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Hair damage is a common problem now around the world due to medical or other reasons, and we cannot avoid it in any way. Because hair damage is easily conspicuous, and it ruins our overall good look. If your hair is damaged and you want to beautify your other body parts, that will not be effective for you because your hair’s beauty will not be matched with your other body parts.
That’s why you should not avoid hair damage and try your best to repair damaged hair at any cost. Today, I am going to show you how you can repair damaged hair no matter what type of damage you’re facing. It does not matter how long you’re facing hair damage or what’s the cause of it. Surely you will be able to repair your damaged hair if you follow some tips. Let’s see!
Hair damage: what does it mean and what are the causes behind it?
Actually, hair damage indicates the alteration of hair structure, and as a result of such alteration, hair is weakened and seems dry or unhealthy. Some people think that split ends are the only sign of damaged hair. It is true that it is one of the signs, but there are some other signs like excessive tangling, texture like brittle, or something like that. If you don’t cure damaged hair when it is showing its sign primarily, then the condition of your hair will surely be worsened. So, if you see any unusual signs in your hair, then you should not leave it. You should try as best as you can to fix the issue immediately.
There are so many causes of hair damage, not only from unhealthy lifestyles but also from some medical conditions you may face hair damage. Even it may be the cause of hormonal change, heredity, and it may be with the increase in your age. If your hair damage is the result of any such medical conditions, then it will be a bit difficult to repair the damage, but it’s possible.
There are some other causes of hair damage, and most of the hair damage cases are due to these causes, such as humidity, hair styling with heat, excessive sun exposure, or something like that. Depending on these reasons, hair experts classify hair damage into several classes like chemical damage, sun damage, and mechanical damage, or so. But what were the causes behind damaged hair, surely you will be able to repair your damaged hair by following some ordinary ways, and that will not be so difficult for you, too.
How to repair different types of damaged hair?
There are so many causes of hair damage, and there are different signs, and depending on all these, there are some types of hair damage. In this stage, I will show you how you can repair different types of hair damage without doing anything harmful to your hair.
- Split ends- separate strands at the end
- Heat damage – frayed or frizzy hair
- Chemical damage- unruly and dry hair
- Sun damage- dull and breakage-prone hair
- Mechanical damage- hair tugging, tearing or pulling
- Caused by hard water- hair follicles damage, dry hair, or hair thinning
1. Split ends- separate strands at the end
Split ends are such hair damage that is common around the world now. When split ends happen, then at the end of your hair, you will see separate strands. When split ends cause, your hair may be split into different branches, just like the root of a tree. In some cases, you may lose your hair’s outer layer or cuticle, and in that case, only the inner layer will remain. All these things will cause hair breakage or tangling, and it will look so frizzy, and that’s undesirable to all of us. If you don’t repair such damage, it will split the entire shaft of your hair very soon.
Now come to the point- how can you fix split ends easily? You can trim split ends off. Commonly people do this because there are almost no other alternative ways to prevent it immediately. But to prevent split ends in the future, you should use a silk pillowcase or a satin during your sleep. You should not comb your hair when it is wet, and you should be gentle while doing any hairstyle. It’s doubly applicable if you love tight hair styling. Common other hair health tips are also applicable here, so you should not use any harmful chemical or heat-applying tools excessively.
2. Heat damage – frayed or frizzy hair
This type of damage is commonly seen among people who use different heat-applying tools on their hair regularly. This type of damage is actually caused by excessive heat, and due to this, hair loses its normal look. Commonly this excessive heat will provide your hair with a frizzy or frayed appearance.
To prevent heat damage, you should not apply excessive heat on your hair when you use a hair straightener, dryer, or something like that on your hair. If you have thick hair, then you should not increase the temperature to more than 390 degrees Fahrenheit. But if you have thin hair, it should not be more than 300 degrees, in any case. The best way is to use a heat protectant or any spray to protect your hair from heat before using any such heat-applying tool. Another thing is that you should use a protein hair mask because excessive heat breaks molecules (keratin protein) in our hair strands. That’s why a protein hair mask might be beneficial in this regard.
3. Chemical damage- unruly and dry hair
Sometimes people call it hair damage by over-processing. To protect your hair from different dirty things, we use different chemicals such as shampoo, conditioner, or something like that. But there are chemicals like sodium, laureth, sulfate, etc., in most of the shampoos, which are slightly harmful to our hair. Even for beautifying our hair, we use different hair dyes. Sometimes these dyes contain different harmful chemicals. If chemicals like ammonia peroxide, formaldehyde, bleach, circuits, or things like that come in contact with your hair, then hair damage may be caused.
To repair damaged hair caused by chemicals, you should use keratin protein-rich shampoos, and you should avoid those shampoos which contain sulfate. If you can do it three or four days a week, then you will surely get rid of chemical damage. Another thing is that if you use hair dye for coloring your hair, then you should use an ammonia-free one. If you use any other chemical for any reason, then try to understand the chemical ingredients first, and try to clean your hair properly with shampoo, at least once everyday.
4. Sun damage- dull and breakage-prone hair
Staying under direct sunlight for a long time is harmful to your hair because there is ultraviolet in direct sunlight, which is not only harmful to our skin but also to our hair and scalp. If you stay under direct sunlight for long hours almost every day, then it will make your hair color fade, and gradually it will be breakage-prone.
To avoid the harmful effect of direct sunlight, you should wear a hat, or you may use an umbrella. And at the same time, you should keep your hair hydrated with nutrient-rich oil or with what you love to use on your hair. To repair damaged hair caused by direct sunlight, you may do another thing, that is, use shampoos that are great for UV filters. If you use this type of shampoo every week, then it will prevent discoloration caused by sun damage. But the best way is to avoid staying under direct sunlight for long hours.
5. Mechanical damage- hair tugging, tearing or pulling
Actually, mechanical damage is not related to it outside factors like sun damage or any medical condition. Rather, it is caused by our hairstyle, using hair clips, combing ways, or something like that. If you cause excessive tension or friction by way of doing any tight hairstyle or using any tight hair clip, then mechanical damage may be caused. Even if you use a cotton pillowcase regularly, then you may face mechanical damage. One of the common causes of such damage is that people try to comb their hair harshly when their hair is wet. All these things may cause hair-tearing, pulling, tugging, or so which comes under the head of mechanical damage.
To prevent mechanical hair damage, the first thing you should do is that- avoid using a towel. Instead of a towel, you should use a soft cloth for wiping your hair. And you should not comb your hair harshly when your hair is wet. Besides these, you also should avoid elastic hair bands, and when you brush your hair, you should do it as gently as possible. If you love using something on your hair regularly, then you may use any natural oil that is good for detangling. That’s all you may do to get rid of all the effects of mechanical hair damage.
6. Damage caused by hard water- hair follicles damage, dry hair, or hair thinning
Commonly this reason is avoided by many of us because we cannot think what water may have harmful effects on our hair. If water with which we bathe or wash our hair contains silica, calcium, magnesium, etc., in unusual amounts, then it may cause hair damage, which we call hair damaged by hard water. If you move to a new place or change your location, then you should be aware of this issue. If you experience any unusual things in water, then you should measure the water’s pH.
If you face hair damage caused by hard water, then you may use Apple Cider vinegar. It is such a way that ancient people followed, but still, it is considered effective around the world. Another way you may follow is by using a water softener. Generally, water softeners change hard water by way of removing harmful things from water. Even using pro-quality chelating shampoo comes in handy in this case. If hard water makes your hair dry, then a leave-in conditioner might be helpful for you after you use shampoo on your hair.
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Some common tips to repair damaged hair applicable for all types of hairs
No matter whatever your hair type is, it may be straight, it may be curly, or it may be of other types. You should follow some tips that I am going to share now- these steps will be helpful for you to keep your hair away from being damaged and also be helpful for repairing damaged hair.
- Try deep conditioning at least once in a week
- Using heat protectant
- Use natural things
- Using natural hair mask
- Keep your hair clean
- Don’t use anything unknown
- Don’t do anything tightly
- Avoid some habits
1. Try deep conditioning at least once in a week
You know deep conditioning is good for your hair health, so you may try it during your holiday. If you face dry hair or complexity like that, then deep conditioning will be surprisingly helpful for you.
2. Using heat protectant
Keeping your hair away from excessive heat is really a necessity because excessive heat is harmful to your hair’s health. So, if you stay long hours under direct sunlight, then use a hat or things like that. Before using a hair straightener, hair dryer, or any such tool on your hair, it is a must to use a heat protectant because it will save your hair from excessive heat.
3. Use natural things
If you love using something on your hair, then you should use natural things only, like oil from any fruit or other natural stuff. Oil made from natural things has a good many advantages relating to your hair. It will provide all the necessary nutrients that are good for boosting hair health, and these will also be helpful for repairing damaged hair.
4. Using natural hair mask
Occasionally, you may try wearing a hair mask, but the mask must be made from natural things like honey, coconut, or things like that. You may try it during your holiday because wearing a hair mask only one or two days a week is enough.
5. Keep your hair clean
You always need to keep your hair clean, so you should bathe everyday or at least wash your hair once a day, especially after coming back from outside. For your hair and scalp health, keeping your hair clean is really necessary.
6. Don’t use anything unknown
If you use any chemical or artificial things for coloring your hair or for your hair’s beauty, then you should check the ingredients first. Keep in mind that some chemicals are harmful to your hair, and these may cause hair damage in just weeks.
7. Don’t do anything tightly
Using hair clips or hair bands is common among girls around the world. But you should not use anything like a clip or band tightly. Try to use these as gently as possible.
8. Avoid some habits
If you have a habit of sleeping on a cotton pillowcase, then change it today because this type of pillowcase may cause hair damage. There are some people who brush their hair regularly. There is nothing wrong with it. But you have to brush it while it is not wet. Otherwise, it will cause hair damage.
Repair damaged hair: real life story
From a young age, I was a bit fashion-conscious, and coloring my hair was one of my favorite things. And I didn’t use only one color. Rather, I used different colors. As I was in my college life then, I couldn’t manage costly hair color products, so I bought some cheap quality hair color products and colored my hair at home. I actually didn’t check the ingredients of those products because I didn’t know what’s the effect of using unknown products.
One day when I was at home during my holiday, my mother combed my hair. My mother noticed that my hair was a bit unruly and unusually dry. I didn’t pay any heed to it because I thought that it was nothing serious. And on that afternoon, I shared it with one of my friends who knew very well about hair coloring. And after hearing about the incident, she told me that it’s one of the signs of your damage, so I should be careful about that. She also told me that I should stop using unknown hair color products, and to get rid of such dry and unruly hair, I should use some natural things for some days.
Hearing this from her, I started using coconut oil and stopped hair coloring for some days. And in that time, I also used deep conditioning two days a week and cleaned my hair properly every day. And after almost 2 weeks, I experienced a change in my hair condition- my hair was not unruly then, and it was not unusually dry. And after that, I colored my hair, but I didn’t use those cheap quality hair color products that I did earlier. I started hair color products that didn’t contain any harmful ingredients, and before buying this hair color, I checked all the ingredients. Still, I do the same thing, and from then on, I didn’t experience hair damage.
Irene Ingram
FAQ
1. How can I be sure that my hair is damaged?
Actually, you have to understand this by checking your hair condition, and you will be able to do this without using any tool. If it seems to you that your hair is unruly, dry, frizzy, or anything like unusual, then you may consider it damaged.
2. Can hair brushing cause hair damage?
Actually, hair brushing may cause hair damage if you do it so harshly. Another thing is that you should not brush your hair when your hair is wet.
3. How can I get rid of split ends immediately?
If you want to get rid of split ends immediately, then you should do one thing, which is trimming off split ends. But that’s not the ultimate solution. You should follow the tips that are recommended for preventing hair damage to prevent split ends permanently.
4. How excessive heat is harmful for my hair?
If you apply excessive heat with a straightener or hair dryer, then it will change the keratin strand shape of your hair, and thus you will face hair damage. So, you should not apply more than 390 degrees Fahrenheit even if your hair is thick.
5. Is the applicable heat the same for thick and thin hair?
No, if you have thin hair, then you should apply less heat than what you would apply in the case of thick hair. In the case of thin hair, you should not apply more than 290 degrees Fahrenheit with a hair straightener.
6. What are the common signs of damaged hair?
Actually, there are many signs, and among them, some common signs are dryness, split ends, hair breakage, roughness, hair tangling, hair color changing, or something like that.
7. What should I avoid to prevent hair damage?
You should avoid using a cotton pillowcase, using a towel, brushing your hair while it is not dry, using such chemicals, the ingredients of which are not known to you, etc.
8. How many days are needed to repair damaged hair?
Actually, it depends on what type of damage you are facing now. If your hair damage is at the primary level, then 2 or 3 weeks are enough.
9. Is it natural to damage hair with the increase of age?
Actually, it may happen sometimes due to heredity, or any medical condition, even with just increasing your age. If you face such a problem, then only following some tips will not be enough for you. Rather you should consult with a hair specialist in this regard.
10. Is hair coloring a possible cause of hair damage?
Actually, hair coloring itself is not harmful, but it will be harmful if there’s anything harmful in the hair color products, so check the hair color product ingredients before using.
Final thoughts
You should not avoid any signs of hair damage because avoiding mild indications may cause some further complexities. If you can repair damaged hair while it is in the primary stage, then it will be easier for you. Actually, repairing hair damage is not so difficult. You just need to maintain some things only for some days.
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