The Ideal Hair Care Products to Bring Damaged Strands Back to Life

“The hair is the richest ornament of women.”

Martin Luther

And if you take a walk throughout history, you would notice that hair has been at the center of attention for humans. For thousands of years, our ancestors have used hair care routines, hair ornaments and cosmetics not only to style their hair and keep it in place but also to mesmerize, tantalize and hypnotize.

From a cave painting to an online beauty store, society has evolved greatly and so have hair products. Our ancestors didn’t have to deal with the increasing UV radiation, air pollution, low-quality food and toxic substances, so modern people needed to find better ways to preserve the quality and health of our hairs.

Hence, plain washing and DIY tricks like using rice water and apple cider vinegar rinses are outdated and insufficient methods. Your hair desperately needs your aid and that homemade honey-oat hair mask or air-drying are not going to cut it. So, before you dive into the virtual sea of homemade mask recipes and online stores where you could buy beauty products online, you should first ask yourself:

What Causes Hair Damage?

Unfortunately, we do, at least most of the time. Over-processing your hair or applying heat with hairdryers, flat or curling irons to get that drop-dead gorgeous hairstyle can actually make your hair, well, drop dead.

Indeed, when hair is damaged by frictional or chemicals forces that cause the removal of the outermost layer of the cuticle (the f-layer), the follicle’s primary defence, the hair fibre becomes much more fragile. In addition to all the abovementioned human-inspired damaging effects, Nature itself can cause hair damage. Beware of dry weather and low humidity.

What Are the Easiest Ways to Prevent Hair Damage?

Less Styling

Again, “Less is more” has been proven adequate. The American Association of Dermatologists (AAD) busted the myth of 100 hair strokes before bed. Try to use less styling foams, creams and gels, they all influence the moisture of your scalp and hair and can cause split ends.

More Proteins

Keratin, the toughest, most resistant component of human hair, is a protein. Furthermore, 18 other amino acids can be found in hair, such as proline, threonine, leucine and arginine, not to mention cysteine, a particularly abundant sulphur-rich protein. Proteins are our cells’ building blocks and the quote “You are what you eat” particularly implies to tissues that continuously grow and regenerate, such as hair, nails and skin. So, it’s only logical to eat more protein if you want to repair damaged hair, have vibrant, clear and active skin, long nails or improve your health overall.

The Smart Hatter

A hat can be your friend or foe when it comes to hair protection. Yes, sun protection is undeniable but dermatologist Dr. John Anthony from the Cleveland Clinic suggests that wearing a hat in humid and hot weather could decrease the blood flow to your scalp, thus your hair won’t be getting all of those proteins you’ve decided to add to your diet. The constant friction could damage the outermost f-layer of the hair follicle and cause hair breakage as well.

Remove Salt and Chlorine

Salt belongs in the seawater and chlorine belongs in the pool, not in your hair. The high content of salt can dehydrate your hair and leave it damaged, frizzy and tangled, while chlorine strips hair strands from their natural oils and causes chemical reactions that cause split ends or even change your hair colour, especially if dyed. Make sure you wear a swim cap, rinse your hair as soon as you get out of the water and use specially formulated swimmers’ shampoo. Try leave-in conditioners and pre-conditioning your hair.

Which Are the Best Products to Reverse Hair Damage?

Hair Treatment Oils

Grease in your hair can also be a good thing. The assortment of hair oils for damaged hair is rich, as are they. Packed with essential fatty acids, vitamins, carotenes, phenols, there are plenty of beauty products online, providing your hair with the optimal nutrition that not only restores and maintains its shine but also minimizes drying and flaking. While gently massaging the scalp, you cause gentle exfoliation and increase the blood flow. The perfect combination of external and internal intervention to achieve strength and shine conservation.

Revitalising Conditioners

By moisturising and nourishing, hair conditioners detangle hair, revitalise damaged strands, prevent hair breakage hence they prevent split ends. From damage-protective to leave-in conditioners, cosmetic products with advanced fortified formulas containing vitamin blends (Vitamins B3, B5, B6 and B8,), caffeine (increases circulation and hair growth) and keratin can help strengthen hair, restore thickness, boost hair shine and make your hair soft.

Intensive conditioning agents can temporarily ‘‘replace’’ the outermost f-layer of the hair cuticle, improving moisture retention and rebuilding some of the reduced physical properties of hair.

Hair Protection Sprays

You can spray them on damp hair, working your way down from the root to the ends or you could buy versatile beauty products online that can be applied even on dry hair, for the pre-styling phase of your hair care routine. Hair sprays such as fortifying blow-out sprays and heat-protection sprays shield hair from heat styling, heat damage, UV rays and climate-induced factors while increasing volume and providing a light hold. Without a doubt, your hair will shine & stay in place!

Hair Treatment Masks

If you want to go deeper, hair treatment masks are the way to go. Whether you decided to use deep treatment masks for colour-treated hair or you found a cosmetics kit online, you can use them by solely replacing your hair conditioner once a week. Allow the hair mask to soak in clean, wet hair for 3-5 minutes or longer, if you use deep treatment masks. From the roots to the tips, boost your hair’s shine, strength and keratin by using advanced-formula hair masks containing vitamins and medicinal plant oils.

Equally important, more and more vegan and cruelty-free beauty products to buy are available. Who knew you could simultaneously have luxury cosmetics and a clear conscience?

To Sum Up

Thanks to scientific progress, we now know that there are 2 MVPs in the healthy hair game. On one hand, hair texture and shine are usually related to hair surface properties and 18-methyleicosanoic acid, a hydrophobic fat that covers the cuticle on the outside responsible for hair shine, lustre and texture. On the other, the integrity of hair is due to the hair cortex, the largest and thickest part of the hair due to its abundance of keratin which provides the shape and stability of hair.

Consequently, only a joint approach that takes care of both external and internal protein and fat needs is necessary to reverse hair damage and bring your damaged strands back to life. Remember, hair care is the new skincare, so be kind and gentle to your hair, provide it with the proper nutrition, and keep browsing for beauty products online to help you where you can’t help yourself.

It’s time to have a good hair day!