How to fix dry, damaged hair without cutting it? Let's be honest: it's quite easy to damage your locks with heat styling tools. Once damaged, your hair becomes dull, weak, and prone to breakages.
What if you've damaged your hair but want to avoid cutting it all off? To achieve a healthier look, your hair stylist may advise you to cut damaged hair and split ends. But, if you've always dreamed of long hair, this might not be what you want to hear. The best way to avoid the dreaded chop is to prevent damaging your hair in the first place.
Here are our tips for looking after your locks:
- Pay attention to shampoos with gentle, sulphate-free cleansing formulas.
- Don't rub your hair while washing. Instead, gently massage your roots with shampoo foam, letting it drain to your ends.
- Never skip the hair conditioning step.
- After washing, rinse your hair with cool water. This will help to smooth your hair's cuticles and give it an extra shine.
- Instead of using your regular towel on your hair, wipe off water with a cotton or microfiber cloth. This will tame frizz and avoid further hair damage.
- Wet hair is more prone to damage, so only ever brush dry locks. Use a brush that has delicate and soft bristles, detangling carefully from roots to ends.
- Use leave-in hair products to intensively moisturise damaged hair strands and dry ends.
- Try using hair oils - they can give your hair shine and restore your locks.
- Remember that keratin hair treatments are not a cure for damaged hair. Although they can smoothen your locks, they can also encourage hair breakage.
- Deeply nourish your hair with masks at least 2-3 times a week.
- Protect your hair with SPF products when going out into direct sunlight.
- Opt for non-heat hairstyles and forgo your curler and straightener for a while.
- If you must use a blow dryer, use the cool air supply function to avoid heat damage. And, if using heat styling tools, don't forget to first apply heat protectants to your hair.
- Take a break from bleaching and colouring damaged hair, until you restore it to a healthy state.
- When restoring damaged hair, keep an eye on your diet, ensuring you consume enough protein and vitamins.
- Extensions and tight hairstyles on damaged hair are an absolute no-no.