Let’s be honest. We’ve all done it or had it done to us… tried going platinum and swearing up and down that our hair color was natural, getting chemical service after chemical service, turning the flat iron up as high as hot as possible to get it done faster. Whatever it may be, we’ve all been in a situation where our hair is much more damaged than it should be. And well, if you’ve never been in that situation.. where is your sense of adventure!? But really, God bless you, because the rest of us are addicted to the hair color change.
So your hair is damaged, or has been, and there’s gotta be a way to fix it, right? YES. I am going to share all my best tips and tricks to help you get shiny, beautiful hair again.
I’m going to start with the thing you don’t want to hear. You need to cut your hair. “But my husband likes it long…” “I only want a half an inch off.” GIRL. Your three hairs at the bottom don’t equal length. We both want you to have full hair from scalp to ends and that hair is just going to keep breaking off until it’s cut off above the split end/where it’s breaking. The first step to reviving damaged hair is cutting off as much of the damage as possible.
Haircut
I’m going to start with the thing you don’t want to hear. You need to cut your hair. “But my husband likes it long…” “I only want a half an inch off.” GIRL. Your three hairs at the bottom don’t equal length.
We both want you to have full hair from scalp to ends and that hair is just going to keep breaking off until it’s cut off above the split end/where it’s breaking. The first step to reviving damaged hair is cutting off as much of the damage as possible.
Brazilian Blowout
I realize though that there's realistically probably more damage than you want to cut off so this one is for you. After you’ve gotten your hair cut, I would highly recommend a treatment such as Brazilian Blowout. Sounds counterintuitive because it’s technically a chemical service but it actually works to your benefit. It seals down the cuticle with amino acids (the teeny tiny building blocks of protein) and conditioning agents. This is key because our hair needs a balanced amount of both protein and moisture. It lasts 12 weeks and protects your hair from environmental damage and makes your hair easier to style, which means you can use lower heat while styling which in turn, equals less damage. Win-win-win!
Lay Off the Heat
Hot tools are not a healthy hair's friend.
I mentioned earlier the high heat hot tools. Turn your flat iron/curling iron down. I know, I struggle with this too and for those of us with fine hair that doesn’t hold much of a curl, it’s hard to not be tempted to turn the iron up as hot as it can go to get the most curl out of it, but all this is doing is cooking your hair. Instead, try using a hot tool spray that has a good hold. One of my favorites is Kenra Thermal Styling Spray. It has the strongest hold I’ve ever seen from a hot tool spray and you just spray it in while your hair is damp and it provides heat protection, which is a must.
Use Quality Shampoo & Conditioner
If a haircut is the foundation to your color, then your shampoo and conditioner is the foundation to your everyday hair routine. High quality shampoo and conditioner are always best but particularly important when you have damaged hair because they are formulated to help replace nutrients, protein, and moisture that was removed when your hair was chemically processed. I know that the drugstore shampoo you have in your shower says it’s for colored hair but it’s not the same as professional shampoo straight from your stylist. (I say from your stylist because Amazon is not the place to buy your hair products and if you want to learn more about why, you can check out my post about it here.) Even though drugstore products are commonly made by the same companies that make professional products, there’s a reason for the price difference. Drugstore products have cheap ingredients and less conditioning agents and instead tend to have more fillers, water, and sulphates with less oils and vitamins & minerals than salon formulas. Long story short, buy what your stylist recommends for you because they understand the science of shampoo and conditioner and are recommending for your benefit. However, if you want to learn more about the difference between drugstore vs professional shampoo and conditioner for yourself, you can read my post about that here.
On that note, using a deep conditioner regularly can do wonders for your hair. My current favorite is Loma's Deep Conditioner. Adding a deep conditioner to your hair routine once a week gives you intense hydration that’s not possible from a daily conditioner. You can learn more about the difference between a daily conditioner and a deep conditioner here.
Styling Products
Speaking of products, using the right styling products is important as well. This includes heat protectants, oils, mousses, etc. You want to stay away from products with parabens and silicones. These just coat the hair and give you the feeling of soft and hydrated hair but actually just create a build up on the hair versus hydrating from the inside out. I mentioned heat protection already but even if you don’t need the extra hold, a high temp heat protectant is vital. One of my favorites that’s super easy to use is Paul Mitchell’s Hot Off the Press. It’s an aerosol so it’s easy to get a light mist over every hair.
Microfiber Towel
Last, but definitely not least, is using a microfiber towel instead of a terry towel. Basically it’s gentler on your hair and soaks up water faster than your regular bath towel. (You can read about it in detail here.)
You have probably guessed by now that any way you can be gentler on your fragile locks, the better.
So now you know all my best tips and tricks for reviving your damaged hair. While I firmly believe in taking the utmost care to protect the integrity of your hair and practice this in every hair service, I can’t control your hot tool temps (but I CAN inform you!) or how other stylists approach your hair services so I want you to be the best prepared for taking care of your hair outside of my chair and having all the right tools that you need.
Cheers to healthier hair!