Beauty DIY
Top treatments for damaged hair
Whether you’re looking to tame frizzy hair, restore it from heat damage, or return dull dyed hair to its former glossy glory, we’ve selected the top treatments for damaged hair. Guaranteed to combat dryness, build hair strength, and bring lustre back to your locks.
To repair damaged, brittle hair…
Although damaged hair often looks and feels very much like dry hair (and we can often have both), its causes and treatments are quite different. Hair is damaged when the protein bonds in the hair shaft are weakened thorugh to many chemical treatments. This leads to hair becoming brittle, causing split ends and breakages.
Pureology Strength Cure Shampoo and Conditioner 250ml, £16.50
Pureology is formulate to save breaking colour-damaged hair. This product is packed with antioxidants and proteins to help replace cysteine bonds and heal the micro-scarred cuticle to restore your hair’s strength and softness.
Olaplex – an in-salon and at-home treatment, prices vary
Get this hair healing saviour from Look Fantastic here.
A first-of-its-kind salon treatment that makers say re-links and rebuilds the disulphide bonds that have been damaged during chemical processes (such as bleaching and perming). This returns elasticity and strength to the hair.
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer 150ml, £31
Get this game changing product from Marks and Spencer here.
Elasticizer was originally created by Philip Kingsley more than 40 years ago for Audrey Hepburn, to keep her hair healthy while on set. This pre-shampoo treatment puts moisture back into the cuticle of the hair shaft, and helps reduce breakage to restore the hair’s strength and stretchability.
To fix dry hair…
Unlike skin, hair does not produce its own oil to help keep it hydrated; it therefore relies on oil from the scalp. So, if our scalps aren’t producing enough oil (known as sebum) or we wash our hair too much, locks can quickly dry out. At this time of year, hair can be doubly damaged, as the cold winter air, followed by central heating, can be a very drying combination.
Moroccanoil Treatment 100ml, £38.25
Grab a bottle from Look Fantastic here.
A firm favourite among the curly-haired members of the Wellbeing team. Moroccanoil is easy to apply to thick locks and leaves hair nourished, more manageable and smoother with each use.
To tame frizzy hair…
Frizzy hair, along with dry hair, is often thought of as a hair type, when it’s actually caused by the cuticle (the outer layer of each individual hair) becoming dehydrated and raised. Since each hair strand’s surface is no longer flat and smooth, the hair looks dry and frizzy and any natural curls or waves can lose their shape.
Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil 250ml, £21
Get a bottle from Look Fantastic here.
A heat and UV-protective primer that helps soften, detangle and tame frizz to ease styling. Infused with six hair-hydrating featherlight oils, this primer also helps repair and protect hair cuticles when styling.
Leonor Greyl Masque Fleurs de Jasmin Nourishing Treatment Mask 200ml, £36.85
Get this smoothing, silk enriched mask from Look Fantastic here.
This hair mask helps smooth the outer hair cuticle and nourishes the hair shaft to prevent and reverse dehydration. It contains ceramides, which are a natural component of the hair cuticle, as well as silk protein to soften and repair the damage that leads to frizz.
How to repair damaged, dry, or frizzy hair
- For a natural hair oil, look no further than the kitchen cupboard for a cheap and fast way to hydrate hair. Olive, coconut or avocado oil work perfectly when rubbed through the ends of your hair. For a homemade hair mask for dry hair, use the oil as a pre-shampoo treatment – massage it into the hair and scalp, then wrap your head in a towel for 20 minutes before showering.
- Reduce the number of times you wash your hair to once or twice a week. This will allow the natural oils to help soothe any scalp inflammation and also help keep hair hydrated.
- Check your shampoo label for ingredients that end in the word “sulphate”. Sulphates can dry out hair and irritate scalps.
- If you have dry hair, avoid using salt sprays as they actually dry out hair.
- Hair is most vulnerable to damage when wet, so don’t use a normal bath towel to rub hair dry. Try a specially designed one, such as the Aquis Luxe Hair Towel (£30, aquishair.co.uk). This quickly wicks water away from the hair and minimises friction to prevent damage, frizz and split ends.
- Not all hair brushes are created equal. Try using a natural bristle brush or a Tangle Teezer (£11 tangleteezer.com) to reduce damage when brushing and help tame frizz.
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