If your hair is permed, dyed, bleached or just blown out, you need a treatment that will heal and strengthen your locks, stop breakage and return your natural shine. Unfortunately, some damage can't be reversed: once your hair strand splits and breaks, it never fully heals. However, you can stop damage from spreading, and help your hair's inner beauty shine through, by following some basic guidelines of hair treatment.
Hair Structure and Damage
Your head has about 100,000 hairs, each of which is covered by a protective layer. This layer, called the cuticle, is what makes your hair smooth and shiny. According to TeensHealth by Nemours, the cuticle is composed of scales that overlap tightly. When it becomes damaged, "the scales may separate and hair can become dry." When the cuticle begins to split, the entire strand can break and look dull. Once this happens, your best recourse is to control any split ends while protecting the cuticle and strand from further damage.
Effects of Chemical Treatments
TeensHealth from Nemours states that chemical treatments can have serious effects on your hair, and should always be left to professionals. Chemical relaxers and perms work by "breaking chemical bonds." They can cause skin irritation and hair breakage, even when used properly. According to an article in Skin Biology, relaxers and straighteners cause irreversible damage to the cuticle, and in extreme cases may cause hair to fall out. Once hair has been chemically treated, it must be conditioned regularly and given careful treatment to avoid continued damage.
Washing and Conditioning Damaged Hair
Cosmetic science blog "The Beauty Brains" recommends washing dry and damaged hair only once or twice per week. In addition, try to shampoo only the roots. Avoid piling your hair on top of your head, where it can tangle and break. Every time you wash your hair, use a conditioner or cream rinse. For very dry hair, consider using a leave-in conditioner to protect your hair strand between washings. The Beauty Brains even recommend oiling the ends of your hair with a small amount of olive or palm oil.
Drying and Styling
Chemically treated hair is weak and susceptible to breakage. Unfortunately, blow dryers and other heated styling products can increase damage. If you've got chemically damaged hair and are using a blow dryer or hair iron, you're hurting your hair every time you style it. To stop the damage, change your routine: air dry your hair, or find a safer way to style it. Watch out for your hairbrush, too: try a wide-toothed comb, which is less likely to tear your hair. "The Beauty Brains" notes that you should never comb your hair while wet: it stretches the strand, causing even more breakage.
Maintenance
The best way to help your hair heal is to stop chemical treatments. According to CNN's "Guide to Healthy Hair," consecutive chemical treatments like bleach jobs or relaxers "harm hair shafts beyond repair." If you've got a chemical addiction, make sure you have a professional do your hair treatments. "The Beauty Brains" also recommends regular trims and even reconsidering your hairstyle. Have any split ends cut off every six weeks, and try to find a style that won't get caught under coat collars and backpack straps.
Member Comments