Have you ever find yourself looking in the mirror and noticing that something is not ok with your hair? If you’re the type to dye your hair often or over stylize it you may find some evidence of damaged hair. Damaged hair is not only caused by our own actions but also environmental factors.
Before diving into the most expensive hair treatments, you must determine the cause of the damage and your hair type. One important thing to note is that basically, your hair is “dead”, containing no biochemical activity, and the only “alive” portion is the hair follicle.
One major step in fixing your damaged hair is developing healthy habits to prevent damage in the future. We’ve put together a few common hair problems and how to prevent or to repair them.
Unbalanced Diet
You probably don’t think that what you eat affects your hair appearance. A balanced diet not only helps your hair stay healthy but it also good for your general health. Certain ingredients such as biotin and omega 3 are essential for thick long hair.
You may also want to add whole foods, fruits, veggies, and long grains. These are also beneficial for your skin, digestion, and heart health.
Other ingredients to consider are protein and vitamins. If your hair seems unhealthy you may have an iron, vitamin A or C deficiency. You may take daily supplements but make sure to consult with your doctor before taking them.
Dry Damaged Hair
If you have dry hair, one of the main causes for it is that your scalp isn’t producing enough natural oils or moisture to coat your hair. If you tend to overwash it you will make it even dryer. You may want to skip the daily wash and consider washing only 2-3 times a week.
Take a look at the hair products you are using. The shampoo and conditioner have also a big role in the hair moisture. Make sure they contain ingredients that hold moisture such as avocado oil, olive oil, and argan oil.
When using conditioner avoid putting it directly on the scalp. Instead focus it more on the mid-shaft and ends, leaving it in for a few minutes and rinse thoroughly.
Another important factor in dry hair is the weather. You will feel your hair much drier during the winter. In that case, try to adjust your conditioning routine so your hair gets the moisture it needs.
One way to fix dry hair is to incorporate hair masks or deep conditioning treatments in your routine. The best hair masks are the ones you make yourself with fresh and natural ingredients.
Heat Damaged Hair
If you’re a fan of the blow dryer, straightener, or curling iron you may want to put them on pause or try to avoid them as much as you can. It’s no secret that these amazing hair styling tools cause so much damage to your hair.
One thing you can do to avoid frying your hair is to use heat-protectant serum or sprays every time. Exposing your hair to extreme heat without protecting will only damage it faster and make it a pain to fix.
The best way to dry your freshly washed hair is to let it air dry. It’s gentle with your hair and won’t damage it. If you’re in a hurry and you really have to dry your hair completely, let it air dry halfway or avoid having it dripping wet before using the blow dryer. If you are using a brush, make sure it has smooth synthetic bristles, and avoid pulling hard. Keep the blow dryer on low heat and at a distance of 2 inches away from your hair.
Damaged Hair From Coloring
Whether you have a regular dye job or you’re a chameleon changing your color every few weeks, chemically treated hair is not the most healthy. If you can’t resist dyeing your hair, there are a few steps that can improve the overall health condition of it.
In case it’s overly damaged, the only thing you can do is grab the scissors, chop it down and wait for it to grow back healthy. There’s not much you can do. For those who can still be fixed, the rule of thumb is to keep a hair color within three shades of your natural hair color. Bleaching will always damage it, no matter what. The best way to it is either to minimize it or not do it at all as it strips away the melanin that gives you the natural color.
Another method that ruins your hair completely is chemical straightening. Just as in the case of dyeing, one way to help your hair is to either increase the time between treatments or go for a much safer option such as keratin straightening.
Conclusion
Knowing the cause of the damage does not mean you can restore it at its natural state 100% and that is perfectly fine. But once you start to make these small changes, you will still see big differences. You don’t have to apply all these tips at once but pick one, try to build a healthy habit out of it and you can gradually add the rest to maximize the health condition of your hair.
