7 Easy And Best Ways To Repair Your Damaged Hair

Hi babes! This post has been a long time coming and I really hope it helps you out! A little over a year and a half ago I had a bleach blonde fiasco! I trusted a new stylist to lighten my hair slightly and long story short, ended up with bleach on my entire head for 4 and a half hours! Needless to say the platinum blonde look was NOT for me and it KILLED my hair. Literally have never had such damaged hair in my life! I pretty much wanted to cry! My damaged hair needed some TLC ASAP!

I was devastated. My hair went from thick to extremely thin, dry, damaged and brittle. A year and a half later my hair is finally healthy again. Let me start by saying there is no quick fix for damaged hair. It will take time and a little bit of money to bring your damaged hair back to life. But I promise you that these tips work! Your hair will thank you.

I managed to repair my dry, damaged hair with these 7 easy steps:

1. Say NO to your blow dryer, often

Raise your hand if you blow dry your hair every time you wash it. That used to be me. While talking with my colorist, Natalia, she told me that was damaging and drying out my hair and to use it less. I was hesitant at first because my hair does not air dry cute. I switched up my hair washing schedule and started doing it at night instead of in the morning before work. After I got out of the shower I would let it air dry for a little and then put it in a loose french braid and sleep on it. I do use product prior to braiding but I’ll cover those below!

In the morning I take out the braid and fix the pieces I need to with a curling wand. This has seriously been life changing! Within a couple weeks of saying no to my blow dryer I could not only feel the difference in my hair but notice a difference in the way it looked when I did use one. Now the only time I use a blow dryer is when I’m going to an event and it falls on a day I was my hair.

Ps – having a good hair dryer helps too like this one or this one!

2. Splurge on a good shampoo and conditioner

I told you this would require some money. Taking care of your hair means using quality products. Quality products cost a little more. I promise you that your hair is worth investing in! My current go to is Pureology hydrate shampoo and conditioner. With just one wash I could notice a difference in the life of my hair. It had more body, it didn’t feel as dry, and looked shiny (in a non-greasy good way).

Your hair also gets used to the products you use so its important to switch it up occasionally as well. I’m not sure which shampoo and conditioner I’ll switch to next but for now, Pureology is what I’ll be using, at least until I notice its no longer doing what it used to. That’s when I know its time to switch it up! My one tip when searching for quality shampoo’s and conditioners is if you haven’t seen a salon use it, you shouldn’t purchase it.

3. Treatments are your best friend (in the salon & at home)

Treatments at the salon

Lets talk about treatments at the salon first. I went back to dark hair after the bleach fiasco. I’m very A.D.D when it comes to my hair color and love to switch it up, so it wasn’t long before I wanted to add some highlights back in. I didn’t wait long enough and it caused more damage and breakage to my hair (just like my colorist told me it probably would, sorry I didn’t listen to you the first time Natalia!). I immediately booked a consolation with Natalia to figure out what to do. We decided to change the color and to start doing Olaplex treatments

The key to the Olaplex treatment is to keep it on for as long as possible before you wash it out. The first time we did the treatment we kept it on for a little over an hour! I seriously cannot say enough good things about this treatment. You can do it at home or in the salon, I just like pampering myself so I opt for the treatment at the salon. I’ll be going back in a couple weeks for another treatment. My last treatment was in July for reference.

Treatments at home

Now on to treatments at home! Let me start by saying doing too many treatments that are high in proteins is not good for your hair. I have three different products that I use and I usually space out when I use one to be about every 2-3 weeks. My hands down favorite treatment is called Omnipotent Duosity Double Whipped Repairing Treatment. When you mix the two products together they create a whipped foam that you put in your hair. I leave it in for about 10 minutes after I’ve washed and conditioned my hair while I shave my legs in the shower and then rinse it out. I don’t know what they put in this miracle treatment but OH EM GEE its amazing!

The second at home treatment I like to use is from Bumble and Bumble, the quenching masque. Although I use a hydrating shampoo and conditioner, it’s nice to give your hair some extra hydration every once in a while as well. The third at home treatment I use is the Joico K-PAK deep penetrating reconstructor. This is a great treatment for those who bleach their hair, whether that be for highlights, ombre, balayage, etc. This is an intense protein treatment for your hair so don’t use it too often as too much protein is bad for your hair. It helps fill in the tiny holes that bleach puts in your hair to help strengthen it.

4. Find a good hairstylist for both your cut and color

When I moved to Los Angeles over 2 years ago, my biggest fear was finding new stylists. The trust you have in your stylists with your hair is huge so you have to make sure they’re amazing. If the bleach fiasco wasn’t enough to scar me, I had a bad experience before that at a different salon as well. Do your research people! Don’t just trust recommendations. Look up their Instagram, find out what level of experience they have, find out if they have any specialties. That’s how I found my stylist who cuts my hair, Ryan, and the stylist that colors my hair, Natalia.

A good cut can be a game changer

Both Ryan and Natalia have saved my hair! They were constantly giving me advice on things to do, products to try, how often to cut my hair, how often to color it, etc. I go see Ryan every 3 ish months to get my hair cut. After the bleach fiasco I needed to have several good haircuts to cut out the damaged hair, not just quick trims. I want to grow my hair out but getting a much needed hair cut will help accomplish this. If your hair is broken, damaged and dry at the ends, they’ll just keep breaking and your hair will no longer have an even cut.

My last hair cut with him was in July and he FINALLY told me we’ve cut out pretty much all of the bleach fiasco hair and there’s a noticeable difference in the thickness of my hair. I’m actually going to see him this Saturday for another hair cut and am hoping it will be the first time I can get just a healthy trim versus a major cut! Don’t listen to people when they tell you not to keep your hair cut often if you want to grow your hair out because that is not healthy for it.

A good colorist is always a must

Colorists have to know what they’re doing. Go to someone who will take good care of your hair, and not let you sit with bleach on your head for 4 1/2 hours! Natalia and I have made a plan for my hair and sticking to that has helped its health. Currently, we have darkened my roots to match my natural color, that way the new growth will remain uncolored to save it from damage. The ends are slightly lightened to give some dimension but we made sure to not bleach too much. Do not trust someone with your hair if they don’t sound like they know what they’re doing and don’t have a plan you’re comfortable with. Changing your hair color can be a long process and sometimes take several sessions to accomplish your goal. Have patience!

5. Wash your hair less

Did you know you can train your hair to not become greasy looking fast? Life changing, I know! I trained my hair to go 3-4 days without needing to be washed. Thank you dry shampoo! Washing your hair strips a lot of the proteins and vitamins out of your hair, that’s how it gets the grease out, so the less washing the better! I have 2 dry shampoos that I switch between. One is a spray and one is a powder.

The first one I use is Eva NYC freshen up dry shampoo. It’s on sale right now for only $8.99. Even when it’s not on sale its only $12. This product is a steal and you need to go get it right now! Spray it at your roots, let it sit for a couple minutes, and then brush through your hair. When you first spray it your hair will look grey (if you have brown hair like me) but I promise that will go away when you brush it.

The second one I use is Bumble and Bumble’s Prêt-à-Powder. I like this because it’s a powder instead of a spray. Put some of the powder in your hands and run it through the roots of your hair. Massage into your scalp and you’ll notice your hair will look less greasy. Don’t use both the powder and the spray at the same time. Use one or the other. I pick which one I use depending on how much of my hair looks greasy.

My hair is now used to not being washed and sometimes on the third day I don’t even need to use any dry shampoo. Game changer! It didn’t take long for my hair to be trained either. Probably took a couple weeks and that’s it!

6. Use the right products after you wash your hair

Again, this will be money well spent on the right products! You need to protect and nourish your hair, not only from the heat you use on it, but from the sun and wind. The one product you must get is Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Primer. It instantly detangles, softens, and silkens hair, has UV and heat protectants to keep hair healthy and moisturized, and tames frizz for smoother hair. I use this every time I wash my hair, regardless of if I’m blow drying it or letting it air dry.

After generously spraying the invisible oil primer on my whole head, I use a wet brush. Other brushes will damage your hair when it tries to brush through the tangles. If you don’t use a wet brush I recommend using a wide tooth comb. The next set of products I use depends on if I’m letting my hair air dry or I’m blow drying it. Either way, I recommend letting your hair air dry slightly before putting any more product in it. When your hair is wet, it won’t absorb as much of the nutrients, product may drip out, or the product become diluted. For best results let your hair air dry for about 5-10 minutes before applying your next products.

Must have products when air drying your hair:

When you air dry your hair, there are the two products I use. First I nourish the ends of my hair with Redavid orchid oil treatment. Use anywhere between a pea size to a penny sized amount (depending on the length of your hair). Massage it into the ends of your hair. Next, use an air dry cream. I love Fave4’s up for air air dry cream. I use about a penny sized amount, flip my hair over, and run it throughout my hair. It works with your hair’s natural texture to deliver a frizz-free finish to your perfectly casual style.

Must have products when blow drying your hair:

For the times I blow dry my hair, I use two different products. The first product again nourishes the ends of my hair and is Fave4’s Had Me At Hibiscus Summer Hair Oil. It helps fight frizz and adds nourishment to your ends. I apply between a pea sized to penny sized amount from the middle to the end of my hair. Next up is Moroccan Oil’s smoothing lotion. Again with the penny sized amount, I flip my head over to run it thorough all of my hair. I start with the middle work my way to my ends and then work my way back to the roots. This ensures that there isn’t heavy product at my roots to weigh them down but still protects my full head of hair.

7. The less heat the better

The one constant thing both Ryan and Natalia told me was to stay away from my straightener. Bleached hair, blow drying and straightening is the perfect recipe for damaged hair. These days you’ll rarely find me with straight hair. When I do use my straightener, I make sure the heat is set to only 300 degrees. You don’t need it to be extra hot to get the results you need.

The same goes for my curling iron. While my curling iron gets a lot more use these days, I still keep it at low heat. Also, I only use it to touch up my hair for the most part after I air dry it, or the few days after before I wash my  hair again. The most use it gets is after I’ve had my hair straight for a day, I usually will curl it with look beach waves the next day to be able to go 2 more days without having to wash it because it gets greasy faster.

I hope these tips help you! What are some tips you follow to keep your hair healthy? Let me know in the comments and shop all my favorite products for repairing damaged hair below:

 

PS – have you seen post how I’ve taken my lounge on the cough in leggings and an oversized sweatshirt and binge watch Netflix look and dressed it up or what it’s really like to live with your significant other yet?