911 for Damaged Hair

For those of us that use blow-dryers, flat irons, curling irons, get highlights and/or color, ...our hair takes a beating!!!

If your hair is a frazzled, dry, split, fuzzy mess, its time to take some serious action to save your hair! And yes, it can be saved. Cutting it shorter, helps stop split ends, but doesn't solve the real problem. Strengthening and replenishing your hair, so that it doesn't dissolve away, is the key.

1) Shampoo n' Conditioner. If you can only afford two good hair products, spend it on good shampoo and good conditioner! The wrong shampoo and conditioner can make matters much, much, much worse, or even be the cause of the problem! (read: October blog on 'Cheap Shampoo' and November blog on 'Conditioner Makes a Difference!').
For damaged hair, look for a combo designed to strengthen with proteins. Products with protein may cost more, but protein is the only ingredient that can truly rebuild each strand and give it the strength to withstand heat.
For seriously damaged hair try Aveda's Smooth Infusion shampoo and conditioner or Bumble and Bumble's Damage Therapy treatment set. I have seen amazing results with both. For slightly damaged hair and a more affordable option, Alba sells great sets, with conditioners that contain soy protein. If you already have a high quality shampoo and conditioner but just need to add protein try Aveda's Damage Remedy Mask or Bumble and Bumble's Damage Therapy Mask. IMPORTANT: Once hair has been strengthened with proteins, take a break from protein mask or any intense protein treatments.

2) Leave-in Conditioner. If you use heat of any kind, a leave-in conditioner should be considered (this is in addition to the normal conditioner used in the shower.) It will protect and moisturize the hair strands, add shine and smoothness to the ends and stop static. When heat is used on hair it sucks moisture out of the hair strand. A leave-in conditioner acts as a barrier between the heat and your hair. That way, the product gets sucked out of the hair when heat is applied. Leave-in conditioners are also called; styling creams, smoothing lotions, straightening gels and a variety of other things.

3) Iron Protection. Damp hair should NEVER be ironed. Every time you put an iron on your hair, a heat-protection spray should be used. The heat of the iron steams out moisture and destroys the protein cells that the hair is composed of. Heat-protection products, work by coating the hair, thus protecting the protein cells and lightly lubricating the hair strands. If you use irons, buy a heat protection spray! In this case, a cheap protection, is better than no protection.
The best heat protection spray I have used is GHD's Thermal Protector (it comes in two options: thin-normal hair or normal-thick hair.) or Aveda's Damage Control works well too.

4) Tools.
-- Round brush's with metal cores can act like irons, consider switching to one with a ceramic core and natural bore bristles.
-- Blow-dryers should ideally have mulitple heat settings so that you can set it at medium temperature and not use the high heat settings. (Try sucking out most of the water from the hair with paper towels before you blow dry if your in a rush.) The more powerful your blow-dryer is, the faster the air blows out of it and the quicker your hair will dry. Look for a turbo of at least 1800 watts.
-- Flat irons / Styling irons (looks like a flat iron but straightens and curls) are all very different from one another. Without getting into a lot of details... you get what you pay for. The cheap irons often burn hair and take longer to straighten. Quality ones have a better heat bed and thus get your hair straighter and smoother faster. Most stylists use GHD's 1 inch Styling Iron. CHI is also a good brand.
-- Curling irons are made very similar to one another, cheap or expensive, doesn't really matter.
Damaged hair can be saved! But it takes a little pampering. Love your hair! ~Liza