How to Keep Hair From Getting Overprocessed
Many people color, perm, bleach or straighten their hair to improve their appearance. However, these processes open the hair cuticles, making the hair vulnerable and prone to damage. Your hair can get dull, dry and brittle, and can ultimately break off or fall out. To avoid overprocessing your hair, learn how to properly care for your hair and protect it from chemical, physical and heat-styling damage. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Semipermanent hair color
- Wide-tooth comb
- Heat-protecting spray
- Fabric-covered elastic bands
Instructions
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Limit chemically processing your hair or avoid it completely. Always have a professional hairstylist color, perm or straighten your hair because this is their area of expertise. A professional removes the chemicals from the hair in a timely fashion and won't use excessive high concentrations of chemicals that can damage your hair.
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Color only the regrowth of hair, instead of all your hair. Overlapping hair color is damaging, and makes your hair dull and dense. If you color your hair at home, use semipermanent formulas that contain low or no ammonia because these are the least damaging.
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Brush and comb your hair gently. Avoid aggressively pulling the brush or comb through your hair because this stresses the hair fiber and damages it. Use a wide-tooth comb when combing wet hair because wet hair stretches and snaps easily.
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Set your hair dryer to cool or low-heat when drying your hair, because excessive heat can trigger hair breakage. Hold the dryer at least one inch away from your hair.
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Apply heat-protecting spray to your hair before using heat styling tools, such as a curling iron or flat iron. Heat protecting spray forms a barrier on your hair that protects it from heat.
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Style your hair in nondamaging ways. Use fabric-covered elastic bands when securing your hair. Avoid tight buns and ponytails because these can break your hair. If you use hair extensions, have a professional put them in because the excess weight of the hair can break your natural hair.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Pixland/Getty Images
