If you use a lot of hot tools on your hair, like myself, you’ll probably notice signs of hair damage and heat damage whenever you’re styling your hair.
When you’re dealing with damaged hair, it can leave your hair brittle, dull and frizzy thanks to the split ends.
There are so many haircare products that claim to fix damaged hair, but can damaged hair be repaired? Or is the only option having the damaged hair cut off? Keep on reading to find out…
What Are The Most Common Causes Of Hair Damage?
We all know how damaging heat styling tools like straighteners, curling irons and straightening brushes can damage your hair.
The high temperatures erode the hair’s cuticle, which just ends up causing brittleness and split ends – even if you use proper heat protection spray.
You could also be causing mechanical hair damage from rough brushing or tight hairstyles, which will give you hair breakage and frizz too.
Hair Heat Damage
When it comes to hair heat damage, using hot tools frequently is a major culprit – even if it’s just your hairdryer.
Without using proper thermal protection products like heat protection sprays or serums, your heat styling will lead to moisture loss, give you brittle hair, that’ll feel straw-like.
Over time, this damage will end up giving you visible split ends and excessive dryness.
Using high temperatures on your hot tools will strip essential oils from your hair, making your hair more frizz-prone and tangly.
If you use your heat styling tools on high settings, you’ll end up reducing your hair’s elasticity and increase the chance of further breakage.
Hair Mechanical Damage
We all know about heat damage, but did you know that just brushing your hair can cause hair damage?
Brushing your hair with metal brushes or rough combs, can lead to breakage and split ends.
When you sleep, a typical cotton pillow case causes friction when you move during the night, which just adds to the damage and tangles.
It’s also important to consider which hairstyles you’re doing on the regular.
Tight hairstyles like ponytails will pull on your roots, which, over time, can lead to traction alopecia and weakening the hair shaft.
I definitely have thinner hair above my temples, as I typically like to wear my hair in a messy bun, and my hair doesn’t love me for it.
How To Tell If You Have Hair Damage
You need to check your hair texture and moisture levels.
Damaged hair often feels brittle or straw-like, which would suggest you’re dealing with moisture loss.
1. Scalp condition and hair thinning: Increased hair loss or a wider parting (than you had previously) can suggest you’re dealing with scalp damage. You need to keep your scalp health, to encourage healthy, strong hair growth.
2. Split ends and shine assessment: Look for frayed split-end ends and a lack of shine. Frequent split ends could mean you have a compromised hair cuticle, and dull hair can mean your hair is in an unhealthy condition. If your hair doesn’t reflect light with mirror-like shine, it could be lacking essential moisture.
3. Difficult to manage: Are you struggling with tangles and frizz? Having raised cuticles can cause these issues, and, if your hair is hard to manage, it’s likely damaged.
Can Damaged Hair Be Repaired?
While you can’t completely reverse damage to the hair’s cortex, there are things we can do to improve its appearance.
Popular hair expert recommended bond building treatments, like Olaplex No. 3, work wonders by helping to restore structural integrity to your hair, and repairing broken disulfide bonds.
Remember to have regular trims and haircuts between every six to eight week, as this will help to remove any obvious split ends, but also stop further hair damage to those already damaged strands.
To boost moisture retention with your hair, use hydrating shampoo and conditioner formulas, that are specifically designed for damaged hair.
By doing this, you’ll not only make your hair look better, but it’ll help improve the hair’s overall health too.
It’s not the most exciting thing to talk about, but a balanced diet is also helpful in improving the health of your hair.
Ensure you’re having nutrients like biotin and iron, as they are both essential for strengthening your hair and fortifying them against future damage.
Top Tips On How To Prevent Hair Damage
There are a few things we can do to prevent future hair damage:
1. Hair Dyeing Tips: If you want to dye your hair, look for a hair dye that is within three shades of your natural hair color, and avoid getting touch-ups to your roots before 8-10 weeks. By doing this, it’ll help minimize the chemical damage and helps your hair retain its natural strength.
2. Moisture Retention and UV Protection: Limit hair bleaching and always intensively moisturize with deep conditioning masks before any professional hair treatment. Never forget to use a specific hair UV protection product, as you need to shield your hair (and your scalp) from harmful rays. Always keep your hair (and scalp) hydrated, as it’ll help protect against dryness and brittleness.
3. Styling Tools & Frequency Washing: If you can’t avoid using hot tools on your hair, always use heat protection products, and try and lower the temperatures where possible. Try and space out your hair washing sessions, and opt for color-safe, moisturizing shampoos, as they’re going to help you maintain your hair’s natural oils.
