How to fix damaged hair?

-Selene

In March, I had my hair bleached and dip dyed. Unfortunately a couple of months later I was signed off work with depression and anxiety and hair care was very low on my list of priorities. It got into a bit of a mess, so at the weekend I brushed through it and cut / undid tangles. However despite regular brushing its tangled and knotted up again, which hasn't happened before (normally to get my hair in the state it is now it wouldn't have been brushed for several weeks, which isn't the case here). On top of that, the bottom colour in my dip dye has completely faded

I want to redo my dip dye, but I don't want to do that with my hair in its current state. I googled online and the general consensus is to have a deep conditioning treatment and leave it in overnight, but all the recommended products are quite pricey so here I am looking for a MSE version :cool: I don't use heat products and normally shampoo and condition every 2/3 days but during the last few months haven't been doing that as often, which I think is mostly how my hair got into such a state (as I previously coloured it with the same hairdresser with no problems).

Also, for anyone else who has been in the same situation hair-wise / is a qualified hairdresser: how often could I deep condition? I know daily is a no-no, and it usually should be once a week, but I'm hoping for quick results as I'd really like to get my hair done before going back to work in three weeks as a confidence booster.

Thank you in advance for any advice

jenniewb

Hair is dead once it's grown out of the roots so once damaged cannot repair itself whatever you chuck at it! What you can do is coat it but this would be something you'd need to do every time you washed your hair to keep it looking as good and feeling as good, in terms of how damaged it would be without all the products layered over it wont change.


With products to hide or cover damaged hair you'd need to be wary of not using too much silicone or products with ingredients ending in 'cone' which tend to be things which suffocate hair. Hair can appear smoother and less brittle if it's able to soak up things like oils which although doesn't sound like a fantastic idea (who really likes to think their unwashed and oily scalp is being soaked up by the rest of their hair!) and this can help how the texture looks. But if you use a 'cone product it will coat hair and prevent it getting as much or any of the oils produced from your scalp which however much ...ewwww! Is actually a healthier and far more effective way to help reefed damaged hair.


Silicones/cones in principal aren't such a great idea, but once in a while they really are not so bad so please don't scream and run a mile from them; just use them less and after a few uses with products which have silicones in (be it skincare, hair care or anything else) it can really help to run a clarifying step where you use a specially made product to get rid of all or some of the many 'cone layers. But be aware you would need to then straight away re-treat your hair with a decent conditioner (remember to look for the cones and think about what you need from a clarifying step to save wasting your own time) and keep a tally of what hair products work for you and which don't and remember that it's your hair at the end of the day and what you choose to put in your hair is of your own choosing.


I can recommend Philip Kingsley's Elasticizer and the Elasticise Extreme. If you want to see the results stick with the masque once a week and you should start to see results after the second week.


Other products with a look are Kerastase Masquintense, Pureology Super Smooth, Aveda Damage Control and Aphogee Protein 20-step That last one takes some real getting used to but will reap results when done properly,

pirateyqueen

If I were you I would do an overnight coconut oil treatment once a week. There was a thread posted here about it, but basically melt some coconut oil (you can get it in most food shops now) and apply to the hair, wrap in a showercap/towel and leave it in overnight (or a few hours if you can't stand that). Wash your hair a couple of times to remove all the oil and your hair should feel nice and smooth.

My hairdresser told me that hair gets much more easily tangled when it has been bleached due to the damage.

tomtontom

I'd vote for the Aphogee, but only if you're hair needs protein and not just moisture. Used properly it is a wonder product, but on the wrong hair it will cause more problems than it solves.

Before any of that I'd get it cut. If the damage is done you need to start afresh.

DD265

Hold one of your hairs (still attached) at the end with one hand and then pinch it gently near the end with your other hand. Run the second hand upwards - if it feels like it's catching then the cuticles of the hair are all roughed up. This means that they are more porous so yes they take colour better but they also don't keep the moisture in, hair tangles easier and isn't as shiny because the surface isn't as smooth to reflect light.

I kept a bottle in the shower and after shampoo (which does contain sulfates but no silicone) and condition (no sulfates no silicone, my hair loves this particular combo) I would pour some vinegar on then rinse it off. As your hair dries the vinegar smell goes away I promise.

Yolina

Mix an egg yolk and some olive oil, slap on hair and leave for at least 30 minutes, shampoo off and finish with your usual coditioner
I've been doing that once a month (as per my gran's instructions ) for about 30 years and bonus: you can bake some meringues with the egg white that's left over

System

Tried oil, eggs, protein packs and everything i could lay my hands on when i dyed my dark brown hair blonde. I even tried putting a semi over the top to go back to dark brown but my hair turned green... a rubbish shade of green at that!

Still didnt stop it breaking off in handfulls.

I ended up cutting it really short instead.

MoaningMyrtle

Redken Extreme range is good.