There are lots of different ways to damage your hair – from using heating hair products to using bleach, damaging hair dyes, or even just playing with your hair too much. What’s worse, most types of hair damage are usually irreversible because hair is basically a collection of dead cells which makes them beyond repair – the best that can be done is sustain them as well as possible.
So, the general method for fixing damaged hair is by preventing any new damage and giving it time. Still, to be a bit more precise, let’s go over the main types of hair damage and what to do with them.
How to tell if your hair is damaged?
Most hair damage is visible with the naked eye but it still requires you to pay attention to it. Whether we’re talking about something as simple as split ends or outright burning your hair off with a heating curling iron, you need to regularly inspect your hair for cracks and damage in their outside layer (cuticle) or changes in their form, shine, and feel to the touch.
Damaged hair is usually dry, brittle, rough, it tangles and knots easily, and it has split ends. If it’s damaged from bleaching or dyeing, the damage is quite obvious and needs no explanation.
Often you can prevent most types of damage by simply noticing that your hair has started getting drier or weaker.
How to repair damaged hair from straightening or curling heating hair tools?
The first thing to do when your hair’s been damaged by a straightening flat iron or a curling iron is cut off the damaged ends of your hair. Typically, at least an inch needs to be cut off to prevent further splitting and damage.
Don’t be afraid to be radical with the scissors – your hair will grow again and you need to prevent any further deterioration now to make sure that it’s as healthy as possible. Whether we like it or not, the best way for how to get rid of heat damage is to simply cut it off – especially when it’s severe, it’s not something that gets better over time.
After the most damaged areas and splintered ends have been removed, it’s time to use other methods.
Homemade hair masks are a good way to quickly give your hair a lot of nourishment and hydration to promote healing and growth. A good hair mask recipe includes the following ingredients:
- Eggs
- Yogurt
- Honey
- Vinegar
- Natural oils such as avocado oil, coconut oil, and others
- Essential oils
Using a deep conditioner and a softer, mild shampoo is also strongly advisable even though that won’t be enough on its own. However, a deep conditioner will still offer good hydration to your hair and make it softer and easier to brush and care for.
And of course, if the damage is extensive we definitely recommend that you visit a professional at the hair salon. Something like a hair plumping treatment that uses hyaluronic corrosive and ceramides that hydrate recreates and fortify hair follicles can be very effective for most types of hair damage.
How to repair heat damaged hair without cutting it?
If the damage on your hair isn’t too extensive, whether it’s from heat or other physical causes, you can sometimes avoid cutting it. Using a good hair mask and a decent conditioner can be enough to remedy most lighter problems, however, we’d still recommend cutting at least the split ends of your hair.
How to fix fried hair overnight?
Severe hair damage usually can’t be fixed overnight but most lighter problems can be affected in a day by acting quickly. Cut off the ends of your hair immediately, mix a good hair mask before going to bed, use a natural oil treatment by massaging several drops of coconut oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, or others into your hair, and use a deep conditioner in the morning.
How about bleach or hair dye damage?
These types of damage are mostly irreversible as well. Using natural oil treatments can prevent your hair from getting worse – our favorite for this case being almond oil. Rise water rinsing can be good too as it includes inositol which helps the water penetrate and hydrate better.
Aside from making sure your bleach- or dye-damaged hair stays hydrated and well-nourished, however, the rest is just waiting for more healthy hair to grow in its place, and preventing further damage. Frequent nourishing hair masks can help here as well by helping your hair grow faster and healthier.
Also, remember to use only color-safe shampoos and conditioners during the recovery period.