Simple Tricks To Restore Damaged Hair

By Alexia Gonzalez on August 29, 2015

Sadly, hair can be damaged relatively quickly, but bringing your hair back to good health can take some time.

Early detection is key to repairing damaged hair; so the sooner you decide to relieve your locks, the easier it can be to remedy the damage.

For instance is your hair dry and dull? Do you have split ends and frizz? Scalp acting weird? If so, these are probably the symptoms of hair damage. If you decide to take rapid action and make a change to your styling habits, the good news is that it’s not too late to begin the healing process.

Fear not for your luscious locks, for there are techniques and treatments for damaged hair, as well as gentle shampoos, conditioners and styling products to help bring those wrecked tresses back to life.

Start these healthy new habits now to help your damaged hair look better in the short run, while bringing it back to good health in the long run.

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Trim to revive damaged hair.

If your damaged hair has a straw-like texture and good hair days are a thing of the past, the first thing you can do to make it look better and restore body is to get a trim.

To accomplish good results, you don’t have to get a super short cut; you can leave some length and treat the remaining damaged hair. If you are bold enough to chop it all off, a short bob or cute pixie can undo all the damage in one clean sweep.

If you don’t want to go this extreme, however, a healthy trim with layers may be the direction to go to help your damaged locks look their best. Hair tends to be most damaged toward the tips; it’s been around the longest and had more time to be affected by the elements, styling products and processing, and other damage-causing sources, this why the ends are the best place to start when looking to get rid of damage.

Decrease your use of hot styling tools.

Ladies, it is no surprise that blow dryers, curling irons or straightening irons damage hair. Whenever possible, air-dry your hair and don’t use irons on it.

After using a mild shampoo and conditioner, apply a restorative styling treatment and let damaged hair dry naturally. If you really need to blow dry your hair, keep it on the lowest heat setting.

If you must use heat, prepare the hair with a fortifying leave-in conditioner, and finish with a protective spray. And make sure that the hair is completely dry before using heated tools like flat irons and curling irons so it won’t cook from the inside out.

Using a flatiron only once a week and swearing off all but irons with ceramic plates, like the SalonTech Silicone 450 Flat Iron, helps further. Fans of chemical straightening should consider switching to a keratin treatment, which adds a smooth coating to each strand but doesn’t mess with the cortex.

Shampoo and conditioner know-how for damaged hair.

Opt for a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner formulated for damaged hair. Sticking with shampoos and conditioners that contain natural oils and herbs will help repair your damaged hair. Avoid shampoos or conditioners that contain sodium laurel or laureth sulfates; these ingredients can strip your hair of its natural protective oils.

Hairstylists love to say you can reduce the times you shampoo to three times a week. But if you have fine and/or oily hair, you don’t have to walk around looking dirty. If you choose to shampoo only twice weekly, you can spruce up your locks with some dry shampoo in between washings.

However if you must shampoo daily, drench your hair with water before you lather up, then concentrate on just the hair two inches closest to the scalp, and rinse really well under the coldest water you can stand since hot water can further damage your hair.

When selecting a conditioner for damaged hair, look for those with moisturizers such as aloe vera, glycerol, panthenol or proteins. Active components such as macadamia nut oil, argan oil or shea butter coat each strand of hair with a fine protective layer that helps repair the cuticle. This helps damaged hair look healthier and thicker.

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