Chemically damaged hair can be a frustrating side effect of keeping up with your favourite hair colour trends. Add in the environment, heat styling, and the wear and tear of your everyday hair care routine and eventually it’s time to do something about the dry, sensitised state our strands are in. When hair damage catches up to you, it's important to have an arsenal of products, tips and tricks to help heal strands and bring your hair back to its healthiest feeling state.
It's very common to have heat damage, most people do. If you’ve ever lightened or coloured your hair, or had any other form of chemical treatment like a perm or relaxer, you’re likely dealing with chemically damaged hair. But it’s not just chemicals that cause damage to your hair; any kind of significant traction can lead to hair damage. Such as everyday styling like brushing your hair or putting it into a ponytail. Each of your hair strands has three layers. The inner layer is called the medulla, which is surrounded by the middle layer, the cortex. The outer layer is called the cuticle. The cuticle is the layer that protects your hair, and when it is damaged, your hair becomes fragile and can feel straw-like.
Photo by Cassell Ferere
Hair damage can show up as the following hair woes in order of least to most severe:
Strands that feel or look parched can be a cue that the cuticle, which locks moisture into hair, is damaged.
As the cuticle is further damaged or completely lost, the hair strand can start to fray, or split in pieces, at the ends or in other areas.
This occurs when a strand’s layers deteriorate enough to cause weak spots along the hair shaft where the strand fractures.
Severe damage that pulls on hair roots, from causes such as styling, can produce permanent follicle loss.
If you’re suffering from any of the hair headaches above, healthy hair might seem like a million miles away, but don’t fret! It’s possible to help salvage even the most chemically damaged hair with the right formulas and methods. Read on for our advice!
Photo by Cassell Ferere
Wash your hair less and condition it more!The natural oils from your scalp help to reduce damage so lather up only two to three times a week. Make sure to use a nourishing shampoo and moisturizing conditioner. And chemically damaged hair calls for a nourishing leave-in treatment to combat split ends. "One of my favourite regimens to recommend for my clients with chemically damaged hair is from the Naturaltech family. I have them cleanse with Nourishing Shampoo, restructure with Hair Building Pak, nourish with Vegetarian Miracle Maskand finish with Nourishing Keratin Sealer. The Biacidic Bond Complex in this family is magical."
A healthy scalp provides a healthy environment for new strands to grow. Cleansing your scalp with a purifying gel at least twice a week will keep it moisturised and can help prevent further damage.
Rinsing your hair with cool water after you wash seals the cuticle so that your hair looks healthy and shiny. Bring dry, frizzy hair back to life with a shot of cool water at the end of your next shower!
To make sure your thirsty strands are quenched and keep brittle hair at bay you need to incorporate a hair mask, at least weekly. A super-hydrating deep conditioning hair mask will leave your hair with newfound strength and shine.
Photo by Cassell Ferere
Even combing or brushing can cause breakage to your hair over time. Look for brushes or combs that are specifically designed to de-tangle hair gently.
Your hair is in its most fragile state when it's wet, making that the worst time to run a comb through it. Use your comb or brush to detangle your hair before washing, combing through the ends first and moving up to the roots.
Normal towels rough up the hair’s cuticle, causing the shingle-like coating of the hair shafts to lift up instead of lying flat, resulting in breakage and frizz. A microfibre towel absorbs excess water like a sponge, without damage.
It's never a good thing to apply too much heat to your strands but this is especially true if your hair has chemical damage. Adding heat to already compromised hair only results in further damage.
It’s unrealistic to think you won’t still need to heat-style (even occasionally) so it’s important to arm yourself with a few golden rules before grabbing for your hot tools.
Photo by Cassell Ferere
Removing split ends may seem counterproductive if you’re trying to stop hair from breaking, but it’s the only way to stop further damage on the weaker parts of the hair where damage is already present.
Sometimes the damage is so severe and the breakage is so obvious, you’ve just got to go with it. Ask your stylist to add some layers to disguise the damage. A choppy, layered cut will add movement, giving new life to damaged hair.
Hair ties made out of elastic can knot up your strands, pulling at them and breaking them as you style. Replace them with silk hair scrunchies. They work just as well and are kinder on your hair, plus they don't leave a dent in your hair the way an elastic hair tie does.
Diet plays an important role in keeping both your skin and hair healthy. Protein-rich foods sustain the growth, strength, and volume of the hair. Good fats like Omega-3s are also essential. Add things like eggs, salmon, walnuts and flax or chia seeds to your diet to help heal your damaged hair from the inside out.
A bond-building hair treatment is a mask or conditioner containing high levels of proteins to help repair the broken proteins in your hair, making strands stronger, and less likely to be damaged in the future.
Too much time in the sun can wreak havoc on your hair, if it’s not protected. The UV exposure can lead to a break down in the protein of your strands, causing breakage or even hair loss. Protect your hair the same way you do your skin before your next day in the sun by using a UV protection spray.
Oils are deeply moisturising and can replenish lost lipids in damaged strands. Hair oil adds shine and softness to chemically damaged hair while also detangling and fighting frizz, working especially well on coarse or dry hair. Run a few drops through your damp or dry hair, focussing on the ends.
You can tame the dryness and frizz associated with chemically damaged hair (including the damage from heat styling and everyday wear and tear) with a few hair hacks and quick fixes, including usingproducts for damaged hair.
by Jaclyn LaBadia, featured contributor
cover photo by Cassell Ferere
