If your hair is damaged (it’s very dry and rough to the touch, you have to use a ton of products to get it to look great, or you can’t manage it at all, and it never looks good) due to one or two chemical processes, or just out of neglect you can get it to look good again. Just use these tips on how to make your damaged hair healthy.
Give it the Treatment – When your hair is damaged it’s essential to use more powerful conditioners than the one you normally use. Try either a deep conditioning treatment or a mask at least once a week to restore your hair back to it’s healthiest state. If your hair is really fried use your normal conditioner as a leave-in so that your hair can become softer.
Turn Down the Heat – Even though heat will seem like it’s your friend when your hair is damaged because it’s the only thing that makes your hair look shiny ,and it’s the only way you can manage it, you have to give it up for awhile. Try to avoid heat as much as you possibly can. Instead air dry your hair and allow it to flow naturally. Or braid your hair into one french braid or into several smaller braids and unravel your hair for a wavy look.
Cut Your Losses – If you’ve been deep condtioning like a fiend and using no heat for a couple of months and your hair still doesn’t feel any better, or you just want immediate gratification, get a hair cut. Sometimes only a few inches is needed (to be sure ask your stylist for his/her opinion as to how much length needs to be taken off) to make your hair look beautiful again and for it to be easier to manage.
Don’t Revert Back – Just because it looks and feels better doesn’t mean it’s not damaged still, so keep going easy on the heat and continue to do your weekly deep treatments for a few months just to be sure. And definitely learn from your mistakes, if you know your hair became damaged before from too many chemical processes don’t overprocess your hair anymore, if you know it was neglect make sure to take better care of it, and if heat did you in, turn down the temps. on your styling tools and only use them once a week.
Try a Little Tenderness – Hair can get damaged so easily so it’s essential to treat your hair gently if you want it to be healthy. So follow these quick tips for hair healthy hair maintenance:
– Protect your hair at night – Never sleep on a cotton pillow which can dry your hair out, instead sleep on a satin or silk pillowcase or wrap your hair in a silk headscarf at night. Don’t sleep with your hair in a tight ponytail, because it can cause breakage.
– Never brush wet hair, and always use a wide tooth comb to detangle locks and make sure to start from the ends up, not the roots down.
– Use a good quality moisturizing shampoo and one that is sulfate free.
– Whenever you put your hair into a ponytail don’t use elastics that have tiny metal pieces which can rip your hair, instead buy a product like Goody Ouchless hair elastics which don’t have them.
Source: Ballo, Kate, Chonacas Katie, & Dicker Cintia. “Hair Majesty.” Allure Magazine (12/2006) 227- 229
Huszar, Stephanie. “Your Hair Now: It’s a Long, Long Story.” Glamour Magazine (7/2005) 175- 179
