How to repair damaged hair
Damaged hair is dull, dry and difficult to style. It also feels a bit rough. When you suffer from damaged hair, you naturally want to get rid of it as soon as possible. The best solution is a drastic haircut, but this is probably not what you want. With some adjustments in your daily routine and proper care, you can repair your damaged hair.
Causes of damaged and dry hair
The most common causes of damaged hair are the use of heat products such as hair dryers and styling irons. But special treatments such as dyeing, perm or decolouring can also damage your hair considerably. Causes that may be less well known but can certainly damage hair are:
- Washing your hair too often with an (aggressive) shampoo
- Wearing your hair in a tight ponytail or braid
- Brushing and combing or backcombing your hair too often
- Swimming in chlorine or seawater
- A lack of vitamin A
This is what damaged hair looks like
The structure of damaged hair is different from healthy hair. In healthy hair, the hair cuticles lie on top of each other like roof tiles, protecting the inner part of the hair. This part makes your hair strong and elastic. In damaged hair, the hair cuticles are damaged and open, so to speak. As a result, the inner part is no longer protected and your hair loses strength and vitality.
Repairing dry and damaged hair
Now that you know what causes dry hair, you also know what you can do to prevent damaged hair. However, we have a few more tips to repair damaged hair:
- Treat your hair with a serum. If you use heat products to style your hair, make sure the serum contains heat protectors like our Argan Silk (or even better: limit the use of heat products).
- Condition your hair with a hair mask.
- Limit chemical treatments and dye your hair with an ammonia-free hair dye.
- Wash your hair with a mild shampoo without SLS.
- Use a conditioner to close your hair cuticles.
- Rinse your hair with cold water after washing (also helps to close your cuticles).
- Dab your hair dry after washing, so don't rub it.
- Sleep on a satin pillowcase, this gives less friction and is therefore better for your hair.
- Your scalp and hair need sebum to stay healthy and flexible. Vitamin A is what drives your sebum production. Carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, oranges and tangerines are high in vitamin A.
Dyeing dry and damaged hair
Do you have dry, porous or damaged hair and want to dye it? Then be careful with the colour. Dry and damaged hair absorbs the pigment from the hair dye and often makes the colour turn out much darker than expected. Sometimes up to 3 colour levels darker! So be sure to go one colour level lighter. Also, don't forget to add our Colour Mask to your dye. This will repair your dry, damaged hair during dyeing.
