Does your hair feel brittle and stiff? Too often coloring, bleaching, straightening or blow-out hair can damage hair over time. These processes make hair dry and prone to breakage and split ends. Once your hair is damaged, the best way to restore it is to let it grow healthy and strong again. Use a conditioning treatment to restore its shine, and nourish it for new, healthy hair growth.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Restoring Hair Condition
Step 1. Stop using harsh treatments
Many popular hair treatments strip the natural oils from the hair shaft and damage the strands. When you're ready to restore your hair, it will be very difficult to do so unless you stop all treatments and allow your hair to return to its natural state. If you're used to relying on grooming to make your hair look the way you want, it's hard to turn it back to natural. However, your efforts will pay off with a much healthier hair condition in the future. Here's what to avoid:
- Chemical dyes, whether used by a professional or by yourself. If you enjoy coloring your hair, try natural hair dyes like henna or tea, both of which help restore hair, not damage it.
- Bleaching hair is not good for hair health. Removing hair color has a very damaging effect on the hair shaft, and can lead to brittle hair and hair loss.
- Chemical straightening or curling of hair, such as Brazilian blowouts or permanent hairstyles. Chemicals that make straight hair curly or curly hair straight and smooth are very damaging to hair.
Step 2. Handle your hair carefully as you shampoo and dry it
Hair is a fragile material that needs to be treated with care, especially when it's wet. Wet hair stretches and breaks easily, so it's important to be careful when you shampoo and towel dry it. Think of your hair as if it were a silk garment or a fine wool sweater. You're not going to rub it roughly, squeeze it, rub it dry with a towel, are you? Just like a special cloth, your hair should be treated with care.
- When you're shampooing, massage your scalp with your fingertips and gently work the shampoo through your hair instead of vigorously rubbing it. Do the same with conditioner.
- Allow the hair to dry for a few moments before you squeeze out the remaining water. Use a towel to gently dry your hair.
Step 3. Shampoo no more than once or twice a week
The scalp produces a natural oil called sebum which protects the hair from drying out. If you wash your hair too often, the oil will be washed away before it can lubricate the hair shaft and protect it. Shampooing only a few times a week will help keep your hair shiny and healthy.
- When you first stop washing your hair every day, your scalp will produce too much sebum, as it is used to being scrubbed every 24 hours. After a week or so, your hair won't look greasy anymore.
- If you're worried that your roots will look greasy between washes, use a dry shampoo to clean them. You can buy a bottle of dry shampoo or make your own by mixing a tablespoon of cornstarch and 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda. Spray the mixture of the two ingredients onto the oily areas, leave for five minutes, then comb through.
Step 4. Let the hair dry on its own instead of using heat
It's a hard rule to follow for people who are used to using hair dryers and other heat treatment tools to achieve the perfect hair look every day. When you're aiming to get your hair back to health, using heat is no different than taking a step back, every time. Start by letting your hair air dry, and try to like your natural look to give your hair a chance to heal.
- If you feel you absolutely have to use a heat treatment tool, use it on a low setting, and only use it on special occasions.
- Since hair takes time to fully heal, it may not look the way you want it to at first. You may be tempted to straighten those curls or strengthen those limp, dry ties. Better hold on until your hair is healthy again; You'll notice the texture gets a lot better if you're patient.
Step 5. Don't brush your hair
Brushing your hair with a plastic bristle brush is very damaging to your hair, especially if you're brushing the tangled areas. Eventually the hair will be pulled tight and broken in the middle. To untangle hair, use a wide-toothed comb instead of a brush. Gently comb your hair, starting near the ends and working your way up to the roots until you can run the comb through your hair without finding any tangles.
It's important not to dry your hair when it's wet, because hair is much more fragile when it's wet than when it's dry. If you use the brush on wet hair, your hair will break and split
Step 6. Avoid restrictive hairstyles
Certain hairstyles pull too much hair and cause split ends or breakage. Splicing and plaiting hair is not good for hair. Whether sewn or glued to the hair, such treatments can result in hair damage (and at worst, baldness). When you're trying to restore healthy hair, it's best to avoid hairstyles that are harsh on your hair.
Part 2 of 3: Soften Hair
Step 1. Soften your hair each time you wash your hair
Shampoos are designed to clean hair, and conditioners are made to keep them moisturized, soft and shiny. As you soften your hair, put a coin-sized drop of conditioner in the palm of your hand, apply it at a distance of about 2.5 cm from the hair roots, and run with your fingers along the length of the hair. Focus on making sure the ends of your hair are specially groomed, as the ends dry faster than the roots. Rinse your hair evenly when you're done.
- Do not use more conditioner than necessary to coat the hair. If you take too much, it will weigh down your hair and make it look greasy.
- For an added glossy finish, rinse hair using the coldest water. This will cause the hair shaft to droop flat and appear smoother and shinier than if you were using hot water.
Step 2. Do a deep conditioning treatment once every few weeks
The deep conditioning treatment is designed to keep hair moisturized for a whole week. Apply about a tablespoon of deep conditioner to your hair and run it from the roots to the tips. Then roll your hair at the top of your head and pin it up and cover it with a shower/shampoo cap. Wait at least an hour before shampooing.
- You can buy a deep conditioning treatment from the store, or just use household ingredients like coconut oil, almond oil or olive oil.
- Do not do deep conditioning more than once a week, because if it is too often will damage the hair.
Step 3. Try a homemade hair mask
When your hair looks limp, dull, or frizzy, a hair mask can restore its soft texture and shine. Use a hair mask after you've wet your hair in the shower, and wash it after it's wet. Here are common household ingredients that work for damaged hair:
- For dull hair: use one tablespoon of honey or one egg white
- For curly hair: use one banana or avocado juiced
- For dry hair: use a tablespoon of milk or yogurt
- For "combination hair": use a combination of the above ingredients
Step 4. Use a finishing oil or serum
After the hair dries, oil or hair serum works to keep it from frizz and protect it from bad weather. Look for an anti-frizz serum or combination hair oil, and use your fingers to apply a few drops to your hair. If you don't want to buy a special serum, use only a small amount of the following oils:
- Argan Oil
- Moroccan Oil
- Jojoba Oil
Step 5. Use a comb brush
While most brushes damage hair, comb brushes are an exception. The brush is made of natural fibers that closely resemble the texture of human hair. The brush is designed to draw sebum from the hair roots to the tips, so that the entire length of hair receives the nutritional benefits of the scalp's natural oils.
- First use a wide-toothed comb to untangle the tangles, then brush the hair from root to tip with a comb brush. Your hair will be soft and shiny when you're done.
- Plastic brushes don't have that benefit.
Part 3 of 3: Growing Healthy Hair
Step 1. Massage the scalp
Massage increases circulation to the scalp, thereby helping to grow hair healthy and strong. Get in the habit of massaging your scalp every day. Place your fingers on your scalp and rub them gently in a circular motion. It has the added benefit of helping to reduce stress and relieve headaches.
- Massage using oil is much more helpful. Use coconut oil, almond oil, jojoba oil or olive oil to gently massage your head in the shower, then wash your hair when you're done.
- Some essential oils are claimed to be able to help hair growth. Try massaging using tea tree oil, lavender or pine wood.
Step 2. Use natural hair care products
The ingredients in shampoos and conditioners may make your hair damage worse, not better. Switch to an all-natural shampoo that nourishes your hair instead of harshly cleaning and overloading it with unnecessary chemicals. Here are the ingredients you can look for:
- Look for shampoos that are free of sulfates or sulfuric acid salts. Sulfates are harsh cleaning agents used in a variety of products, from dish soap to detergents, and are too harsh on damaged hair. Look for shampoos that list "sulphate free" and are made from natural cleansing ingredients.
- Look for a silicone-free conditioner. Silicone is added to conditioner because it can make hair look shiny and soft after a few uses. However, over time, these chemicals build up in the hair and cause hair to limp and look dull.
Step 3. Look healthy inside and out
Your daily habits greatly affect the health of your hair. If you don't eat nutritious food or drink enough water, your hair will definitely show its effects. Make a commitment to live healthy inside and out by doing the following activities:
- Eat plenty of hair-healthy foods that contain protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and iron. Salmon, sardines, avocados, nuts, and flax seeds are all good for promoting healthy hair growth.
- Keep your body fluids by drinking lots of water. When you are dehydrated, your hair can become dry and brittle.
- Stay away from smoking. The dangers of smoking can cause hair to look dull and dry.
Step 4. Protect hair from bad weather
Just as natural factors such as the sun or extremely cold temperatures can affect skin health, bad weather can also affect hair health. Protect your hair with a hat or headband when you are out for a long time.
- Also protect yourself from pool chemicals. Wear a swimming cap instead of soaking your hair in chlorine.
- Air pollution can even affect hair. If you frequently walk or cycle near traffic, protect your hair until you reach your destination.
- Take advantage of protective hairstyles such as rolls or braids so that your hair is less frizzy and less exposed to bad weather.
Step 5. Trim hair regularly
When new, healthy hair begins to grow, trim it regularly to remove old, damaged hair. By removing split ends, your appearance will look fresh and, over time, you will notice the difference.
Suggestions
- When conditioning or softening hair, comb hair from roots to ends, and leave for 5-10 minutes. The length depends on how soft the hair is to your liking. Then rinse off most of the remaining conditioner, and leave the rest, to retain moisture.
- Try wearing a protective hairstyle if your hair will be exposed to bad weather.
- Rinse your hair with cold water as cold water helps to strengthen the hair bonds and keep them moisturized.
