How to take control of your damaged hair

There are 100s of different reasons why our hair is not in perfect condition.  Dry air, air conditioned rooms, too high temperature (especially if we use a blow drier or hair straighteners often), too many hair salon visit, too often a change of colour, too tight hair bands, going to sleep with wet hair, etc etc… The list can go on and on… If you hair is starting to look matt, to dry and kind of lifeless, bad hair days are becoming the norm or it just doesn’t want to form a perfect hair style preferring to just hung down with no purpose… then our hair is probably damaged and need some TLC.

There are a few easy steps you can undertake in order to bring some life back into your hair.

1. Find the reason your hair is damaged

I know that this task might not always be easy and there will be conditions overlapping, but ideally we should get rid of all “bad” habits and replace them with hair friendly one.  If you blow dry your hair every morning, try getting up earlier and letting your hair dry naturally or invest in a hair dryer with a cold air stream option. If you plan on going to sleep with wet hair, don’t; let them dry as much as possible before going to bed in order to avoid further damage. Finding the reason your hair isn’t happy should be your main priority. Your hair deserves better so find out what is hurting it and fix it.

2. Visit the hair salon and cut your hair, at least a little bit

If you hair is damaged, dry and dull a trim will do wonders for its health. You will need to have the ends of each hair follicle cut off. This is the part of the hair which is most likely un-fixable. I don’t suggest you get a short hair cut unless that is desired, all though this would be ideal as short hair is so much easier to keep in good health. Just have a trim and remove the split ends.

        3. Brush your hair

Many of us forget about brushing our hair… I know I do.  Brushing your hair is very important as it helps with oil distribution, the most essential part of glossy healthy hair. Also make sure you have a good hair brush preferably or a comb if all else fails. Do not brush your hair whilst it is wet… yes, I know it is easier to brush when wet but it is also much easier for your hair to get damaged, which we want to avoid at all cost. The only exception to this is the old Chinese method of combing using a piece of silk. Place the silk over your hands like a tea cloth and then run your hair between your hands gently, it takes an hour and its very boring but it does work wonders.

           4. Dry your hair in a reasonable way

We have already covered the fact that letting your hair dry naturally is a much better way than using a blow dryer. But there is also a second, very important component of drying… that is happening straight after your bath or shower. When using your towel be gentle. Do not rub your hair too much, do not press and move to quickly from left to right. Ideally just gentle place the towel over your head in order to collect excess water through gentle patting… Alternatively why not invest in a hair turban, which will protect you from dripping water and will soak up all the unnecessary moisture.

5.      5. Change the way you wash your hair

What is important is the way you wash your hair believe it or not. Try doing it slowly; use only your fingertips to gently massage the skin on your head. Do not rush, do not use very hot water and do not forget about the conditioner!

Invest in good quality product for damaged hair – The “Full Repair” collection from John Frieda is a great choice. They offer a Hydrate + Rescue Shampoo plus a Conditioner plus a Repair Oil Elixir which will help with your damaged hair in no time. I have been using these products for the last 4 weeks and I can really see the difference. My hair is much softer and has a healthy shine. No more do I have dull looking, matt hair.

Hopefully with these tips you will be able to get your hair back under control. It worked for me and I am sure it can work for you too.

Do you have any other tips about how to deal with damaged hair?

* I was provided with a selection of John Frieda Full Repair products so I can try them out.