Hello 
I know it’s been a while since our last Beauty post. As you’ve probably been able to tell, I usually pick the subjects for these based on my own personal experiences and beauty curiosities and I must admit I’ve been taking a bit of a break from my usual routines.
But, as you can see, we are back and talking about damaged hair.
I am a huge fan of summer and of spending time outside in the sun, so I’ve been doing a lot of that. I’ve also been swimming as much as I can, both in pools and in the sea. And while swimming is great exercise and great fun, it can take its toll on your skin and particularly, on your hair. Both the salt in the sea and the high level of chlorine present in most public pools works to slowly damage the hair strand. And so, after a couple months of sun exposure and swimming, my hair is looking incredibly brittle, which of course, I hate.
So, I’ve been looking into natural, DIY treatments for this and I figured I’d share my findings with you guys.
1. Stay away from heat
I know, it sounds like a joke after what I just said about sun exposure, but it’s not. I’m talking about blow-drying your hair here. I know a lot of people who do it every time they wash it and are fine, but if you have finer hair or if you’ve noticed your hair is going through a rough patch, I suggest you stop using the blow-dryer and letting your hair dry naturally, if you can.
As you can imagine, the heat causes damage. It not only removes the external layer of moisture on the hair strand, but also dries out the water that is bound in your hair, causing dehydration. This is one of the chief causes of your hair appearing dry and brittle.
Naturally, heat refers to a lot of hair-styling products as well, such as curlers and straighteners. So, avoid those as well, whenever possible. Because you know, curls are great and all, but not at the risk of damaging your hair.
When you do decide to use a blow-dryer on your hair or a curler/straightener, I highly recommend using a thermo-protective serum of some sort, because it does seem to keep the damage to a minimum.
2. To wash or not to wash?
I’ve met people who wash their hair daily and I’ve met people who wash it once a week, if that. As with everything, I suggest you find what’s best for you, but be careful. While washing a lot can be great for some, it can also prove harmful for others. Excessively washing your hair causes the shaft of the hair strand to swell and become prone to breakage, which is not what we’re going for.
Also, since we’re on the subject of washing your hair, try to stay away from shampoos that contain sulfates. This can be a bit tricky, especially as a lot of store-bought products have them, so I say, when you do manage to find one without sulfates, try to alternate.
Because the sulfate ones are more aggressive on your hair and so, you might want to limit your exposure.
Oh, and another hair washing trick. I know a lot of people brush their hair when it’s wet and if that works for you, then great. But the thing is, wet hair, as I said, is more elastic and easier to break. So combing it when it’s still wet might break off more hair strands. Try leaving it for when it’s dry and see how that works for you.
3. Treatments
If you’re struggling with dry, brittle hair, it’s important to also do your best to repair the damage. While it is great to change your habits and work towards prevention, you also want to treat what’s been done already.
So, if your hair is dry, it makes sense you’d want to focus on hydrating it. As I’ve said in previous posts, coconut oil can be a great treatment, as can olive oil, for that matter. But use it with moderation. Too much and your hair will look like something out of Night of the Living Dead.
It’s ideal you use either of these oils in combination with a bit of honey, yogurt or my favorite, a raw egg.
Eggs are packed with protein and they’re really nurturing for the damaged hair strand.
Another great natural hair treatment is castor oil, though this was in way more thick than coconut or olive. It’s a very dense sort of oil and while the other two can be applied on their own, castor oil needs to be combined with something, or it may end up doing more damage.
For example, the other day, I put some castor oil and honey in my hair and had quite a job of getting it all out. At one point, I was searching forums and someone suggested putting dishwashing soap in your hair. Now, that seems a bit counter-productive to me and I’d rather not do that.
So, try and combine castor oil with egg or yogurt or something that makes it more spreadable. I did end up getting it out of my hair after two washes, and though it wasn’t gone completely, it did leave my hair looking fuller. So, good to know, I guess.
I think I’ve mentioned before, a good natural treatment for dry, thin hair is nettle tea. This one is by far the least amount of effort. You just brew about two cups (500 ml) of nettle tea, let it cool and then pour it over your hair after washing it. It does have a tendency toward green, so be careful, especially if you have light hair. But it does seem to nurture the hair and I’ve had really good results in the past.
Now, there are loads of interesting tricks and ideas out there and I say, give them a try if you want to. But remember, while you can work to lessen the damage, you can’t actually repair damaged hair. Damaged hair is a collection of dead cells and there’s no bringing those back to life, so the only true remedy for damaged hair is time, letting it grow out and working to prevent such problems in the future. I hope this post has been helpful to you.
What are your favorite natural hair treatments and tips? Share with us below :)
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