Got damaged hair? Is it really damaged or do your tresses just need some love? Well let’s start with what is damaged hair and what is hair that needs some love. There are remedies for both situations, please keep in mind you can have hair that is both damaged and unhealthy. Your hair care needs are based off your lifestyle, budget, and time willing to spend on at home maintenance.Â
Damaged hair is due to the lack of hydration, excessive heat and improper hair combing causing tangles, split ends, dull hair and breakage. Healthy hair has shine, a smooth hair shaft, no split ends, and has elasticity. The best way to test if your hair is healthy or not at home is, on fresh clean hair with no product in it. Tweeze a strand straight from the scalp, this can be taken from any area of the head. I suggest taking strands from multiple areas because one area varies from the others when it comes to hair health consistency. This method is conducting an elasticity test, so you get your hair strand, hold each end between your pointer finger and your thumb. Gently pull the strand in opposite directions, if the strand immediately breaks…you have damaged hair, but if you can stretch it like a rubber band and it comes back without popping in two, your hair is in a healthy condition.
Depending on the severity of damage there are a few ways to turn things around. I’m gonna go for the jugular here, but straight up a hair CUT. When I say cut, I mean more that two inches, the damage maybe closer to the ends of the shaft due to split ends, Split ends is when the hair shaft splits into two pieces, kinda like a fork in the road. If the hair is not cut above that fork, the hair will continue to spit up the shaft until the 2 thin pieces break off. The longer you wait to get a trim the more you will have to cut off in the long run. So stay up to date on your trims. If you are a curly girl you can also see this happening on your curls, but a tell-tale sign is when you get those what I call fairy knots on the ends of your hair, just a little knot hanging out there by itself.Â
Damaged hair tends to be very weak and is prone to breakage. There are many causes for weak hair, such as chemical processes, infrequent trims, product buildup, leaving over processed hair literally breaking off when dry and sliding off when wet. Hear me when I say there is no amount of conditioning treatments that will fix this…YOU MUST CUT! Less moderate damage can be aided with conditioning treatments and there are many options based on the needs of your hair. Let's dive into some of the most popular and requested treatments.Â
Deep Conditioner
A deep conditioner is usually a thick liquid or paste. Yes, it is different from regular conditioners which are usually thinner in consistency. Regular conditioner can be done at home during your hair cleansing process and left on for five minutes. It will only penetrate the outer and first layer of the hair which is the cuticle. It is designed to smooth, soften, strengthen and add shine to these two layers of hair. Leaving it on for longer or under heat will not do anything as it is only designed to work just that cuticle layer of hair. But baby a deep conditioner…is formulated to work deep within the hair to the cortex, conditioning from the inside out. That is the reason heat is to be added and a longer processing time to allow the cuticles to rise and the cortex to dilate allowing for the smaller molecules of the deep conditioner to do its job. Most deep conditioners have some type of protein in it, so air on the side of caution by not over deep conditioning sessions as it can make hair too hard or to limp because it is so packed those conditioning agents. Timing on deep conditioners varies by brand, so I suggest following the manufacturer's instructions on the bottle.
Protein Treatment
Protein treatments are made to strengthen the inner cortex of the hair. Dassit! It does not add shine, it does not soften. I usually ask clients to visit the salon 3-4 weeks after a chemical process to put some protein nutrients back into the hair and to strengthen the strands. Protein treatments should be used as needed, meaning you are experiencing a lot of breakage…not dry hair. The intensity varies by brand, but my top favorite to work with are aphrogee and straight request Srength 1000. Aphrogee will stop breakage in its tracks and begins to heal the hair from the inside out. It does not have the most pleasant smell and it gets very hard while processing under a heated dryer, but it works the best. My next favorite Strength 1000 by straight request is a more gentle protein treatment I use for those after chemical processes. Protein treatments must always be followed up with a regular conditioner for five minutes to soften and add shine to the cuticle that brings that hair back into balance.
Hot Oil Treatment
This one is also an all time favorite of hair patrons! It dates back to those V05 days, so let's dive into what hot oil treatments do for you and who they are for. The oil is usually plant based, examples include olive oil, argan oil, almond oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil to name a few. In the salon I use Moroccan Oil Treatment. These oils aid to the dryness of hair and scalp, reduces frizz, adds shine and elasticity. The oil can be massaged into the scalp increasing blood flow promoting hair growth, The oil usually is heated up and applied to wet clean hair and processed under a warm hood dryer for up to 20 minutes. If you have an oily scalp but dry hair, just apply the oil at least two inches away from the scalp down to the hair shaft and ends. Hot oil treatments can be done as often as needed and needs to be followed up with a regular conditioner. Please be aware of synthetic oils out there, do your research and make sure you are working on cold pressed oils. Those are usually the organic natural ones.Â
Detoxifying Treatment
Just like you can detox your body you can detox your hair. It is what I like to call making a clean slate. Detox treatments can come in the form of a scrub, liquid, or powder. Detoxing your hair and scalp serves to remove minerals and product buildup from the hair shaft. Have you ever had that feeling that one day your hair is just not responding to your hair routine like it should, usually it is because it is due to those issues. Where does mineral buildup come from? The water that you shampoo your hair with. Swimming in chlorinated and salt water. Just a little tip shampooing your hair with clarifying or chelating shampoo every two weeks is a good start to preventing mineral and product build up. Installing a water filter on the water source that you shampoo your hair also helps. The main ingredients in most detox products are antioxidants and soothing botanicals. My go tos in the salon is the Malibu C line, specifically the crystal gel, curl partner, and swimmers wellness lines. All three can be used at room temperature or under a heated dryer. This product only does its work on the outer surface of the hair to remove those unwanted properties. For the scalp, I use Paul Mitchell’s Tea Tree Special Detox Foaming Salt Scrub providing a deep clean on the scalp removing dead skin caused by excess oils and product build up. Next time you are feeling overwhelmed because your hair is not acting right, just start over by detoxing your hair and scalp.
Bond Building Treatments
The most popular conditioning treatments out on the market right now are bond building treatments. Examples are Olaplex, Hydra Silk, K18, B9, and as of late Epres. This treatment works all the down to a chemistry level. Inside the inner cortex of the hair are bonds, which is what forms hair to be what it is. Damage to these bonds can be caused by chemical services, lack of trims, improper extension installations, excessive heat, and straight up NEGLECT. Some of these different brands of products can be added directly to a chemical mixture or not to help rebuild bonds as they are being broken down in the chemical process. All the brands can be used on the hair as a treatment to repair hair from the inside cortex to the outside cuticle. With this product there is no such thing as using it too often, but it is best to follow the instructions on the bottle. It works to strengthen the hair, rebuild the bonds, lay the outer cuticles down and add shine. Each brand works well in synergy with one another throughout the line. If take home products are available, believe me take them home, it helps with preventing damage. The brands have different processes on how to use them, do your research and find what works best for you in reference to how much time and effort you want to put into your hair care regimen.Â
No matter which treatment you choose from these 5 please choose one to add into your hair care routines and regimens. The number one reason for damage is neglect and we neglect because we simply don’t know or care, until we start to care and take the time to see a professional cosmetologist and do some research to find what will work best for our hair. We experience damage with unprotected extensive heat, over manipulation, chemical processes, infrequent hair trims, and not seeing a professional that cares for the health of your hair. The list can go on and on, but also not taking care of our bodies. Meaning drinking the daily recommended dosage of water, being physically active, having a balanced diet, avoiding drug and alcohol abuse. What we put in our bodies comes out in our hair because the nutrients in your body feeds the follicle in the scalp promoting having a healthy scalp or not and in turn what type of hair growth you experience. I offer all these conditioning treatments in my salon, and we can always sit down and have a proper consultation to formulate a custom healthy hair care regimen for you. I even have a digital hair care planner so you can reach your hair goals that are printable and can be used on your tablet. See my booking menu for these services at monadco.com and also get the planner too at https://www.monadco.com/category/all-products
Best~ Mona D Coiffeur
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