Damaged Hair

Hair damage is a common problem for many people, but not all hair damage is the same. Identifying the kinds of hair damage will help you better by tailoring your hair care routine to resolve issues in your locks on a more severe level. Let’s have a closer look at five common types of damaged hair and how to treat them.

1. Split Ends

When the protective outermost layer of your hair, known as the cuticle, gets damaged and wears away, splitting of the hair strand occurs. It is mostly caused by excessive styling with heat, chemical treatments, or mechanical damage from forceful brushing or combing.

How to Treat:

  • Regular Trims: Probably the most effective method for limiting split ends is by keeping your hair regularly trimmed. Cutting off all the damaged ends will prevent the split from travelling further up the strand of your hair.
  • Conditioning Treatments: Deep conditioning treatments rehydrate and firm the hair, and it will also prevent splitting. Look for products with keratin, oils, and proteins.
  • Heat Protection: Don’t forget to shield your hair from high temperatures using heat-protecting spray when using heat appliances.

2. Breakage

Hair breakage is when the fibers in the hair weaken and break, usually in the middle. This could be due to mechanical damage from combing and styling or even environmental factors, such as sunlight and air pollution.

How to Treat It:

  • Mild Combing: Use a comb with wide teeth or your hairbrush with soft bristles. Gently comb through your locks, starting from the ends and going up.
  • Strengthening Products: Use strengthening shampoos and conditioners. Shampoos and conditioners that contain biotin, amino acids, or silk proteins can provide that extra support and help your hair to be more fortified with strength.
  • Avoid Over-Styling: Cut down on using too many hair-damaging hot-styling and tightly-styled hairstyles that stress your hair. Air drying is the best option.

3. Dryness

Dry hair refers to hair that does not have an adequate amount of moisture on the inside and feels rough and dull. A few factors contribute toward drying, including over-shampooing, using harsh shampoos, and air with a low humidity level.

How to Treat It:

  • Moisturizing Shampoos and Conditioners: Sulfate-free shampoos can help moisturize the hair and avoid stripping its natural oils. Some key ingredients to look for are glycerin and shea butter.
  • Deep Hydrating Masks: A mask that conditions in-depth for one week or hair oils can really improve moisture. Argan oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil are some nice ingredients.
  • Avoid Over-Washing: Over-washing can result in washing out the necessary natural oils from the hair. Avoid washing your hair everyday with harsh shampoo. If the hair is washed 2 to 3 times a week, it is believed to give the necessary amount of balance in moisture.

4. Frizz

Frizzy hair happens when your hair looks fuzzy because it doesn’t have enough moisture or because the outside layer of the hair gets damaged and raises up, making it rough.

How To Treat It:

  • Anti-Frizz Products: Apply hair serum or a leave-in conditioner that smooths the hair cuticle. Such products are generally those containing silicones or natural oils, which have the power of sealing hair with moisture.
  • Humidity Control: Frizzy hair can be accentuated in highly humid environments. Use anti-humidity sprays to help control it, or wear a hat or protect the hair with a scarf if you’re in extreme humidity.
  • Avoid Heat: Excessive heat will increase frizz. Let your hair dry naturally as much as possible and use a blow dryer with a diffuser and keep the temperature low.

5. Chemical Damage

Damage caused by chemicals can come from hair dye, perms, relaxers or basically anything you can use on your hair that is a chemical process of some kind. These kinds of treatments weaken the hair structure and make it more prone to breakage and dryness.

How To Treat It:

  • Restoring Treatments: Repair with restorative treatments made up of chemically treated hair repair and strengthening ingredients. Ingredients like keratin and panthenol rebuild and firm worn strands.
  • Do Not Over Process: Avoid frequent chemical treatment for your hair. Let your locks recover within intervals, and always follow the dosages prescribed by the manufacturer.
  • Professional Care: If your hair is extremely damaged, you should seek professional help. They will give personalized treatments that may include deep conditioning or bond-repair treatments.

General Advice for Everyone for Any Type of Damage

To keep your hair healthy and promote hair growth, eat foods rich in vitamins and minerals, like omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, and antioxidants. Avoid hairstyles that are too tight to prevent hair breakage and stress. Protective hairstyles help reduce damage from daily activities and the environment. You can also consider using a hair growth treatment to further support the health of your hair.

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