How to Treat Burned Hair

Burned hair needs extra attention and care.

Burned hair can occur as a result of sun exposure or overuse of heated styling tools. It might also be the effect of a freak accident involving heat or fire. Whatever the case, the heat damage to the follicle might not be reversible. But there are a few treatment options for salvaging what's left of your hair.

Things You'll Need

• Hair shears
• Moisturizing shampoo
• Moisturizing conditioner
• Heat protectant

Instructions

1. Get rid of any hair that cannot be salvaged. It will look crisp or fried in appearance and have a bristle-like feel. You can use a pair of hair shears to trim off small sections on your own. However, for larger sections of permanently damaged hair, you'll want to pay a visit to your local salon for a full cut. Burned hair will not revert to its healthy state so there's no point in hanging on to it. But it is not necessary to chop off hair that is minimally damaged from heat.

2. Find out what exactly caused your hair to become burned. Check the temperature on your heated styling tools or take note of long periods spent in the sun.

3. Adjust your hair routine according to the things that caused damage. For example, if you use heated styling tools daily, plan less frequent use such as once or twice each week.

4. Add deep conditioning treatments to your hair care regimen. You can have this done at a salon. Or you can do it yourself at home by applying a moisturizing conditioner, after washing with a moisturizing shampoo, and letting it sit for five minutes. Damaged hair needs moisture for it to recover -- so it's important to purchase products that will do the trick.

5. Buy a heat protectant product for your hair. It could come in the form of a lotion, cream, spray or serum. This will help provide a barrier between your hair and it's heat source in much the same way that sunblock protects your skin. You should use it any time you'll be exposing your hair to high temperatures.

References

• Damaged Hair: Tips for Damaged Hair
• Ladies Home Journal: Reviving Damaged Hair