Curly hair, in particular, can be an easy target for damage. Making a few adjustments to your regular styling and hair-care habits, including arming yourself with the right damaged hair-care products and treatments can make a big difference when it comes to the state of your strands. Look no further than the Born to Repair collection.
Before throwing in the towel and chopping it all off (even though that’s an option, too), learn what could be causing the hair damage, and try a regimen revamp to help get things back on the healthy track. Here’s your ultimate guide on how to repair damaged hair fast at home.
Back to what causes damaged hair, one of the more common causes of damage is missteps in everyday hair handling. This includes things like not detangling properly, using styling products with drying ingredients like alcohol and sulfates, excess heat styling, and sleeping on rough fabrics that cause friction and lead to breakage. Others that are a bit more out of your control can be environmental contributors like dry indoor air and chlorine and salt water while swimming.
If not done properly, coloring hair can also cause significant damage, especially if there’s any lifting or bleaching involved. It’s a really delicate process that should be left to a professional. Heat styling is another common damage factor. Hair can only withstand a certain level of heat, after which it can literally melt. Heating hair up too often can also compromise it — even if you’re using a low heat setting. Applying heat to hair is actually a helpful indicator of the health of your hair. If you’re finding that your hair is having a hard time holding a curl or if it won’t smooth out with one or two passes of your flat iron, it may be damaged.
And it’s important to note that since wet hair is extra fragile and a target for breakage and more damage, avoid being too rough when you shampoo. This means steering clear of brushes and fine-tooth combs that can snag frayed and fragile strands. Instead, use your hands to gently work the cleanser through your hair. Pro tip: Be sure to massage hair as you rinse to ensure that all of the cleanser is out.
Keep in mind that you’ll be layering in the moisture over the next few steps, so if your hair is more wavy and fine, be sure to rinse this conditioner out completely. Thicker hair in the 4A to 4C range typically can leave 25% of the conditioner in your mane to work as a styling primer.
When you’re dealing with damaged hair, consider applying a treatment once a week, minimum. Once your hair starts to feel and look like it’s back to normal, you can cut your hair treatments to once per month. For an even greater impact, add steam. You can do this by applying your treatment and then sitting under a hair dryer, using a heat cap, or hair steamer. The steam will help moisture to better penetrate the cuticle.
If you must, when heat styling, stick to temperatures below 400-degrees. You may think that the more coarse your hair, the higher the heat needs to be, but this actually isn’t true. If you’re blow drying, start on a medium setting. If you feel like it’s taking forever to dry, you can always go up to a higher setting. The same goes for flat irons and curling irons. Test it out by starting in the high 300-degree range. If it’s not working, slowly inch up in five-degree intervals.
Always prime hair with a heat protectant, like the Pracaxi Nectar Straight Blow Dry Cream, before blow drying and flat ironing. Also, keep in mind that if you’re touching up your hair with heat at any point after your initial styling session, you need to reapply a heat protecting product.
In addition to proper hair care, rework how you style. Here’s Your Guide to Protective Hairstyles for Natural Hair.
Before throwing in the towel and chopping it all off (even though that’s an option, too), learn what could be causing the hair damage, and try a regimen revamp to help get things back on the healthy track. Here’s your ultimate guide on how to repair damaged hair fast at home.
What Causes Damaged Hair?
There are a few reasons why hair gets damaged. Some damage is a result of styling practices, and other factors like sun exposure and the general drying out that curls are prone to can also contribute. To fully understand these causes and how to fix damaged hair, get to know what damage looks like. Hair that shows signs of breakage, significant shedding beyond your normal fall out cycle (hair is supposed to shed 100 strands a day!), or if your scalp and actual hair are drier than usual, are all things to look out for.Back to what causes damaged hair, one of the more common causes of damage is missteps in everyday hair handling. This includes things like not detangling properly, using styling products with drying ingredients like alcohol and sulfates, excess heat styling, and sleeping on rough fabrics that cause friction and lead to breakage. Others that are a bit more out of your control can be environmental contributors like dry indoor air and chlorine and salt water while swimming.
If not done properly, coloring hair can also cause significant damage, especially if there’s any lifting or bleaching involved. It’s a really delicate process that should be left to a professional. Heat styling is another common damage factor. Hair can only withstand a certain level of heat, after which it can literally melt. Heating hair up too often can also compromise it — even if you’re using a low heat setting. Applying heat to hair is actually a helpful indicator of the health of your hair. If you’re finding that your hair is having a hard time holding a curl or if it won’t smooth out with one or two passes of your flat iron, it may be damaged.
Find Your Personalized Routine!
Know your curls better than ever before! Our quick and easy 5-step quiz, which uses powerful data to determine your hair type, will help you understand your strands. Set aside a couple of minutes to answer some simple questions, and we’ll take care of the rest. At the end, we’ll identify your curl type and main hair concerns, and provide expert tips, product recommendations, and a personalized routine. The journey to gorgeous hair starts now. Click Here
to find your personalized routine.
Can Damaged Hair Be Repaired?
Whether it is possible to repair damaged hair depends on the level of damage. In some cases, the cuticle is broken and unable to function at full capacity. Strands that have split ends hair are also irreparable, hence why regular trims are needed to clip ends. Sure, it makes hair look healthier on the outside, but it actually helps prevent future damage, as well. In addition to the ends, the actual hair follicle can be damaged. This can result from prolonged tugging, harsh brushing, and other factors that could eventually cause hair loss and thinning.How To Treat Damaged Hair
The primary fix for damaged hair is moisture. However, hair also needs a major rebalance of moisture and protein once it’s been compromised. It may sound like a no-brainer, but the sooner you get a jump on repairing your hair, the more likely it is you’ll restore it to good health. It may take some time before you see significant improvements, but try these tips on damaged hair repair and practice a bit of patience.1. Start with the right shampoo for damaged hair.
By not using a repairing sulfate-free shampoo you run the risk of further drying out your hair at the wash phase. Without a doubt, our go-to for repairing damage is the Born to Repair Nourishing Shampoo. It’s proven to make hair 10 times more moisturized and four times stronger than other non-conditioning shampoos.And it’s important to note that since wet hair is extra fragile and a target for breakage and more damage, avoid being too rough when you shampoo. This means steering clear of brushes and fine-tooth combs that can snag frayed and fragile strands. Instead, use your hands to gently work the cleanser through your hair. Pro tip: Be sure to massage hair as you rinse to ensure that all of the cleanser is out.
2. Apply a deep conditioner for damaged hair.
Here’s where you’re really going to start the hair repair process. Find a repairing conditioner for your hair texture. Since the Born to Repair Nourishing Conditioner works on all hair types, it’s a must-have in your arsenal.Keep in mind that you’ll be layering in the moisture over the next few steps, so if your hair is more wavy and fine, be sure to rinse this conditioner out completely. Thicker hair in the 4A to 4C range typically can leave 25% of the conditioner in your mane to work as a styling primer.
3. Use hair treatments for damaged hair.
Deep conditioning may be an extra step in your routine, but damaged hair will need it. Whether it’s a protein treatment, a repairing hair mask, or a more intensive moisturizing conditioner. The Born to Repair 60-Second Moisture Treatment treats your hair to some serious moisture replenishment when you’re short on time. This acidic pH-balanced formula was created to give damaged hair a boost in one minute, literally.When you’re dealing with damaged hair, consider applying a treatment once a week, minimum. Once your hair starts to feel and look like it’s back to normal, you can cut your hair treatments to once per month. For an even greater impact, add steam. You can do this by applying your treatment and then sitting under a hair dryer, using a heat cap, or hair steamer. The steam will help moisture to better penetrate the cuticle.
4. Don’t forget to layer.
The key to hydration is layering on moisture-rich products. This is easy to forget to do and takes time, but it really helps with styling and repairing damage due to dryness. The Born to Repair Reviving Oil is ideal for all hair types since it’s lightweight, but loaded with moisturizing ingredients like Babassu and Amazonian nut oil. You can apply it on freshly cleansed hair or as a sealant atop of your favorite styling products.5. Avoid heat styling.
If you can, try to give your hair a break. Aside from your wash day routine, try to minimize how much handling your hair goes through. The friction alone from styling is enough to unsettle smooth cuticles. Heat does the same thing, and if used on too high of a setting, it can cause serious damage.If you must, when heat styling, stick to temperatures below 400-degrees. You may think that the more coarse your hair, the higher the heat needs to be, but this actually isn’t true. If you’re blow drying, start on a medium setting. If you feel like it’s taking forever to dry, you can always go up to a higher setting. The same goes for flat irons and curling irons. Test it out by starting in the high 300-degree range. If it’s not working, slowly inch up in five-degree intervals.
Always prime hair with a heat protectant, like the Pracaxi Nectar Straight Blow Dry Cream, before blow drying and flat ironing. Also, keep in mind that if you’re touching up your hair with heat at any point after your initial styling session, you need to reapply a heat protecting product.
6. Consider a cut.
There is a chance that the level of damage is too severe for even the best moisturizing treatments. In this case, you’ll need to start fresh. Think of it like a plant with a leaf that has turned brown. Sometimes, but not always, pruning that part of the plant off can save the whole thing from going down. In the case of hair, cutting off the damaged ends will help keep strands from splitting even further.Does Healthy Eating Help Damaged Hair?
There’s both a direct and indirect correlation here. Diet definitely plays a factor in the health of the hair, in the same way that it can affect the skin. Think about what happens to your skin when you’re dehydrated. Skin feels dry, flaky, itchy. The scalp is an extension of the face, and hair grows from it; so if the scalp isn’t in good shape, chances are the hair growing from it won’t be either. While it’s a lot harder to repair damage through diet, it’s not totally out of the question. Considering that hair thrives on moisture, keeping the body hydrated both through healthy eating and drinking lots of water is probably the biggest health benefit you can do for your hair.In addition to proper hair care, rework how you style. Here’s Your Guide to Protective Hairstyles for Natural Hair.
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