Let’s face it: sometimes your greatest asset is also your greatest insecurity. That can be especially true if your hair doesn’t always look and feel the way you want it to. Whether you use heat, dye, or chemical relaxers to get the hair you want, you probably already know that there’s a downside to all of these fixes: damage.
When hair is damaged, it’s harder to style, less comfortable throughout the day, and altogether a damper on your confidence. Still, it can feel unavoidable. Hair damage is common, and the daily habits you rely on to get the look you want could be contributing to breakage, dryness, or shedding.
Don’t fret. Repairing hair damage is possible, even if it requires updating your daily hair regimen. Read ahead to learn about what causes hair damage, and how you can use science-backed solutions to repair hair without sacrificing style.
Understanding Hair Damage
What does damage look like?
Identifying hair damage is the first step towards repairing it. There are a number of forms that damaged hair can take:
Dry and brittle appearance: Hair lacks its natural shine and moisture, making it more difficult to style
Breakage and split-ends: You may discover dull or frizzy hair, while the strands themselves may start to split
Shedding, thinning, or bald spots: Depending on the severity of hair damage, your hair could start shedding more than usual, or even falling out in larger portions, leaving exposed spots in the scalp
Changing hair texture or patterns: Straight hair may become coarser, while curly hair may yield a new curl pattern, like looser, less defined ringlets.
Forms of damage
Hair damage can be caused by any number of variables, which define the different forms of hair damage:
Thermal hair damage: Also known as heat damage, thermal damage is caused by styling tools with high temperatures. Repeated application of flat irons, curling wands, or high-heat blow-dryers can erode the cuticle and weather strands, leading to breakage over time.
Chemical hair damage: Occasional chemical treatments like dying, retexturizing, perms, or Brazilian blowouts are fine in moderation. But overuse of chemical treatments can cause serious damage to your hair over time. Chemical treatment that is too harsh, not accompanied with proper tending, or too frequent can lead to progressive deterioration of hair cuticles, damaging the protein structures of your hair. Additionally, some treatments can lead to damage of your scalp and strands, or even cause an allergic reaction.
Mechanical damage: This type of damage is caused by everyday wear-and-tear. Combing or brushing hair through the length, using tight hair ties and ribbons, and even exposing hair to environmental factors like sunlight can cause mechanical damage. Such factors can cause breakage of individual strands, and the weathering of protective cuticles, leading to frazzled and frizzy hair.
Some additional habits that could be causing damage to your hair include:
Swimming in a chlorinated pool without a swim cap
Rubbing shampoo into the length of hair instead of the scalp, or shampooing too frequently
Rubbing wet hair with a towel instead of wrapping it or letting it air dry
Pulling back hair too tightly, whether in a ponytail, bun, or cornrows
Wearing a weave or hair extensions that pull too tightly at your roots.
How to Fix Damaged Hair: Effective Repair Solutions
If you feel overwhelmed by the number of factors that could contribute to hair damage, take comfort in the fact that there are simple solutions to repair and prevent further disruption to your lovely locks.
Always use heat protection: Before you apply heat with a styling tool, set your hair up for success with a heat protectant spray. OGX® Bond Protein Repair 450°F Heat Protect Spray, for instance, shields your hair from heat damage up to 450°F, so hair stays resilient and looking strong no matter how you style. Whether you’re straightening or curling your hair, OGX® Bond Protein Repair Heat Protect Spray can give you smooth, strong, and weightless protection from the high temperatures that cause thermal damage.
Repair with Bond Protein products: Repairing hair that is already showing signs of damage calls for Dual-Action Bond Protein Repair technology. The Bond Protein Repair line of products by OGX® delivers a 1-2 punch to damaged hair:
Rebuilds bonds in the inner hair cortex
Binds to damaged sites on hair cuticles to help keep hair strong, smooth, and resilient.
Achieve 80% less breakage and 6X more protection* with OGX® Bond Protein Repair Heat Protect Spray. For a full routine, consider adding our bond repair Shampoo, Conditioner and Sealing Serum, for 80% smoother hair**.
*Tested on bleached and heat damaged hair, versus untreated damaged hair
** With use of OGX® Bond Protein Repair System of Shampoo, Conditioner, and Sealing Serum, versus untreated damaged hair
How to Protect Your Hair from Future Damage
Establish a protective hair wash routine: You may be washing your hair more frequently than necessary, which could strip hair of its natural moisture and leave it feeling dry and damaged.
Wash your hair just a few times a week with products specially formulated to protect against hair damage. Improved OGX® formulas are enhanced with Lipi Pro Shield™️ Technology, for healthy hair in 1 wash, protecting against damage, while strengthening and adding shine to your hair. The new Lipi Pro Shield™ Technology is powered to deliver 2X more lipid & protein protection,** designed to maintain hair’s essential nutrients necessary for hair health.
**vs. non-conditioning shampoo, with continuous use
Brush and comb with appropriate tools: Over-brushing your hair could cause damage to both the cuticle and the strand. Use a wide-tooth comb or a comb specific to your hair type to avoid damage, and be delicate as you comb your hair for styling purposes. Avoid pulling and tugging on your hair, and when necessary, remove tangles gently, using a moisturizing conditioner.
Reduce heat when styling: Too much heat can really do a number on your hair. Avoid using hot styling tools every single day, and when you do, always prepare with a heat protectant spray to defend hair from thermal damage. You should also consider lowering the temperature if your tools allow it—even on blow dryers. When possible, allow hair to air dry.
Minimize chemical treatments: Occasional chemical treatment can already cause damage to hair, but in excess, chemicals are a nightmare for lush, healthy locks. Try to limit the amount of chemical treatments, whether that involves dying, straightening, or perms, and consider using a Bond Protein Repair product to help rehabilitate chemically damaged hair.
There is no single best way to fix damaged hair, but by adjusting your routine, you can begin eliminating bad habits and replacing them with the good habits and beneficial products that will give your hair the healthy, comfortable shine it deserves.