5 Easy Ways to Undo Hair Damage
Posted in General on January 27th, 2010 by Nancy – Be the first to commentMost people tend to overlook the fundamentals of caring for their hair. Its true, wigs and extensions can remedy and conceal the problems with hair damage or loss, but having healthy hair shouldn’t be forgotten! Here, I’ve listed 5 simple tips applicable to your daily routine to help minimize as well as undo damage done.
1. Turn Down the Heat
Try towel-drying your hair completely before you set a dryer to it. Make sure you are patting your hair dry and not rubbing it. Before blowdrying, use a heat-protectie spray or leave-in conditioner. Use a diffuser to prevent friz and make sure the dryer is on a medium heat setting. It may take longer to dry at a lower heat, but your hair will thank you.
photo courtesy of allure.com
2. Shampoo Smartly
You dont necessarily have to skip shampooing everyday if your hair is on the oilier side, but you can shampoo more efficiently. Make sure your hair is drenched thoroughly before you lather up. Be sure to concentrate on the hair two inches from the scalp since that’s where the most oil buildup is. Don’t rinse with hot water. Rather, use lukewarm water or the coldest water you can stand. This will help smooth the cuticle and prevent split ends. Anti-breakage and hair strengthening products will also work well with this routine.
photo courtesy of allure.com
3. Gentle Blow-Dry
Aside from using lower heat when drying your hair, gentle blow drying can also help reduce damage. Many are guilty of stretching their hair with a brush while using their blow dryer are a high heat. The best thing to do is avoid overheating the hair and to keep the nozzle as far away from the hair as possible. Two inches is usually the norm. Be sure when brushing through while blow drying to use a brush with smooth synthetic bristles. Move the brush gently and slowly down instead of yanking. Think, gentle!
photo courtesy of allure.com
4. Straighten Gently
It’s a constant battle to fight frizz and get beautiful sleek hair. However, the straightening iron can do more harm than good in the long-run. Overexposure to the flat iron will destroy your hair. Don’t keep the flat iron in direct contact with the hair for more than 5 seconds. Try to not use the flatiron more than once a week. Irons with ceramic plates are helpful, however this does not mean they don’t damage the hair at all. If you plan to get your hair chemically straightened, opt for a Keratin treatment and avoid anything called “Brazilian straightening”. Brazilian straightening tends to contains high levels of formaldehyde–extremely dangerous for the body.
photo courtesey of allure.com
5. Mend your ends
This is critical to fend off split ends and seal your cuticles. Aside from using a decent leave-in conditioner, be sure to use a deep conditioning hair mask or deep conditioner once a week. This is different than a regular condition since the ingredients are more concentrated. If your hair has been color-treated, this extra conditioning is even more crucial. It’s even recommended by some stylists to use a deep conditioner overnight. Just be sure to place a towel over your pillow, your try wearing a shower cap over the conditioned hair in addition to the towel.
Hopefully these basic tips will help revive your hair over the next few weeks and prevent further damage and/or breakage. Remember to love your hair!
