Dry Damaged Hair

There are many things that may cause dry damaged hair.
Believe it or not, it’s your daily routine that could be what's drying up and damaging your hair.

A few of the obvious culprits…

• Heat (irons, blow drying, curlers, heat lamps, etc.)
• U.V. Rays (Sun, lights, tanning beds)
• Mechanical Devices (combs, brushes, curling irons, etc.)
• Chemicals (color, perms, relaxers, pool chemicals, etc.)
• Poor Diet (specifically-lack of proteins and essential fatty acids).

Prevention…

There are a number of things one can do to help prevent dry damaged hair.

• Use a “Thermal Protector” when apply heat to the hair.
• Avoid completely blow-drying your hair. Leave a little bit of moisture in.
• Stick with conditioners that include U.V. protectors in their ingredients.
• Use a wide toothed comb, never a brush, on wet or damp hair.
• When brushing dry hair, always start at the ends and work your way up.
• Thoroughly wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo and conditioner after a swim.
• If you do have to blow-dry your hair, try not to keep it at the hottest setting. Medium to cool setting is safer.
• Avoid perms and coloring, as well as relaxers. These treatments cause dry damaged hair. However, if you must color or perm your hair, discuss your options with your stylist. Try to use a low ammonia-low peroxide color. Do not leave the neutralizer on too long with perms. Maybe they can use a mild solution. Oh yeah, try and keep it to a minimum, your hair will thank you.
• Eat healthy! Besides for the obvious reasons, protein enriched foods such as, chicken, fish, and nuts, are great for healthy hair too.

Solutions for Dry Damaged Hair…

It's never too late to start. Stimulating dry damaged hair and restoring it to a more healthy state, is not going to happen over night.
Assistance from your stylist and an optimistic attitude is what’s going to bring your hair back to life!

• Hair supplements will give your hair the vitamins it needs to heal.
• In most cases, if you have dry damaged hair, you need to visit your stylist for a cut. Getting trims on a routinely basis is the best way to rid you of damaged hair. For long hair, cut the ends every 2-3 weeks to remove and prevent split ends.
• Shampoo and Conditioner. A mild shampoo and conditioner is best when your hair is damaged. Ingredients like Vitamin B5, protein extracts, such as, collagen and amino acids are known to diffuse hair and improve moisture.
• Avoid anything that may heat up your hair when it is already damaged. However the reality is, it’s hard to do. So, if you must, use a diffuser. Stay on the lowest setting possible as well. If you need to curl your hair, avoid hot rollers. A curling iron is better for dry damaged hair.
• Gently brush your hair. Brushes should have widely spaced bristles to prevent dry damaged hair. Use a brush with bristles that are smooth, ball-tipped, coarse and bendable.
• Use acidifiers. They close the cuticle down and lock in moisture.
• Use a low pH shampoo to keep the moisture in.
• Deep protein conditioning helps in adding strength to the hair shaft.

In today’s fast paced world, it is impossible to avoid the use of damaging treatments and harsh chemicals in your hair. With the right consistent care and treatments, you can keep your hair happy, healthy and shiny.