Straightening, curling, blow-drying, bleaching, coloring, crimping and the endless amounts of products really do a number on your hair. Even washing too often can create dry, brittle hair causing your hair to break.
So how can you fix broken hair? Well, the sad reality is that you can’t go back in time and the majority of hair damage is permanent because hair is a collection of dead cells, so damage is normally beyond repair. The main cure is time, and taking precautions to prevent any new damage. But don’t freak out just yet, there are targeted treatments that can help restore the outer cuticle of your hair and improve how it looks and feels.
1.Olive Oil/Coconut Oil/Avocado Oil
I know what you are thinking. I’m not cooking my hair, but this common cooking oil is known to rehydrate you hair and smooth out the outer cuticle. The oil will penetrate the shaft of your hair and moisturize.
If you are trying to treat your entire head you will need about 1/4C of oil. Massage it into your scalp and wrap your hair in a shower cap and allow the oil to soak in for 15 minutes. You will only need to use this treatment once a week or less for best results.
To rinse its suggested you use a wide toothed comb first to make post shower combing easier. After you rinse out the oil you may need to shampoo rigorously twice in order to get the oil out.
2.Eat a Balanced Diet
A diet loaded with foods like fruits and vegetables will help add benefits for your hair. Eating healthier will add vitamins A and C, Iron and Biotin to your body which is important for strong healthy hair.
Also it is important to drink enough water, this will help hydrate your skin and scalp making your hair healthier.
3.Focus on the Tips of Your Hair
Applying conditioner is a lot different then applying shampoo. The majority of us want to treat it the same way. When using conditioner you should start at the tip and massage it into the hair and eventually work upward.
4.Change Up Your Hair Care Routine
Hair products work a lot like exercise routines. If you do the same thing every day, your body will get used to the routine and it will not have as much of an impact on your body as if you were to switch up the workout.
Hair Products work the same way after using the same conditioner the conditioner will stop working in the same way. Once your hair starts to feel more moisturized you need to change the product to match the current state of your hair.
5.PROTECT! PROTECT! PROTECT!
If you are a constant hair damaging criminal and are used to blow-drying or using heat products daily, make sure you are using heat protectant products.
These will create a barrier between the heat and the hair cuticle. Most brands make a heat protectant, so choose your favorite and be sure to always apply before using heat: CHI, Bedhead, TREsemme & Moroccan Oil make highly rated heat protectants.
6.Choosing the Right Brush
This is a big one. We’ve all been there, staring at the endless amounts of hair brushes trying to figure out which is not going to snag our hair. There are a variety of brushes made for every texture, thickness and current state of your hair.
Tan Mujiang uses wooden bristle in order to cater to all hair types. The bristles are porous in order to evenly distribute natural oils throughout your hair without snagging your hair.
A wide tooth combs perfect for your wet hair, they will be less aggressive on vulnerable hair. Wooden hair brushes are perfect for smoothly brushing through dry or damp hair.
7.Clarifying Shampoo
Clarifying Shampoo is a lifesaver. If you are a lover of products your roots more than likely have a lot of build up. This causes your roots to feel oily while the rest of your hair may feel dry due to the damage.
A clarifying shampoo when massaged throughout your scalp and hair will break up the build up and leave your hair feeling clean and soft.
8.Hair Masks
If you are suffering from dry hair a hair mask will help rehydrate your damaged hair. Most masks require 3-45 minute sit time depending on the product. Using a mask helps incorporate more protein into your hair which will strengthen your hair.
9.Trim the Damage
If you can feel your hair being brittle or straw like, it is imperative that you get a trim before you try to restore it to health. You do not need to chop off 6 inches of your hair to achieve this, just trim the damaged edges or trim up layers to get rid of damage.
10.Sulfate Free Shampoo and Conditioner
When picking out the perfect shampoo to heal your hair look for the more natural shampoos. These will exclude harsh chemicals like sulfates which are known to cause severe damage to color treated hair especially. They strip the moisture that your hair needs to remain healthy.
Bonus Tip!!!
Use hair oils & serum! Many hair companies make a penetrative hair oil that will help restore your hair. A little will go a long way with these oils. Apply it to your scalp and to the tips of your hair in order to keep your hair shiny and luxurious.
While you can’t turn back time for your hair’s health, you definitely can help try to limit uses of heat, chemicals and over all drying out your hair.