Remember what you hair felt like before you became a hot styling tool junkie? Bet it was shiny, silky, maybe bouncy even too.
Now? Not so much.
Which is why you want to stop it!
How do you know you’re making it worse?
You might be making it worse if your ends are frazzled. Tattered. Split.
You might be making it worse if your strands are brittle and break off if you even just look at them wrong.
You might be making it worse if that shine you so loved is a thing of the past. While a dull, lackluster appearance is to be had in abundance.
All those are sure signs of a damaged, stressed out mane. Maybe even an abused one.
The key to repairing your locks is to stop further damage and to treat your hair like you would your best silk blouse. With utmost care. Rather than like your last boyfriend or total disregard.
And yes I realize that it’s true your hair is constructed to withstand abuse. The cortex is super strong and keratin is one tough protein. Still even the toughest strands can only take so much. Plus the cuticle can be easily damaged if you aren’t careful. And a damaged cuticle is not going to be a shiny cuticle.
If you’ve abused your locks and you have a severe case of hair behaving badly then this may sound all too familiar.
Then too you may be wondering what to do with your damaged hair?
It also likely true that you need to find ways to get some serious hydration going because that’s the only way you’re going to be able to welcome back endless good hair days. It may come at a price but they can be achieved. Yes, you really can win the battle against breakage frizz, and damaged frazzled ends.
Plus when you get down to it, a plea to save your hair really is “Help me save my hair from myself”. Am I right?
So let’s see if we can put you on the fast track to healthy, lush, vibrant hair. That shimmers in the sun and is full of life. Using some insider tips and tricks on how to repair dry, damaged hair your stylist may have not yet shared with you that can help you get the gorgeous mane you’ve been seeking.
The Condition: Frizzy
The Cause: Frizz is the result of dry strands coming in contact with humid, moisture laden air. This is an especially appalling problem for curly tops because curly hair tends naturally to be on drier anyway. Dryer hair tends to have raised cuticles when you want them to be snapped tightly shut to keep the natural moisture in and atmospheric moisture out.
The Correction: Three ideas for you. First keep your locks as hydrated as you can. Doing this makes any moisture in the air less attractive which makes your hair less likely to frizz when things turn humid. Second, stop stripping the natural oils off the shafts by switching to low sulfate, or better yet, sulfate free shampoo. And third if you color your hair use a formulation that doesn’t involve ammonia which can lift the cuticles setting the stage for frizz down the road.
Another small thing you can do is remember this. The more you put your hands on your hair the more likely you are to end up with a bad case of the frizzies. This includes blow dry time for some. And is all the more true with curly hair. So see if you can’t simply stop fussing with your hair once you have it styled like you want.
Aha Moment: You really can get smooth and manageable hair regardless of what the weather is doing. Weekly deep conditioning is one cure. You want a product that will penetrate deep into your strands to provide badly needed moisture. As with any conditioner just don’t be in a big hurry to wash it down the drain. The amount of time you leave it on your hair is what produces the results. For that reason it’s simply not possible to have leave-in conditioner on your hair too long.
Terrific’s Take:
This video presents one girl’s simple routine for controlling her frizz using little more than tap water, leave in conditioner and a diffuser. If nothing else it’s a good lesson on using a diffuser on curly hair.
The Condition: Splits
The Cause: The ends of your strands have been through a lot. Think how many times you’ve exposed the ends through heat. Then there’s the countless shampoo sessions. Not to mention all the sun and wind, hot and cold. That takes a toll. So let’s just say there’s no one cause for split ends but the culmination of abuse coming in many forms. Even brushing wet hair can wear on the ends. So everyone has tattered ends. The difference is simply a matter of degree.
The Correction: If you came to this section hoping for a miracle you’re going to be disappointed. Because you don’t want to buy into the myth you can mend or fix them with some miracle elixir. You can’t. Such a product doesn’t exist. The only way to fix them is to eliminate them by snipping them off. The best way to prevent them is to not strip away your scalps natural lubricating oils. Do not abuse your hair any more than you absolutely have to with torturous hot tools. And a tip you might not have expected, use paper towels to dry your hair after wringing out as much water as you can in the shower since terry cloth is hard on your strands.
The Condition: Dry
The Cause: Typically dry hair can be traced back to a long time love affair with hot styling tools or too much time spent in the sun – which saps the life out of your hair as easy as it burns your skin. Sun time with chlorinated pool water drying in your hair can be especially parching. And don’t even get me started on what chemical treatments (think color treating, straightening, or perms) can do to your locks.
The Correction: The obvious one is to never put any hot styling tools on wet hair. A second obvious one is learn to style without heat. Another idea is to avoid alcohol in styling products, you getting this typical mousse lovers? Finally see if deep conditioning with coconut oil can rescue your hair from the desert. Some find a 1:1 mix of their favorite conditioner and coconut oil can dramatically turn their hair around. All you do is work this mix into damp hair. Wrap it in a microfiber towel. Give it a couple of hours to work its magic then shampoo. Hydration healing like this done a couple of times a month can save your sun ravaged hair from a hideous fate.
Terrific’s Take:
The tip to take away from this video comes early. It’s how she uses olive oil to treat the ends of her hair so that they feel super soft.
The Condition: Lifeless and Flat
The Cause: Look no further than the humidity, again. Hair that just lies there is over smothered by humidity which can weigh it down.
The Correction: The right cut can help enhance the fluff factor and create volume where needed. You can get to the root of the problem by using an anti humidity hair spray. Then give your hair a break from all the heavy styling products that when combined with sticky weather can weigh it down.
Damaged hair. We all have it. Few know what to do to repair it. At least these ideas that quickly cover damage control should get you started on the road to recovery. Leaving frizz, breakage, or dry and fried ends for some other poor, unfortunate soul to deal with.
Leave a Reply