How To Repair Damaged Hair

How To Repair Damaged Hair

1. Hydrate And Moisturise Damaged Hair Every Day With A Serum, To Repair It

2. Homemade Hair Masks Can Help Prevent And Repair Hair Damage

3. A Natural Warm Oil Massage Is One Of The Best Ways To Address And Repair Hair Damage

4. Avoid Excessive Shampooing And Styling If Your Hair Is Damaged, To Ensure Faster Repair And Restoration

5. If Your Hair Is Damaged, Regular Hair Trims And Haircuts Will Help Repair It

6. Cut Junk Food Out Of Your Diet, To Repair Damaged Hair

7. Seek Professional Help To Repair Damaged Hair, If It Gets Out Of Hand

8. Opt For Home Remedies To Repair Dry And Damaged Hair

9. FAQs: How To Repair Damaged Hair

Hair care and maintenance may be low on the pecking order for most of us because we aren’t paying heed to the small things that could cause hair damage . From hair loss to brittle texture, from split-ends to frizz and dryness, damaged hair is a serious problem! Hair damage, which needs proper repair, is caused due to a variety of reasons. The first and most obvious is the lack of proper nourishment. When the scalp and hair strands do not get enough moisture and nourishment, the hair starts to dry up, get brittle and coarse. In such a case, you’ll need to immediately work towards repair damaged hair. Environmental factors and pollution can also cause hair damage – especially if you’re spending a lot of time out in the sun, and in traffic. Lack of a proper diet and proper sleep can also result in dry and brittle hair, prone to hair fall, breakage and split end. If you’re using a lot of chemicals and heat treatments on your hair, tying it up to the wrong way, or even getting your towelling and sleeping methods wrong, it could result in damaged hair, which needs repair right away. Lastly, your own hair care regime may need perfecting, where you focus not just on scalp health , but make it about root-to-tip intensive care in order to repair damaged strands.

Hydrate And Moisturise Damaged Hair Every Day With A Serum  To Repair It

The best way to repair damaged strands of hair is to make sure they’re adequately moisturised and hydrated. Use whatever you’re comfortable with – a hair serum , a hair oil, or a hair mask to achieve this purpose. If you’re using an oil or a serum, the ideal way to do it is to apply it on your hair from root to tip. Leave it on for some time, and then shampoo your hair with a biotin-rich shampoo, preferably free of sulfates and parabens, and follow it up with an intensive conditioner. You can also use a leave-in conditioner or serum after rinsing your hair thoroughly. If you’re using a serum for dry hair, make sure your hair is thoroughly dried before application. In both cases, take a small amount in the palm of your hand, rub between both hands, and apply thinly and evenly all over the hair, focussing on the roots as well as the tips. Choose a hair serum based on your hair type . For straight and fine hair, use a lightweight formula that doesn’t weigh down the hair and make it look greasy. Make sure you don’t apply much near the roots and focus on a thin layer from the midsection down to the ends. For wavy hair, choose a serum that boasts anti-frizz benefits, since wavy hair attracts frizz easily. A lightweight oil-based serum is ideal and should be used as a leave-in serum regularly. For curly hair, use the strongest hair serum which focuses on taming tresses, reducing frizz, detangling them and making them manageable.

Pro tip: Use a hair serum to repair damaged hair effectively.

Homemade Hair Masks Can Help Prevent And Repair Hair Damage

A hair mask is a convenient way of ensuring potent healing and repair benefits to dry and damaged hair, ensuring that your hair remains hydrated, nourished and moisturised in the most intense possible way, leading to effective prevention of damaged hair. Use natural ingredients in your hair mask that address damage – from honey and bananas to yoghurt and eggs, avocadoes and beer, as well as a mix of essential oil drops. Apply these on your scalp, as well as all along the strands of your hair, just before your hair wash. Keep it on for 20-30 minutes, and rinse well with a shampoo targeted towards damaged hair. A conditioner is a must after every shampoo, especially one designed to seal in moisture. Again, take care to apply these on the tips – since they’re often ignored.

Pro tip: Use a hair mask at least twice a week, to effectively combat and repair dry and damaged hair.

A Natural Warm Oil Massage Is One Of The Best Ways To Address And Repair Hair Damage

Using a warm, natural hair oil can do wonders for hair health and texture, repairing damaged hair and scalp. You should ideally warm around 100ml of your chosen hair oil and then gently apply it on your hair, taking care to focus on the scalp and ends equally, and coating every strand thoroughly. For extra benefit, you can wrap your hair up in a shower cap, so that the benefits of the oil have thoroughly seeped in. Leave on for a couple of hours at least. Rinse and wash your hair with a biotin-enriched shampoo. Coconut oil works on all hair types are locally available and affordable. It softens the tips, repairs split ends naturally and boosts hair thickness , while preventing it from losing protein. Argan oil is non-native to India but has been catching up recently as a force to reckon with. Extracted from the kernels of the argan tree, found in Morocco, it is replete with Vitamin E, making it the perfect moisturiser for dry and lacklustre hair, reducing frizz and preventing split ends . The oil extracted from castor seeds, otherwise called castor oil, has many health benefits but is particularly good for hair health. It is a great moisturiser and helps reduce hair breakage , by providing extra nourishment and lubrication.

Pro tip: Hydrate and nourish your hair with effective hair oil, to repair damaged strands.

Avoid Excessive Shampooing And Styling If Your Hair Is Damaged To Ensure Faster Repair And Restoration

When choosing a shampoo, always choose one suitable for your hair and scalp type, to repair hair damage. Look at the ingredients list, and make sure that your shampoo is free from parabens, sulfates and other chemicals that could compound the damage. Also, if you have specific problems – hair fall, dandruff, premature greying , split-ends and so on, try and ensure that the shampoo you choose addresses those concerns so that you work towards repairing damaged hair. A clarifying shampoo is especially great for those who are exposed to excessive sun and pollution and want to rid the hair of an extra layer of grime and dirt. Use cold water, which is better for damaged hair than warm or hot water. Lastly, don’t shampoo your hair every day. Thrice a week for oily hair is enough, and twice a week for dry hair will suffice. Styling products with harsh chemicals affect the hair and scalp adversely as well. So excessive blow-drying, ironing, bleaching, colouring and so on weaken the hair strands and hair follicles – steer clear of these. So switch from chemical products to those that are more natural, to start repairing damaged hair.

Pro tip: Choose your shampoo carefully, and avoid frequent washes to repair damaged hair. You should also steer clear of excessive heat and chemicals.

If Your Hair Is Damaged Regular Hair Trims And Haircuts Will Help Repair It

While you can try your best to combat hair damage with treatments, sometimes, the hair strands are beyond repair – especially where it concerns split-ends and brittle strands that are prone to breakage. In such a case, the best thing you can do for your hair is to get a hair trim or haircut, snipping off as much of the damaged portion as possible, and starting to treat your hair at the scalp level, to ensure it grows back healthy. So visit your local salon (we wouldn’t recommend trying this at home unless you’re a pro!) and get them to snip as much of your tresses as you need, making sure any unseemly split ends, coarse and damaged strands, are done away with. Head to your hairdresser at least every 12 weeks to ensure healthy hair strands, and get rid of any new niggling problems that may have formed despite your best efforts!

Pro tip: Get a hair trim or hair cut every 12 weeks – this is the only surefire remedy to get rid of existing hair problems.

Cut Junk Food Out Of Your Diet To Repair Damaged Hair

Hair damage also has to do with what’s under the scalp, since it eventually reflects on what’s above! The ‘live’ part of the hair is housed in the follicle, and just like the other organs, derives nutrition from food and the bloodstream. So if you find yourself nutrient-deficient, you’ll find your hair instantly looking lacklustre and dry, and easily prone to breakage and split-ends. Excessive salt, sugar, fried food, aerated drinks, alcohol and cigarettes are all full of empty calories and could result not just in health problems, but also in lacklustre hair, which is brittle and prone to breakage. So cut these out of your diet completely, and start eating more hair-healthy foods to repair hair damage. Protein is the building block of healthy hair, so eat cottage cheese, other unprocessed cheeses, ghee, yoghurt, eggs, poultry, legumes, lentils and green beans. Omega 3 fatty acids are also essential to keep your scalp and hair follicles from drying out and reducing inflammation, so try salmon, avocados, flaxseeds, olive oil and walnuts. Eat vitamins as well – particularly generous helpings of fresh fruits and vegetables. Zinc is vital to balancing your hormones, and for RNA and DNA production, which in turn affects hair texture and strength. Oysters are an amazing source of zinc, as are shrimps, mussels, beef, fortified cereals like oatmeal, beans and eggs. Selenium is a trace element that protects the hair tissues from oxidation, found in mushrooms, sunflower seeds, brazil nuts, brown rice, whole grain rye and crabs.

Pro tip: Cut out salt, sugar, fried food, colas and alcohol from your diet to repair damaged hair, and focus on protein, omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins, zinc and selenium-rich foods.

Seek Professional Help To Repair Damaged Hair If It Gets Out Of Hand

While all these tips can help slowly combat hair damage, sometimes the problem is more severe than that, and you’ll need to seek professional help to repair your hair. If hair damage and general hair problems are genetic, if they’re caused by hormonal issues like thyroid, post-partum hormones and so on, or if the damage has been made to such an extent that it is beyond repair at home, it is time to consult your doctor, who could address the issue with targeted products, supplements, or treatments that repair excessively damaged hair.

Pro tip: Get the help of your doctor if your hair damage is caused by hormones, genetics or is beyond repair at home.

Opt For Home Remedies To Repair Dry And Damaged Hair

Try out these DIY hair remedies at home

Aloe-rosemary hair treatment

Ingredients:

2 tbsp pure aloe vera gel

1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves

Method: Measure a cup of water and bring it to a boil. Then add the fresh rosemary leaves, and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes on low heat. Once the water has been infused with the rosemary, strain, cool and set aside. Then mix the aloe vera gel slowly into this infused water, until you have a smooth even thick-ish liquid. Apply on damp hair for best results. This is ideal to repair hair that is excessively dry and damaged.

Oil blend hair smoothener

Ingredients:

1 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1 tbsp sweet almond oil

2 drops lavender essential oil

Method: Mix the extra virgin coconut oil and the sweet almond oil together in a bowl. If need be, churn it in a mixie till you have a smooth even oil. Add the two drops of lavender essential oil and let it sit for about five minutes. Apply this blend of oils to freshly washed damp hair, taking care to focus on the tips to prevent split-ends and tame frizz.

Vitamin E infusion

Ingredients:

2 vitamin E capsules

1 cup distilled rosewater

1 tsp argan oil

Method: In a bowl, mix the argan oil with the contents of the two vitamin E capsules, and blend well until you have a smooth even mix. Slowly add the rosewater, and keep mixing until you have a liquid that is uniform in colour and texture. Pour it in a bottle, and use as a leave-in serum on either wet or dry hair. This keeps for about 2 days, but remember to shake the bottle well before each use.

Try out this homemade hair mask for repair damaged hair

FAQs: How To Repair Damaged Hair

How To Repair Damaged Hair

Is the way I comb your hair linked to hair damage?

Yes, how you use a close-tooth comb or hairbrush can lead to knotting, tangling, breakage and split ends. To repair damaged hair, switch to a wide-tooth comb immediately. Slowly brush along the length of your hair, from root to tip, working on small sections at a time. If you encounter serious knots or tangles, unravel them gently with your fingers before running your comb through them. After you have thoroughly done this, you can use a regular comb to neaten or style your hair.

What other changes should I make to avoid damaged hair?

Often, you tend to overlook small things that keep damaged hair from repairing, no matter what other steps you take. For instance, sleeping on coarse or rough linen – especially pillow covers – can cause snags at the tips of your hair and lead to hair damage. It is best to use softer fabrics to avoid this. Also, never go to bed with wet hair. Always let it dry out at least 80 per cent before you lie down with wet hair, or it could further intensify damaged hair.

Which is the best way to dry my hair to repair hair damage?

Letting your hair dry naturally or towel drying is obviously the best thing you can do for damaged hair, to control further hair fall and breakage. As soon as you wash your hair, wrap it up in a turban on top, using a microfiber towel. Once the excess water has been soaked, gently pat the scalp and hair dry with a cotton towel till it is just about damp. Let the rest dry naturally. In case you’re in a hurry and need to get somewhere, blow drying your hair works best once it has already been towel-dried. Spray volumizer at the roots before drying, and leave-in conditioner to the ends.

source: femina