Hair looking and feeling stressed? The occasional dry, dull strand is almost inevitable, considering that almost everything we expose our hair to on a daily basis can cause some damage.
“The most common causes of heat damage include chemical processes such as color and chemical relaxers, as well as heat damage from using hot tools on a daily basis. Environmental factors such as hard water, UV rays and even extreme cold can also cause damage,” explains Susan Ford, master stylist and creative director of Asha Salon Spa in Chicago. The good news: There are plenty of ways to bring locks back to life. When dry hair needs some extra TLC, here are six of the best things you can do.
01
Use hair masks weekly.
Yes, your regular shampoo and conditioner are important, but there is a third factor that should be part of your standard hair care routine. Ford recommends doing a hair mask once a week. She recommends looking for moisturizing formulas that contain ingredients such as shea butter, coconut oil and avocado oil.
While these won’t repair any damage (more on that later), they will add a lot of moisture. In turn, this will make hair look and feel softer and smoother – which is always a good thing. [Try the Hair Care Food Avocado and Argan Oil Smoothing Hair Mask ($3, walmart.com)]. Plus, well-hydrated hair is less likely to break and snap when brushing or styling.
Important note: It helps to let the mask sit on your hair for a few minutes, but to really up the ante, apply it to damp hair, then put on a shower cap and leave it on overnight. The shower cap locks in the heat and helps the ingredients penetrate the hair better (and prevents the pillowcase from becoming sticky). Rinse out in the morning and you’re good to go.
Related: 6 Hair Masks to Restore Dry, Damaged Hair
02
Look for bond builders.
Hair damage is hard to eliminate once it happens, but a growing number of products promise to do just that. Bond-building treatments work by actually repairing the protein bonds that break when hair is damaged. They rely on a variety of proprietary ingredients, so it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what to look for, Ford notes.
The best option is to look for products that are specifically designed for bond repair, such as Olaplex No. 3 Hair Repair Perfector ($30, sephora.com). One of the OG’s in this category can be used weekly or 3 times a week in as little as 10 minutes. We’re also fans of Amika The Kure Multi-Task Repair Treatment ($29, revolve.com), which has been clinically tested to achieve a 74 percent hair repair rate after just three uses thanks to its bond-cure technology.
03
Protect the strands from heat.
Blow-drying your hair every day (or using a curling iron or straightener) can be a major source of damage, but the fix is simple. All you have to do is spray your hair with a heat protectant before using any tool; Ford says this is the best way to protect it from damage caused by the heat of straightening. Worth a try: TRESemmé Heat Tamer Spray ($8, ulta.com). Easier said than done, but the less you have to rely on popular tools, the better.
04
Schedule regular haircuts.
Another simple fix, but one many people can’t do. “Make it a habit to schedule haircuts every six weeks in advance. This will allow you to maintain healthy hair and prevent breakage and split ends,” says Ford.
Split ends may seem harmless, but they can leave your hair looking damaged and frizzy; they can also cause more serious damage if they move further up the hair shaft. Set reminders on your phone, book ahead when you go to the salon and do what you have to do, but get into the habit of trimming your hair regularly.
05
Protect your hair from the sun.
Breaking news: Sun protection isn’t just for your skin. UV rays can dry out hair and cause fading. Ford says the best defense is to wear a hat in the sun; you can also try using a sunscreen leave-in spray. She likes Aveda Sun Care Protective Hair Veil (spray on dry hair) ($39, aveda.com). It will help protect hair from the sun and act as a protective coating to help prevent dry and potentially damaging salt water or chlorinated pool water from seeping into your strands.
06
Brush carefully.
Overzealous, improperly brushed hair is a very insidious source of mechanical damage and something we do every day without realizing it. There are some important brushing rules to follow to minimize damage. First, start by brushing your hair from the bottom up. If you start brushing from the roots down, you will end up pushing knots to the ends and may end up with huge tangles in the parts of your hair that are already the most fragile and prone to breakage. Starting at the ends and working your way up eliminates this risk.
Second, brush your hair before showering, as shampooing may lead to more tangles. Finally, after washing, make sure you spray on an anti-tangle spray or leave-in conditioner before brushing; this will make the hair somewhat slippery and minimize the amount of pulling and jerking needed to eliminate tangles. We can’t get enough of the multitasking Odele Leave-In Smoother ($11, target.com) – a clean, affordable formula that combs, hydrates and protects hair from heat and pollution.
Was this page helpful?