Can Damaged Hair Be Repaired?

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Did you notice your hair gets tangled, frizzy, always dry, or your hair routine isn’t doing anything reasonable again, frequent breakage, lacks luster, and split ends?

Well, all these are a sure sign that your hair is damaged and needs repair.

But can damaged hair be repaired?

The answer is Yes and No. Damaged hair can be partially repaired over time using the proper treatment method. But because hair damage is irreversible, the hair strands tend to go back to it’s damaged state once repairing measures stop.

The only guaranteed way to repair damaged hair permanently is to cut off the damaged hair and grow it back.

5 Ways You Are Damaging Your Hair and How to Repair

Hair damage can come from even the minor treatments and care given to the hair.

It’s high time we all throw away ignorance and find the cause of our problems, ways to solve and overcome permanently.

“To tell if your hair is damaged, pull out a strand, run your fingernail from root to end (like you are curling a ribbon), get a glass of water, and drop the strand inside— check and see if it uncurls. If it doesn’t, then know that your hair has lost elasticity.” – McMaster.

Here are ways you are damaging your hair and how to repair it;

1. Bleaching Hair

Of all hair treatment and care techniques in the universe, bleaching is the most damaging.

It is an irreversible chemical reaction that involves dissolving the melanin responsible for hair’s color.

The bleaching process opens the hair shaft and cuticle through oxidation, making bleach reach the inner part of the hair; this will then make the hair fragile and easily prone to damage.

Wondering what bleach-damaged hair feels or look-like?

Here are some features of bleach damaged hair you should take note of;

split ends, inelastic and uneasy to manage hair, dry, porous, frizzy, brittle, and fragile.

Mind you, no successful bleaching process goes without damage.

However, the level of damage to be expected depends on the level of transformation to be done and expertise.

So if you are going from black to white automatically, I advise you to change your mind now and take it gradually, or else the result will not be appealing.

How To Repair

In some parts of the world, salon hair treatment cost is way too pricey that not everyone can afford.

But If you have a sufficient budget, I recommend you receive professional treatments for damaged hair.

However, you can still try other DIY repair masks like:

– Using a mixture of coconut oil, almond oil, and olive oil

All these oil works effectively for hair care, growth, and treatment. Now combine the three oil forces and see the outcome.

Here’s how to use these plant-based oils to repair damaged hair.

• Mix the three oils equally and make sure it’s enough for the full hair.
• Apply and massage, starting from the roots to the tip.
• Cover your hair with a shower cap for 20-30 minutes.
• After that, rinse it off with shampoo designed for colored hair.

You can as well replace olive oil or almond oil with Shea butter.

– Full Fat Yogurt, Honey, and Egg

Jet and Ryhs (professional hairstylists at JetRyhn) said; egg yolk mixed with full-fat yogurt and pure honey repairs damaged hair.

You can call this a protein hair mask. You can do this as well after trying out the oil masks; it all depends on you.

Here’s how to use yogurt, honey, and egg to repair damaged hair.

• Mix yogurt, egg yolk, and honey very well. Just make sure it enough for your full hair (you can still use this quantity: 2 tablespoons of honey, half cup of yogurt, and one egg).
• Apply the concoction on your hair, starting from the roots to the ends.
• Cover it for like 30-50 minutes with a shower cap.
• Then rinse it off with shampoo (SLS-free shampoo).

-Use Mayonnaise Hair Mask

Initially, a mayonnaise hair mask was made for curly hair, but at a point, users found that it was very useful beyond caring for curly hair.

In the real state, mayonnaise mask is 89.9% oil, making it moisturize, shine, and soften hair effectively.

You can buy a ready-made mayonnaise mask from stores, or you do it yourself at home.

Whichever you choose, keep in mind that the primary ingredients are: egg, soybean oil, coconut oil, olive oil, and lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.

Here’s how to use mayonnaise treatment to repair damaged hair.

• Make your hair damp.
• Apply the mayonnaise mask and distribute it evenly to every area of your hair.
• Cover with a shower cap and leave it to sit for 15-25 minutes.
• Rinse it off with your regular gentle shampoo.
• Repeat the process twice a month for better results.

Also, there are other benefits of mayonnaise treatments you should know.

How To Reduce Further Damage

If you want to stop future damage, there are dos and don’ts you must follow.

• Avoid heat styling tools for some weeks.
• Moisturize and hydrate hair daily.
• Stay away from any chemical processing for some time because the less, the best.
• Embrace protective wear and hairstyles.
• Use shampoo and hair products made specifically for color-treated hair.
• Trim off damaged, split end regular, and visit the salon for a favorable haircut.

2. Over Washing and Brushing

Sometimes caring for hair can be very tricky.

At some point, you won’t know if what you are doing is wrong or right till you get the results, then boom.

The truth is that you can over brush and also over wash your hair. Experts confirmed that overbrushing could weaken hair follicles, which can cause hair loss or retarded hair growth.

The repairing won’t be complicated like others because the damage incurred during these actions or applications is not too severe.

The significant characteristics of hair damaged due to over brushing and over-shampooing include: splits end, dry hair, hair loss, uneven hair length, and many more.

How To Repair

There is no need to call for an alarm; let’s fix it with the most comfortable dos and don’t rule.

• Hydrate and moisturize hair daily.
• Embrace the habit of using leave-in conditioners and oil frequently.
• Visit your hairdresser for a nice haircut or trim the split ends yourself.

How To Stop Further Damage

To repair is the first; the next is to steer clear from actions that caused the damage initially.

Here’s how to stop hair from further damage.

• Don’t brush hair while it’s wet; only comb it if necessary.
• Don’t over brush hair again (four to five strokes is enough to detangle the hair)
• Use a wide-toothbrush.
• Wear protective hairstyles that can minimize your hair manipulation.
• Avoid brushing if your hair is curly.

3. Highlighting and Coloring

Just like bleaching, highlights and dye still have some damaging effects that can be severe when done wrongly. It is true that highlight damages hair.

However, I am not saying you should stop.

But, you should take the necessary precautions and steps to keep your hair healthy, bold, shiny, and hydrated.

And as usual, features of color-damaged hair include dry, frizzy, brittle hair with split ends.

How To Repair

– Coconut Oil Mask

Pure coconut oil is potent and effective on skin and hair issues.

Mixing it with other pure and organic products (soybean oil, egg, olive oil, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, and coconut oil) makes the ten thousand miles journey shorter. So;

Here’s how to use a coconut oil mask to repair color damaged hair:

• Mix the coconut oil with any of the oil, as mentioned above.
• Apply the mixture to your hair and massage, starting from the root to the tip.
• After that, cover hair with a shower cap for like 20 minutes or more.
• Then rinse it off with shampoo made for colored hair.

How To Stop Further Damage

• Wash your hair with the appropriate shampoo.
• Trim off the split end.
• Hydrate hair as much as you can.
• Avoid or minimize heat styling.
• Use a leave-in conditioner that contains UV protection (this protects your hair from future damage from the sun)
• Give the hair more than enough time before coloring again.

4. Heat Styling

It’s not new that flat irons, heat dryers, curling iron, and other styling tools that use heat to work can damage hair.

Want to know what heat-damaged hair looks and feels like?

Heat-damaged hair often looks and feels dry, burnt, coarse, and frizzy with split ends.

What you read above is not all; the signs may be more depending on your hair type, porosity, and level of damage done.

How to Repair

Although heat damage on hair is irreversible, few fixes can smooth and strengthen hair, making them look and feel like living again.

Here’s how to repair heat-damaged hair.

– Hot Oil Treatment Method

Hot oil treatment is one of the best treatment methods that help protect and strengthen the hair.

However, it is not ideal for people with over-sensitive skin and people who are allergic to some plant oils like olive oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, and coconut oil, which are the core ingredients.

So before you go for this method, ask your dermatologist if hot oil treatment will be fine on your scalp and skin.

Here’s how to use hot oil treatment on heat-damaged hair.

• Wash your hair thoroughly.
• Heat 6 tablespoons of any of the oil. Ensure it’s not too hot
• Dry hair with a clean towel or cloth, but try to leave it damp.
• Get rid of any knot with your Comb.
• Apply the warm oil and distribute it to every part of the hair.
• Cover hair with a shower cap for 30-40 minutes.
• Rinse the oil off with your shampoo.
• Then apply your conditioner.

You can do this twice a month, but if you have dehydrated and frizzy hair, I recommend you do it once a week.

The salon is another place to receive professional hot oil treatment; you can’t do it yourself at home.

For more detailed information on hot-oil treatment, check here.

How to Stop Further Damage

Notwithstanding the level of damage heat styling tools has done to your tresses, ditching out these styling tools is not always a better option because it’s part of beauty life.

So one thing is to minimize the use of these tools the others are to:

• Get a good haircut from a pro hairstylist that handles damaged hair.
• Embrace deep conditioning.
• Apply a heat protectant before using any heat styling tool.
• Lastly, always protect your hair from the sun.

5. Hairstyles and Extension

Many people do not know that some hairstyles, especially braid, can add uneasy pressure to the hair strands, edges, and scalp.

In case you aren’t aware, these hairstyles can cause splitting, follicle damage, and hair loss.

How To Repair

• Trim the split ends.
• Give your hair some time, so the damaged edges and hair regrow.

How To Stop Further Damage

• Keep hairstyle loose and simple.
• Discard any style or hair extension that adds severe pressure to your edge and strands.

Take Away

If you don’t want to be treating damaged hair weekly, go for keratin treatment.

Keratin treatment can last up to 6 weeks, depending on how you maintain your hair. The only downside of this treatment is that it’s pretty expensive.

If you are on a low budget, feel free to do it yourself at home.

Lastly, the best permanent treatment for damaged hair (though it takes time) is chopping it off and starting over again.

Now I will love to hear from you:

Did you find our article on can damaged hair be repaired helpful?

Or maybe you know other techniques that helped you treat your damaged hair, and you want to share with us.

Either way, do let me know by leaving a comment below right now.

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