Does your hair feel dry and damaged? Have you been using a lot of chemicals in your hair recently, perhaps from coloring, relaxing, or other chemical treatments? If your hair has been stripped of its natural goodness, there are many things you can do to restore it. That is why we are here to tell you how to repair chemically damaged hair.
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How to Tell If Your Hair Is Chemically Damaged?
- Hair loss or shedding which could result in thinning or balding in certain areas.
- Hair that feels dry and brittle.
- Lack of moisture.
- Hair easily breaks, and split ends are visible.
- Hair is hard to detangle after it has been conditioned (matted hair).
- Itchy scalp.
- Hair looks dull and lacks natural shine.
- Lack of elasticity, if your hair snaps upon pulling when wet (protein deficiency).
How to Repair Chemically Damaged Hair at Home?
Use A Quality Shampoo With The Right Ingredients
The first step in repairing damaged hair is to ensure that you are using a good quality shampoo with the right ingredients. Choose a shampoo that is sulfate-free and has been formulated especially for damaged hair. This type of shampoo can be used if you wash your hair frequently.
Apply The Right Conditioner
Choose a conditioner that contains nourishing and strengthening ingredients; this will help to repair damaged hair. Conditioners that have been specifically designed for use on dry and damaged hair contain essential oils such as olive, coconut, or argan. These work amazingly well on hair that’s been chemically damaged. Use the conditioner on the tips and lower half of your hair strands.
Use Protein Hair Products
Try Hot Oil Treatments
- Increase hair strength.
- Reduce frizz.
- Reduce hair and scalp dryness.
- Helps replenish moisture and elasticity.
- Reduce split ends.
- Increase blood flow in the scalp, for enhanced hair health.
Apply a Leave-in Conditioner
Try Repairing Hair Masks
When a hair mask is applied to your hair’s strands, the formula will deeply penetrate your hair and begin repairing any damage. Hair masks continue to work after you’ve rinsed your hair.
If you decide to try a hair mask, look for one that contains natural ingredients and has been specifically designed for color-treated and dry hair.
Give Your Hair Time to Recover
To give your hair the best chance of recovering quickly, apply hair care treatments such as protein, leave-in conditioners, or hair masks twice a week. Don’t be in too much of a hurry for your hair to be repaired as it can take time, especially if your hair has suffered from severe chemical damage.
Using Oleplex No.3 To Repair Damaged Hair
Olaplex No. 3 has become a favorite among people who want to maintain their hair at the optimum condition when using chemical treatments. Treating hair using chemicals comes with more risks, which must be mitigated upon.
Besides helping your hair to achieve your desired color, Olaplex No. 3 helps make your hair healthier, stronger, and shinier. Additionally, this product helps take care of hair damage from previous treatments and protects against further damage.
Olaplex No.3 helps repair the hair’s disulfide bonds, which are shattered when hair is bleached. You can be able to bleach your hair as often as you wish, without experiencing hair damage or loss when you use it.
If you want to know more about Olaplex 3, then you can check out our review of Olaplex No. 3 hair perfector and its dupes.
How to Prevent Your Hair from Further Damage
Once your hair has been restored to its former condition, you’ll likely be looking for ways to prevent further damage. The following tips can help.
Use a heat protection hair spray or serum before blow-drying or straightening your hair
When your hair is exposed to heat every time during styling, this can cause damage. You can help avoid hair damage due to heat by using a heat protectant and being cautious about the amount of heat used.
Use lower heat settings when blow-drying or straitening your hair
Use lower heat settings when blow-drying or straitening your hair to keep it in good condition as heat is one of your hair’s worst enemies. Heat can weaken your hair, making it susceptible to split ends or breakage. Therefore, it’s a good idea to lower the temperature slightly when using tools or stop using hot tools entirely if you don’t want to damage your hair.
If you have fine hair, it is more likely to suffer from damage since its strands are naturally weak. You should avoid using a hairdryer with a heat setting above Medium if you have fine hair.
Consider buying a hair straightener for damaged hair and a professional hair dryer that have adjustable temperatures. Take note that even coarse hair can suffer from damage if you use too high temperatures.
You can also air-dry your hair instead of using a hairdryer and limit your use of straighteners and other styling tools.
Avoid using harsh chemicals
You could also avoid going to the swimming pool as chlorine can damage the condition of your hair.
Protect your hair from the sun
Prolonged exposure to the sun can be detrimental to your hair. Sun’s rays contain UVA and UVB light, which are capable of causing damage to the hair cuticle and other inner structures of a hair strand. Hair that is light-colored or that has been bleached is especially vulnerable to being damaged by the sun.
Signs of hair damage due to exposure to the sun include:
- Faded hair color.
- Frizzy hair.
- Weakened and thinning hair.
- Dry and brittle hair.
- Broken or split ends.
Treat your wet hair with care
Wet hair is more delicate to handle than dry hair since the structure of hair strands is altered. Handle your hair strands gently after you shower to help prevent breakage.
Hairstylists recommend that you wait until your hair is properly dry before you brush it. This is because wet hair is more brittle, and if you brush it, it can break more easily. Wet hair can also be overstretched, which will damage the entire hair shaft.
It is also vital to use the right products on your damp hair including leave-in conditioners, lightweight gels, UV-ray protectors, and volumizing sprays.
Eat a healthy diet
A healthy diet plays a vital role in ensuring you have healthy hair. Eat a balanced diet that contains protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. Make sure that you consume lots of healthy whole foods such as fruits and vegetables and whole grains.
Protein is vital in ensuring you have strong and healthy hair. Vitamins help protect against sun damage while iron promotes the growth of hair and protects against loss. Your scalp requires being healthy to avoid hair loss, which is why you should eat foods rich in selenium and zinc.
Drink plenty of water
Your body requires to be hydrated to support strong and healthy hair. Your hair cannot grow when you are dehydrated since mineral and vitamin absorption requires water. Additionally, taking plenty of water is key to preventing dandruff.
Sleep on a silk pillowcase
You can enhance the health of your hair by sleeping on a silk pillow. Silk pillowcases help to reduce frizz and keep your hair in good condition.
In addition, silk has a super smooth texture, which makes it possible for hair to glide over without any friction. When you sleep on a silk pillow, you are less likely to wake up with tangles and curly hair. Using a silk pillow helps preserve hairstyles like blowouts and braids for longer.
Trim Your Split Ends
Split ends make your hair look damaged, dull, and lifeless. Split ends also hinder the growth of your hair due to the development of ‘feathers’ at the tips. Trimming split ends will make your hair look even.
Hairdressers often recommend that you have your hair trimmed every six to eight weeks, but you can discuss it with your hairdresser to decide what’s right for your hair.
Conclusion: How to Repair Chemically Damaged Hair?
Unfortunately, you can’t go back in time and undo the damage that’s been done to your hair. But you can follow the above tips to repair your chemically damaged hair at home and then change your habits to help keep your hair in good condition. This way, you will not have to worry about how to have healthy and strong hair without having to spend a significant amount of money going to the salon.
If you haven’t seen any improvements after a few weeks, you may like to get a professional treatment at the hairdresser. You could also get an appointment with your doctor, who can check that you don’t have any underlying medical conditions. A dermatologist can also help you improve your hair’s condition, especially if you’re having problems with your scalp.
Hi, it’s Judy!