Guest Post How to Fix Your Fried Hair

 

Alright ladies, it’s time to pull up a chair, grab a snack and let me tell you a little story about my crunchy hair.  About three months ago I decided I was going to lighten my hair for the summer.  I was envisioning a sunny beach, glorious caramel colored tresses, a pinã colada in hand and a well-muscled cabana boy attending to my every need.  

What I got was fried orange hair and an emergency trip to the salon.

Whether it involves bleach, dye, or styling tools, we’ve all damaged our hair at one point or another.  Friends, I am here to tell you how to fix it.  

Chemical Damage

As much as we love it, it really is time to lay off the hair dye.  All semi-permanent and permanent dyes contain peroxide.  Peroxide is bad news for your hair because it breaks down the hair’s cuticle.   If you just have to have a color change, apply hair dye to your roots and then comb it through the ends in the last few minutes.   

Follow up your dye job with a steam treatment once a week.  

How to Steam Your Hair:

After giving your tresses a good shampooing, apply a deep conditioner to your wet hair.  Microwave a large bowl of water for three minutes until steaming.  Pull on some thick rubber gloves (the kind you clean with) and dunk a towel into the hot water, wring out excess and let it cool for a few seconds.   Wrap the towel turban-style around your hair; let it sit for five minutes and then rinse.

Steaming adds moisture to your hair, gently lifts the cuticle to allow treatments to soak in and enhances your hair’s natural texture!

Heat Damage

Heated styling tools are incredibly destructive to the hair’s cuticle.   Once you fry the cuticle, the cortex is left exposed. The scorched cortex soaks up moisture from the air to compensate, and you’re left with a head full of frizz. Continued use of hot tools on damaged hair causes it to become even more brittle and eventually break off.  That, my friends, is a nightmare none of us want to experience.

So, how do we fix this problem?

Start by misting a heat protectant with panthenol on towel dried hair.  Blow dry with a dryer that has a nozzle attachment so there’s a safe distance between your hair and the dryer's metal coil.

For you flatiron happy ladies, keep an eye on the heat.  Use 360°F for fine hair and 410°F for thicker strands.

Products containing keratin (a protein found naturally in your hair), such as gloessentials Reparative Keratin - Leave-in Treatment, are a great way to revitalize heat damaged hair.  

Product Build Up

If your hair is looking a bit dull and lifeless, buildup may be the culprit.  Styling products and hard water can cause a nasty build up that robs our hair of its natural shine.  

If your hair is suffering a nasty case of the gunk, a clarifying shampoo or treatment is the answer.  My personal favorite is Pureology Purify Shampoo.   Use clarifying treatments sparingly, as overuse can cause your hair to become dry and brittle.  

Do It Yourself

A homemade moisturizing hair mask can do wonders for damaged hair.  The following recipe is one of my favorites.  

Ingredients:

2 egg yolks

2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil

Half of a ripe avocado

Directions:

Mash the avocado with the olive oil in a large bowl.  Mix in the egg yolks.  Coat your hair with the mixture, then cover with shower cap and leave on for 20 minutes.  Rinse with cool water and shampoo and condition as usual.

Avocado is rich in fatty acids and acts a natural moisturizer.   Egg yolks are packed with vitamins A, D, and E which makes for shiny, healthy hair.

By using specially formulated treatments and giving my hair a rest from chemicals and heat, I’ve restored its natural beauty.  Take care of your strands, ladies, and go forth with gorgeous, happy hair.

Selina Torres is a freelance writer for Glisten, a fabulous new skin care company.  When she’s not writing, she runs the cosmetic gamut for the good of womankind.  

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to do a guest post for Sheer Beauty Blog email Kayla at sheerbeautyblog@gmail.com