Is your hair damaged or is it just dry? Dry hair can be remedied with some simple changes to your haircare habits, while damaged hair needs some intensive care.
A test for hair damage
Next time you wash your hair, take a strand of wet hair from your head and gently pull on either end. If the hair stretches by about one third before springing back, your hair is nice and healthy. If it doesn’t stretch or hardly stretches before breaking, your hair is damaged. Dry hair tends to stretch but not spring back.
The tell-tale signs of hair damage
Dry hair that lacks ‘oomph’: Your hair is dry and brittle and you have a lot of split ends.
Your hair lacks shine: This is because the outer layers are rough and damaged.
Your hair is frizzy and unmanageable: When hair is damaged, the cuticle doesn’t lie flat so it appears rough, and the hair is in dire need of moisture so it absorbs more from the atmosphere.
Your hair is rough: It looks and feels like straw even though you’ve tried every product that claims to fix damage and hydrate your locks.
Your colour fades fast: dry damaged hair doesn’t absorb or hold onto colour well.
Do you see all the signs of damage? Here’s what you should do:
Give your locks a hit of protein
Protein is the building block of hair and it’s essential for keeping your locks strong and healthy. Aveda’s fab damage remedy range that we use in salon contains quinoa, which is high in protein and helps rebuild the hair’s strength from within, and adds shine.
The restructuring shampoo helps protect the hair from environmental damage and the restructuring conditioner helps reduce breakage by detangling and smoothing the hair.
Have a break from heat styling
Frying your locks with straighteners, tongs, and hairdryers can cause damage and strip the hair of its natural oils. Let your hair dry naturally wherever you can, but if you must use styling tools, use damage remedy daily hair repair to protect your hair from damage.
Use a hair mask every week
You don’t think twice about using a face mask regularly for your skin, so why not do the same for your hair? Use damage remedy intensive restructuring treatment once per week and leave it on for 5 minutes for stronger, shinier, hydrated hair.
Get a regular trim
I know I go on about this all of the time, but it’s so important. Get a trim every 4-6 weeks to get rid of any split ends and encourage healthy hair growth.