About two years ago, after only dying it black a couple months before, i decided i wanted platinum blonde hair and made almost all the rookie mistakes. I was lucky enough that my hair was so healthy to start with that the damage wasn't completely unforgiving but even though i am brunette again now i've learned some awesome ways to get damaged hair feeling/looking healthy again.
Tips/tricks
Don't brush your hair when it's wet: I cannot stress this enough, our hair is very weak when wet as it stretches. I personally don't brush my hair at all but if you do, DO NOT BRUSH WHEN HAIR IS WET. Just don't do it!
Not so hot: It's time to start avoiding the hottest setting on your dryer and cut back on those straighteners and hair curlers. I know this is the most obvious advice but you really will notice a huge difference once you turn the heat down
Give it a rest: Don't wash your hair everyday, try every other day. The acids in shampoos strip our hair of it's natural oils, so the best way to avoid this is to simply not wash it so much.
Better products: From heat protection milks to moisturising shampoos, our hair needs extra TLC and it's worth investing in some good products. Obviously a lot of these are crazy pricey so the ones i would recommend are
- Kerastase Ciment Thermique
- Aussie three minute Miracle Reconstructor
- Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo
Happy hair days: Every month or fortnight or so, give your hair a special lovey dovey day, use a deep conditioning treatment, or use a home made recipe (i've left my favourites at the bottom for you to try)
Things to avoid
Elastic hair bands: The metal band can catch on your hair and cause breakage and the tight fibres can further damage your hair
Clarifying Shampoos/Acidic Shampoos: Clarifying shampoos are designed to give your hair 'a fresh start' by removing any leftover product or dirt, for people with damaged hair though these are important to avoid as they are powerful and remove all the natural oils. Even if your hair is healthy, long term use of clarifying shampoos can cause great damage to your hair.
Over Nourishment: It is in fact possible to go overboard with treatments. Whatever method you choose to give your hair some nourishment, try to only do it every fortnight.
Rough fabrics: If your pillow is made of a rough or 'drying out fabric' (cotton included) this could be causing damage to your hair whilst you sleep. Try silkier fabrics such as satin or try wrapping your hair up in a softer fabric whilst you sleep. Same goes for if you wear a lot of hats.
Favourite home made treatments
Hot oil treatment: These are very easy, simply
- Warm up some of your fav oils (i would recommend any nut oil and/or argan oil) in a microwave until nice and warm, NOT BOILING, just pleasantly warm.
- Cover your hair in it, paying special attention to the tips.
- Wrap it up in a towel and leave for approx 45 minutes.
- Wash as usual.
Honey Treatment: Honey is great because it locks in moisture, it's also great for your skin
- Mix 1/2 cup of honey (organic, runny) with an egg yolk and mix together
- Shampoo/condition hair as usual
- Whilst damp, massage the mixture into your hair working upward from the tips
- Leave for 20 mins then rinse with warm water
*if you are worried it won't come out esily you can add a spoonfull of olive oil to loosen it, though i've never had any trouble with it coming out very easily
Happy hair Days Everyone, I'd love to hear some of your tips too
Ly ～❤
