Repair Damaged Hair With These Hair Care Tips From Pros
Here's exactly how to fix damaged hair, whether you had a bad dye job or just seem to lose chunks of hair for no reason.
We all want to have strong and heathy hair, but your strands go through a lot. There's drying, styling, coloring, straightening, plus the ripple effect of over-brushing and using hair ties that are too tight. Fortunately, there are small changes you can make to repair and strengthen your hair so it’s less susceptible to damage.
Simple things like shampooing your hair less frequently, allowing your tresses to air dry, and protecting your hair from the sun can all help prevent hair damage. And to make your hair (and your body) stronger and healthier, you also need to fuel yourself with food rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals. Learn more about what causes hair damage and how to get your hair looking and feeling better.
The Science of Hair Damage
"Everyone's strands are made up of proteins [keratin], which contain amino acids held together by three types of chains: disulfide, hydrogen, and ionic," says Mark Curry, the lead chemist at and co-founder of the beauty brand the Inkey List. These bonds vary in their sturdiness and, therefore, what can break them.
Hydrogen bonds are responsible for the shape of our strands — curly, wavy, straight — and are the most breakable, especially since you manipulate them when you style. Ionic bonds provide elasticity — they're easily severed by pH changes from shower water or a hair product with an unbalanced pH (pH isn't listed on labels, so it's hard to tell what might do harm). Disulfide bonds are the strongest and can be broken only by chemicals, like dyes.
When all these bonds are intact, hair is strong and shiny. But when aggressors — like bleach or heat — break them, hair is fragile, says Curry. It looks unhealthy, too. "It's dull and has ends that snap off or split," says Matt Rez, a celebrity hair colorist and Redken brand ambassador.
Types of Hair Damage & How to Fix Them
How do you fix damaged hair and broken bonds without giving up your highlights and daily hit of the curling iron? Here, experts talk you through the damage done and how you can get back that healthy shine.
Chemical Harm
When you alter your hair with chemicals like hair color with dye or bleach, or the texture with a perm solution or a relaxer, there is a chemical change within the strands' inner core, called the cortex. Do this too often or intensely, and you can cause major damage. The extreme option for how to fix damaged hair: Cut as much off as you can, and start fresh.
Or less drastic: "Get protein treatments at a salon or use protein-based products at home," says trichologist and colorist David Adams. "But it's a process. Expect a year to get strong, soft, and shiny hair again." Try Redken Extreme Anti-snap Leave-In Treatment (Buy It, $28, ulta.com), and once a week, consider applying a bond-building treatment, which has ingredients designed to rebind the atoms in the broken chain. Opt for Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector (Buy It, $30, ulta.com) to relink disulfide bonds.
Congested Scalp
A follicle typically has two or three hairs growing out of it. But when product builds up, follicles shrink, so you get only one or two. The biggest culprits: "Dry shampoo and root touch-up sprays," says Adams. "These sit on the scalp and can clog your hair follicles." As for how to fix damaged hair like this, Adams recommends exfoliating the scalp and using products with zinc, a building block of hair.
You can also clear clogged follicles and promote growth with a professional treatment like the HydraFacial Keravive, which extracts impurities and infuses the scalp with growth factors and protein.
Related: Scalp Scrubs Are the Missing Link In Your Hair-Care Routine
Heat Damage
It's tempting to turn up your curling iron to 450 degrees to get perfect waves fast. But unless you have very coarse, thick locks, that temperature can burn your hair's cuticle and cause breakage. So dial down to 200 degrees and work your way up if needed. Also, look for a protein-based shampoo. "Hair is made up of protein, so that's what it needs for repair," says Adams.
A revitalizing shampoo like Virtue Labs Recovery Shampoo (Buy It, $40, sephora.com) is a go-to solution when it comes to how to fix damaged hair. A weekly bond-building treatment can help fix heat-damaged hair, too. Try the Inkey List PCA Bond Repair Hair Treatment (Buy It, $14, theinkeylist.com). It has a compound that protects and reconnects all types of bonds.
Friction
Wet hair holds water and stretches. "Healthy hair can stretch three times its original length and then spring back," says Adams. "But an unhealthy strand breaks off when you stretch it with a towel, a brush, or an elastic band."
The solution for how to fix damaged hair like this: "Treat your hair like a fine fabric," says colorist Colleen Flaherty. After washing, wrap hair in an Aquis Flip Hair Drying Tool (Buy It, $50, amazon.com), a soft microfiber towel that wicks away water quickly. And swap tight elastics for a silk scrunchie like those from Slip (Buy It, $39 for 6, sephora.com).
Environmental Factors
Even if you don’t color or use hot tools on your hair, it’s still subject to an array of environmental hazards. UVA and UVB rays from the sun can dry your hair which can lead to split ends and brittleness. Hard water is also damaging — the minerals in the water can make it more difficult for your hair to absorb moisturizing shampoo and conditioning products.
And if you smoke, or are exposed to second-hand smoke, the DNA of your hair follicle may be damaged. Pollution in general is a real hair stressor. If you’re in an area with especially high pollution levels, particles can settle on your scalp and cause sensitivity which can ultimately lead to hair damage.
Related: Scalp Sunscreen Is a Sun Protection Step You Don't Wanna Skip
Common Hair Concerns
Whether you’re noticing dryness, frizz, split ends, or breakage, or your hair is dull or becoming thin, you need to understand the cause of these issues so you can get to the bottom of them. Here are some of the most common hair concerns, as well as the causes and treatments.
Split Ends
Since the oldest hair on your head is at the ends, it makes sense that this is where split ends occur. There are a number of causes, some are more obvious, like treating your hair with chemicals and using hot styling tools, but simply brushing your hair when it’s wet and wearing tight ponytails can also lead to split ends. Sadly, once the ends are split, there is nothing you can do to repair them. The best approach is a good trim because left untreated, split ends will continue to split and lead to breakage.
Dryness
Dry hair is the result of many factors. Exposure to the sun, swimming, and chemically treating your hair are all culprits. Your hair can also become dry from washing it too often or using harsh products to style your hair. Hot tools are also to blame for hair that feels dry.
One of the easiest things you can do to prevent dry hair is to shampoo less frequently. If you’re washing your hair every day, you’re robbing it of essential natural oils. Cut back to washing every other day or even every third day if your hair is especially dry. Don’t skimp on the conditioner though. Use conditioner every time you wash (and even between washings). As much as possible, try to limit your use of hot tools and chemical treatments until your hair is feeling less dry.
Related: The Best Conditioners for Dry Hair
Frizz
"When your hair is damaged, the cuticle opens up and strands tend to get caught on one another, causing frizz and tangles," says Peter Corvington, a hairstylist at Spoke & Weal in New York. How to fix damaged hair like this? Opt for a styling product that will seal the cuticle and protect it from further assaults, like Beachwaver Great Barrier Heat Protectant Hairspray (Buy It, $28 ulta.com). Also, avoid touching your hair, which can rough up the cuticle again, says Adams.
Breakage
Breakage occurs when hair becomes fragile. Some of the same stressors that cause other hair woes (overuse of hot tools, washing too frequently, and color treatments) can also lead to breakage. Another primary cause of hair breakage is brushing hair too vigorously or putting in a tight elastic when it’s wet.
While you can’t repair breakage, you can try to prevent it. Avoid blow drying, over-washing, and coloring your hair if possible. Make sure to use extra care when your hair is wet. Dry your hair gently and use a detangling brush or a wide-toothed comb to remove any knots, and use a leave-in conditioner for extra hydration.
Dullness
Think of your hair's outer layer (the cuticle) like a fish's scales. When they lie flat, they reflect light and look shiny. "If some of the cuticle's scales are missing or not lying down because of aggressors like drying, light can't bounce off evenly, and hair looks dull," says Adams. Wondering how to fix damaged hair in this condition? Smooth the cuticle with a leave-in like Aveda Nutriplenish Leave-In Conditioner (Buy It, $41, nordstrom.com). (Steal these pro tips to get that iconic "glass hair.")
Hair Loss
"When you're stressed, you might stop eating properly and skip exercise, and both of these deficiencies can lead to hair thinning," says Adams. Because of the hair's growth cycle, the loss may occur three months after a stressful event.
If you're wrapping a hair tie around your ponytail an extra time, "your first step is to reduce stress as much as possible and prioritize rest and good nutrition," says dermatologist Arash Akhavan, M.D. "It could take three months before you see any results." Unfortunately, there's no set answer on how to fix damaged hair here — just keep at those steps. (That said, you can give one of these shampoos for thinning hair a try.)
Holistic Approach to Hair Care
In addition to all of the products you can buy to treat your hair, the importance of a holistic approach to hair care cannot be overemphasized. One of the best natural ways to help your hair is by consuming a healthy diet. Choose foods that are rich in lean protein, omega-3 fatty acid, iron, biotin, and vitamins A and C.
You can also shampoo your hair less frequently so the natural oils on your scalp have an opportunity to moisturize the hair. Use pure coconut, olive, and jojoba oil to massage your scalp to release more of those healthy natural oils. If you're bothered by dry and brittle hair, make a nourishing DIY conditioning mask with ingredients from your kitchen. One of the best things you can do to keep split ends and dry, brittle hair at bay, is trim your hair frequently.
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