaging our hair and if we did damage our hair how can we repair it??

Knowing if you hair is already damaged is the first step you must take. Here are some signs of damaged hair:

Split Ends
You can tell if you have split ends by holding the ends of your hair and if they split into different directions then your ends are split, hence the name, split ends. There is no way to repair split ends but to just snip them off.

Dull & Dry
Hair that is damaged will lack in luster and shine and will also be very dry, almost like sandpaper.

Weak & Brittle
If you apply moderate tension to your hair and it snaps easily that is a definite sign of damaged hair. Your hair is lacking moisture and elasticity causing the hair to become very weak. Another sign is if you comb or brush your hair and you see pieces (not full strands) of hair on your clothes.

Unmanageable
Hair that was once easy to style now is very difficult, frizzy and has lots of flyaways could be damaged hair.

After you have established whether your hair is damaged or not, here are some tips to help prevent and repair your hair from any future damaging.

Tip #1
Limit the use of hair dryers, curling irons, and straighteners. Try not to use them everyday and when you do use them make sure you use a thermal protectant prior to use, this will help protect your hair from the high temperatures of these tools. Also, talk to your stylist about alternate ways to style your hair without using heat.

Tip #2
Shampoo your hair every other day or every third day. Shampooing daily can also be damaging to your hair. When you shampoo, you strip the natural oils from your hair causing the hair to be more brittle. If your hair is already damaged make sure when you do shampoo you use a moisturizing shampoo or one especially for damaged hair.

Tip #3
Apply a hair treatment or deep conditioner once a week. Choose one that is a protein based, your hair stylist can help you pick the correct product for your hair. Apply the treatment and wrap hair in a towel leave on for 10 minutes or if really damaged try and leave it on over night and rinse it out in the morning.

Tip #4
Schedule a hair cut or trim every six weeks. Keeping your hair regularly trimmed helps prevent your hair from split ends. It’s also a quick way to get rid of damaged hair.

Tip #5
Use a wide tooth comb when combing the hair wet. When hair is wet it stretches and becomes vulnerable to breakage so you need to be very gentle when combing the hair.  Start at the ends of the hair and work your way up to the roots.

Tip #6
Only have professionals do a chemical service on your hair. This is a big reason why so many people have damaged hair because they tend to try and do their own chemical service (hair color or hi-lights) to save money but in the long run it will cost them more money to repair the damaged hair. Your hair stylist will be able to guide, consult and use the proper chemical treatments for your hair’s condition.

 

What is your best tip to help repair damaged hair??