Help for Hopeless Hair: Effective Dry and Damaged Hair Solutions
1. Use hair oils.
Hair oils no longer come in the heavy, sticky formulations of yesteryear. Especially when infused with botanical ingredients, they have now become easy, everyday conditioning dry and damaged hair solutions due to their lightweight feel on hair. They also provide some added slip to hair, not to mention smoothen out frizz and provide some added moisture. To use, apply a hair oil or an elixir to the scalp and run it evenly throughout hair, whether via fingers or a comb. Pay particular attention to your ends, which are the oldest—and most damaged—parts of your hair. Look out for hair products infused with oils such as as avocado, coconut or almond, as these are particularly nourishing (We particularly like the healthy, long-lasting shine and flyaway smoothening we get from Suave Professionals Coconut Oil Infusion Damage Repair Oil Treatment.) For best results, wash hair and apply the treatment or oil to damp hair and proceed to style.
2. Eat a healthy diet.
Although not fully scientifically proven, what we put in our bodies fuels what comes out of it. Just like how we sometimes lose hair during times of stress, sickness or hormonal imbalances, healthy hair cannot come from an unhealthy, malnourished source. Eating lots of fruits and leafy green veggies, as well as the right proteins chock-full of essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, can help the condition of your hair (not to mention the rest of your body too!) Food rich in omega-3 acids, such as fish, flaxseed oil and primrose oil, have also been said to promote healthy hair, skin and nail growth.
3. Use treatment masks.
Hair masks are a fantastic deep conditioning product. Apply the cream-like mask to hair and comb through, ensuring all strands are coated. Leave to set for around 15 to 30 minutes—or better yet, put on a shower cap while you wash the rest of your body, so the steam helps sink the product in deeper. Rinse afterwards with cool water to help seal the strands down for a shinier effect. Used weekly or as needed, hair masks, such as Dove Nutritive Solutions Intensive Repair Deep Treatment Mask and Nexxus New York Salon Care Restoring Masque, are some of the dry and damaged hair solutions that are more beneficial when used correctly and consistently.
4. Watch how you dry your hair.
Mechanical damage from the daily use of hot tools, including overuse of a blowdryer, can damage your locks. Try alternating a few air-dry days into your routine, or better yet, learn a few heatless looks to give your hair a rest here and there.
5. Tap water.
It may sound unlikely, but simple tap water can help protect hair, especially before swimming. Rinsing your locks with regular tap water before jumping into a chlorinated pool or before hitting the waves helps prevent damaging chemicals from entering your hair shaft. It’s a quick and easy hack to not only extend the life of your hair dye, but to also keep your strands from drying out from exposure to salt water or other pool chemicals. Check out some more advice on how to take care of dry and damaged hair this season.
