Severely damaged hair is typically dull, brittle and unmanageable. Hair is most often damaged by chemical processing, including coloring, perming and relaxing. While you cannot heal the damage to your hair, you can improve its strength and appearance with treatments designed for extremely damaged hair, including keratin based protein treatments and rich, moisturizing conditioners.
Types
Protein based hair treatments can temporarily repair the surface of the hair shaft, filling in the gaps in the cuticle caused by damage. Conditioners are oil or fat based, and add moisture to your dry and damaged hair. Some products combine both; however, you may find separate products are more effective on your severely damaged hair.
Time Frame
If your hair is in poor condition, use a deep conditioning treatment at home once or twice a week. Opt for a purchased treatment, or use olive oil or coconut oil to soften and add moisture to your hair. You can leave oil treatments on overnight for additional benefits. Heat may help make conditioning treatments more effective, according to DailyGlow.com. Protein treatments can be used once or twice a month on severely damaged hair, according to Long-Healthy-Hair-Advisor.com.
Considerations
If you have split ends or severely damaged hair, regular trims should be a part of your hair treatment process. DailyGlow.com recommends that you trim at least 1/2 inch every eight weeks. This will reduce breakage and gradually remove the worst of the damage from your hair, making it look healthier and bouncier.
Considerations
If you'd prefer not to buy hair treatments, you can make your own at home. Use egg whites, yolks or whole eggs as the basis for a home protein treatment. Follow this protein treatment with moisture from oil or avocado. The two may be combined, or you can opt for mayonnaise as an alternative that provides both oil and protein for shinier, healthier hair, according to DailyGlow.com. Wash homemade treatments out of your hair after 30 minutes to one hour, and avoid applying heat to any treatment made with egg.
Prevention/Solution
Gentle hair care is an essential part of treatment for damaged hair. Wash your hair only once a week to week and a half and condition generously. Condition your hair without shampoo in between washings to retain natural oils and keep your hair softer, suggests DailyGlow.com. Avoid chemical processing and heated styling tools to prevent further damage to your hair.
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