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How To Repair Damaged Hair
- Richard J Yun
- Jan 12, 2020
- 2 min read
Damaged hair is definitely not a good sign.
Hair damage is more than just split ends. Extremely damaged hair develops cracks in the outside layer (cuticle). Once the cuticle lifts (opens), your hair is at risk for further damage and breakage. It may also look dull or frizzy and be difficult to manage. (WebMd)
Some of you may not know what actually causes damaged hair. That's why this blog post was made :)
According to Aquis, you may encounter 3 types of hair damage
1. DULL AND UNRULY HAIR
The Look: Frizzy, easily tangled, lacking shine, unmanageable
The Cause: Damaged hair cuticles. When cuticles (the outer surface of the hair shaft) are damaged, they open up and hair looks dull and frizzy, feels brittle and rough, and tangles easily.
The Culprit: Heat, UV rays, friction, high pH products
2. FRAGILE HAIR
The Look: Split ends, easily breaks
The Cause: Cuticle and cortex damage. Cortex (responsible for hair strength, color, and pattern) damage weakens hair strands and makes them more vulnerable to breaking and splitting. An exposed cortex is also prone to water damage during wetting and washing hair.
The Culprit: Hair color, chemical straighteners or perms, heat tools
3. THINNING HAIR
The Look: Patchy or slow hair growth, excessive hair falling out.
The Cause: Damaged hair follicles. The hair follicle is the living part of your hair, it attaches to the scalp and is responsible for helping our hair grow.
The Culprit: Product build-up, excessive brushing and combing, extensions, chemical treatments
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What causes damaged hair?
1. Dye
- Dying your hair at home can have consequences that last longer than the color. Chemical dyes can remove your hair’s natural moisture, quickly making smooth hair coarse to the touch.
2. Bleach
- Bleach is used to remove your natural hair color from each strand. To do this, it makes your hair swell, allowing the bleach to reach the inner part of the strand. Here, it dissolves the melanin that gives your hair pigment.
This process can leave hair dry, porous, brittle, and fragile. The permanent changes in your hair structure can also make it less strong and elastic.
3. Using Heat Tools
- Styling with heat can “cook” hair fibers and lead to raised cuticles and porous hair. Using heat too often or at high temperatures can make your hair more prone to damage.
4. Not going for regular haircuts
- Regular haircuts can go a long way toward keeping your hair healthy and well-maintained. Going too long between cuts can lead to dry split ends. And as with the rest of your strand, you can’t put split ends back together.
5. Stress
- “[Stress] creates a huge spike of cortisol, which will throw off other hormones in a woman’s body,” explains Elizabeth Trattner, doctor of Chinese medicine and AZCIM-certified integrative medical practitioner.
I'm a UofT student and this is a student exploration project sponsored by KiImpact.com
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