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How can I care for my damaged hair?
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Fusspot
Posts: 327 Forumite

Hope someone can help. My hair is fine and damaged and is now breaking off. I do use GHDs because if I didn't my hair would look fluffy and flyaway, I can't leave it to dry naturally or it would look terrible, my hairdresser always uses GHDs on my hair anyway so I am thinking it can't be so bad but my hair is breaking off and now its starting to worry me.
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Hope someone can help. My hair is fine and damaged and is now breaking off. I do use GHDs because if I didn't my hair would look fluffy and flyaway, I can't leave it to dry naturally or it would look terrible, my hairdresser always uses GHDs on my hair anyway so I am thinking it can't be so bad but my hair is breaking off and now its starting to worry me.
If it is literally fine, damaged and breaking off, I would suggest getting it cut pretty short and start really caring for it.
No hair dying, lots of conditioner, you can get leave in ones which are great too. Wash your hair less (use that dry shampoo if needed). If your using a very high heat on your straighteners, turn it down. Use heat protection spray.
If my hair was breaking off, I would cut the lot off and start again. Hair can not really 'heal'. You can put as much oil and rubbish on it you want to make it look sleeker, but if you don't care for it properly in the first place, it won't be good hair! Once the damage is done, it can't really be reversed.
Bite the bullet and go for a short funky cut. If you have dyed it and need to keep your roots looking good, try semi -perm dyes for 6-8 months instead. No real chemicals and you can easilly keep your hair looking fresh. (Add 1 'pouch' or 'squeeze' of the semi perm dye into about two mugs of conditioner, mix in and use as your normal conditioner (remember to leave on for a good 20 minutes)
Good luck! Sorry for being the one with the bad news!0 -
No need to stop dying your hair, if it is done properly i.e. by a hairdresser!
A hairdresser will use GHDs on your hair because they want you to leave the salon looking good, and it is the quickest way to a good result.
I would suggest a good trim (you don't need to cut it short, just get rid of the ends), conditioning treatments, and lay off the heat! A well shaped cut should allow you, with the right styling products, to do your hair without straighteners or even a hair dryer.0 -
Hi
I have a tragically bad case of poodle hair when I don't use my straighteners so I sympathise with your reliance on straighteners. My hair is very thick and coarse so I have to use them on the highest heat... For fine hair, you should be able to get a good result with less heat. If not, don't keep going over the same section of hair repeatedly. This damages it so fast.
I use Coconoil on my hair as a treatment. I can't vouch for any other type of coconut oil as I have only ever used this, but I can say it makes a big difference to my hair. I melt a couple of spoonfuls in the microwave & rub it into dry hair from my scalp to the tips, making sure I soak it properly. I then leave it as long as possible... I suggest using a cheap shower cap over it just to keep it from getting on everything, but I have left it on overnight with just a towel on my pillow. You'd be amazed at how much seems to disappear into your hair across the course of the day. You can also use the tiniest touch of it after you have showered & conditioned your hair, as a conditioner, but I am talking just rubbing the tips of your fingers into it and dragging them through the ends of your hair, otherwise it will look greasy.
My hair does get greasy with a lot of styling/heat protection products... The one that I have found to work best is Smoothly Does It heat protection serum... It doesn't make my hair greasy at all and does seem to work in making it easier to straighten.
I have to be honest though and say, even though I use this stuff... I still have to get my hair cut about an inch or so shorter every 6 months to a year to keep the ends nice...
Good luck!!!!
A black belt only covers 2 inches of your a$$ - You have to cover the rest yourself - Royce Gracie0 -
Thank you for your replies. I don't want my hair cut very short, its already in a bob (about chin length) and don't want it any shorter. If I wash it and leave it to dry and it looks shapeless and its too short to tie back at the moment otherwise I would dry it naturally and just tie it back till the condition gets better.
Would just using the hairdryer on a low setting and a blow dry spray be OK, I can't cope with doing nothing to it all. I also use a hair mask and shampoo from the hairdressers and I need to have my hair dyed due to the grey.0 -
Have you googled brazilian blow dry - it helped my sister grow her very fragile hair.0
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If your is very damaged then try the Tigi Elasticate range. My hairdresser friends recommend it and apparently you can see the difference after the first few washes.
The Redken antisnap range is also very good and they have a leave in conditioner/protein treatment.
Try washing your hair at night, wrap it up with a microfibre towel which will soak up most of the water, brush it with a wide tooth comb then leave to air dry. If you need to straighten it in the morning then ensure that you use a good heat protector. Keratase do a 'ciment' that is heat activated and only needs to be applied every 5th wash I believe.
Regular trims will also be beneficial, make sure that you allow your hairdresser to take away the split ends otherwise the problem will just continue.0 -
I put oil onto my hair (about 1 hour before I have a shower). Over time, you will hopefully notice that it much softer. I used to put coconut oil on my hair, but I read online that avocado oil is also good, so I used that. (I actually bought it from Sainsburys! haha) Put cling film or something round your head, because if you put a lot of oil on your head then it will start dripping everywhere and you will find oil spots on the carpet, which isnt particularly nice!:EasterBun0
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Every so eaten I pick a day when I'm not going anywhere, wash my hair & smother it in a deep conditioner, pop a shower cap on for as long as I can stand it, then take showers cap off but leave the conditioner in until the next day, I do it for a day or just overnight & it helps the condition. Also, as others have posted try to wash your hair less frequently so the need to use straighteners is reduced. Hope it helps!0
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My hair was getting very tangled and snapping. Then I spoke to my hairdresser who asked what shampoo and conditioner I was using - I'd been in economy mode for a while and had been using Tr*somme. She told me that it wouldnt do my hair any good at all (her comment was 'use it for washing the car'!!), and suggested I switch to Redken which I had used before. Very expensive!! However, I use far less of it, don't need to wash my hair every day any more, and actually it's lasting me ages - plus my hair looks really good, thick and holds it's style for far longer (I have shoulder length hair that I curl).
Sometimes cheap is false economy...0 -
regular trims and less GHD usage, quality shampoo & condtioner and oil treatments - and also recommend eating a health diet for the nutrients your new hair needs.0
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