9 Steps to Preventing Damaged Hair

With a world full of hair dyes, straighteners, and sulfates, our hair is bound to suffer. The key to maintaining it's health will rely completely and totally on YOU and how you treat your lovely locks.

Did you know that once your hair emerges from your scalp it is no longer living? At that point, it becomes mostly composed of a protein called keratin. This means that once it is damaged, it will not be able to repair itself.

Our hair has several different parts. It begins with the hair follicle which is located in the second layer of our skin called the Dermis. Once the hair emerges from the skin, it is called the shaft. The shaft of the hair consists of three different parts--the cuticle, cortex, and medulla.

So how can you protect this beautiful part of you? Allow me to fill you in.

1. Try skipping the shampoo all together. There are many different options on the market today for "No Poo" shampoos, otherwise known as cleansing conditioners. These are the cleansing conditioners that I would recommend for you. I've personally tried all of these and they work wonderfully.

 

DevaCurl Combo No-Poo Cleanser Shampoo + One Conditioner (2 Liter Duo) 2 Piece Set














WEN Chaz Dean Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner 16 oz with Free Pump

2. If you must use a shampoo, try just shampooing your scalp and then conditioning the rest of your hair. I say this because most shampoos on the market today contain Sulfates, which can drain most of the moisture from your hair. If you look on the label of your shampoo, sulfates will be listed with the following names: Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Sodium Laureth Sulphate, Ammonia Sulphate, TEA Lauryeth Sulphate, and Sodium Myreth Sulphate. Sulfates are basically detergents and are just added to shampoos to make them lather. You can also use a sulphate free shampoo. Alterna has some of my favorite ones.

Alterna Caviar Anti Aging Replenishing Moisture Shampoo, 8.5 Ounce

Alterna Caviar Clinical Daily Detoxifying Shampoo-8.5 oz.

3. Skip washing your hair for a day or two and rock a messy bun! This will help the natural oils from your scalp travel further down the hair shaft. And if you don't want to put your hair in a bun? Use a dry shampoo. They work amazing and some of them have amazing fragrances.

*see my blog on Dry Shampoos for recommendations

4. You should ALWAYS deep condition your hair. If you do this once a week, your hair will thank you!

Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair Deep Conditioning Mask-5.25 oz.










5. Use oils in your hair. Jojoba oil is the closest to the natural oils that our hair produce and will work wonders for you. Just place some in the palm of your hand and work it through your hair from the root to the tips. You can leave it on your hair for an hour before you take a shower or leave it on over night. Do whatever works best for you! You can also use a couple of drops of essential oils in your shampoo or conditioner. Lavender, Sandalwood, Rosemary, Cedarwood, and Thyme essential oils are amazing for hair as most of these stimulate your scalp and encourage the growth of stronger hair.

NOW Foods Organic Jojoba Oil, 4 ounce

NOW Foods Lavender Oil, 2 ounce

NOW Foods Rosemary Oil, 4 ounce

6. Try skipping the heating tools and let your hair dry naturally whenever you can. Whenever you must use heating tools, you can use tools that are designed to inflict as little damage to your hair as possible. Listed below are a few options for you to consider. You should also try using a heat protectant spay whenever possible.

Deva Blow Dryer with Diffuser

T3 Feather Weight Compact Folding Dryer

T3 Featherweight Luxe 2i Ion Generator Hair Dryer

7. While deep conditioning and allowing oils to sit in your hair, try wrapping a warm towel around your head. This will increase the absorption of the moisture and oils into your head.

8. Try taking vitamins. There are several options on the market that are formulated specifically for healthy hair. An added bonus to this is that most of these vitamins also benefit not only your overall health but your skin and nails! You can try the more expensive versions with added benefits or just stick with plain ole prenatal vitamins. Either will work just fine.

*Can be found exclusively at Sephora.com and are worth EVERY PENNY!

9. Simply take better care of yourself, eat a more balanced and healthy diet, and visit your doctor whenever you don't feel at your best. Are you surprised to hear this? Just like your body, your hair needs to be nourished from the inside out in order to maintain its health. After all, if you don't have a healthy hair follicle to start out with, you wont have a healthy looking piece of hair to emerge from it either. Several things can effect your hair such as hormonal imbalances, smoking, and lack of sleep. So, follow my advice and start out this new year with a better, healthier you!

As always, I'd love to hear you guys thoughts and answer any questions. Feel free to comment below! Good luck on your journey to healthier hair!