5 Things You Are Doing To Damage Your Hair

Frequent Washing

Yes, washing your hair is damaging. Even just getting hair wet can lead to more breakage! When hair becomes wet, the shaft swells, resulting in hair that is more elastic and easier to break. In addition, shampoos can sometimes work too well, removing the oils your hair naturally produces resulting in hair that looks dull and dry.

Solution: Wash you hair less. Dry shampoos are a good option for spot treating on those in-between days. If you must wash daily, use a mild shampoo (avoid products labeled as deep cleansing or clarifying) and focus on the roots where hair is more oily and generally has more product buildup.

Brushing Wet Hair

As previously mentioned, wet hair is more susceptible to damage than dry hair. Wet hair is more elastic and more likely to break. Even brushing dry hair excessively is damaging since brushes and combs can snap or break hair.

Solution: Be gentle with wet hair. Use your fingers or a wide-tooth comb to remove tangles.

Towel Drying

Yep, towels can damage your hair. Have I mentioned that wet hair is more susceptible to damage? Even rubbing hair with a towel can rough up the cuticle (outer layer of the hair), causing it to look frizzy or fluffy and potentially lead to more breakage.

Solution: Blot your hair with a towel instead of rubbing it to remove moisture. Also, investing in a super-absorbent towel may be a good idea, especially if you have really thick hair.

Blow Drying

No surprise here, heat causes damage. Blow drying causes a “flash drying” effect that not only removes the surface moisture but also removes water that is bound to the hair, which is called water of hydration. The effect of this flash drying is that the cuticles become dry, rigid and brittle. When the hair flexes, the pressure causes the cuticles to crack. Combing hair with this degree of cuticle cracking causes significant breakage.

Solution: Ideally, don’t blow dry your hair. Of course, this isn’t a realistic option for many women (including me!). To help mitigate some of the damage try using a heat-protector spray or leave-in conditioner containing glycerin and propylene glycol because these ingredients reduce water evaporation. Additionally, use the low heat option on your dryer to further minimize damage.

Flat Irons/Curling Irons

These type of appliances can damage your hair in a different way than blow dryers. Ironing hair can cause two different types of damage, depending on whether the hair is ironed dry or wet. Ironing dry hair causes cracking along the edges of the cuticles, which can lead to chipping. Ironing wet hair causes the moisture to burst out in little steam explosions. This causes a bubbling and buckling of the cuticle that appear as tiny hair blisters under magnification. Both types of damage can lead to breakage and split ends.

Solution: Iron damage can be reduced by using conditioners formulated with ingredients like cetrimonium chloride. Exposing hair to heat in the presence of such a conditioning agent can increase the strength of the hair, making it harder to break. Products labeled specifically to protect against heat are a good option. Of course, not using an iron is the best solution.

Bottom Line

While it is nearly impossible to prevent all types of hair damage, there are a few simple solutions that can keep your hair looking and feeling healthier without sacrificing your beloved blow dryer!

5 Ways to Treat Split Ends

5 Ways to Treat Split Ends

Tired of damaged hair and split ends? Don’t go to the hairdressers just yet! There are things you can do to treat tired hair without cutting it off. Here are five tips!

 

1. BRUSH YOUR HAIR BEFORE SHOWERING
By brushing your hair properly before showering, you can avoid tangles and breakage associated with post-shower, towel-dried hair.

2. USE A LEAVE-IN PRODUCT
Normal conditioners are great to make hair smooth and prevent the worst towel damage. But, when it comes to split ends, you need something more nourishing. Try a leave-in serum or leave-in treatment for long-term restoration.

Use: HairX Restore Therapy Split Ends Serum or HairX Smooth Control Leave-In Treatment

3. LAY OFF THE HEAT TOOLS
Heat tools can be incredibly damaging for your hair, so try to use them as little as possible. But if you absolutely must curl those locks, shield your hair with a protection spray.

You need: HairX Heat Protect Styling Leave in Spray

4. TRY A HAIR OIL
Hair oils are great for very damaged hair – they penetrate the hair strands and nourishes them from the inside out. Our hair oils contain Argan and Rose Oils, Burdock and Vitamin F for a lightweight, non-greasy formula.

Try: Eleo Dry Oil or Eleo Smoothening Oil

5. MASK ONCE A WEEK
Just like your skin needs the occasional hydration boost, so does your hair. So, make a hair mask part of your weekly beauty regimen!

 

8 Effective Home Remedies For Dry And Damaged Hair

Does your hair feel dry, brittle, and dull? Do you suffer from frizzy hair and split ends? Frequent use of hairdryers or hair treatments, like bleaching, coloring, or straightening, can dry out and damage your hair. Dry hair is more prone to breakage and split ends.

To end the damage, the first step is to change some of your daily hair habits. Practice healthy hair habits and treat your hair with deep conditioning and moisturizing remedies to promote the growth of new, healthier hair.

Give your wrecked tresses a new life by following these 10 effective home remedies for dry and damaged hair. You can use any of these conditioning hair masks once or twice a week to help repair and reverse your damaged hair.

1. A Shiny Tea Rinse

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Tea is great for more than just a pick-me-up or a sore throat remedy. It’s a great hair color enhancer and a hair rinse that leaves a natural shine to your hair. Just use unsweetened freshly-brewed tea as a final rinse after you are done with your regular shampoo routine. Because it enhances your hair color, brunettes can use black tea, while blondes are advised to use chamomile tea. You can use this trick as frequently as you like.

2. Deep Conditioning with Hot Oil

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Warm up half a cup of olive oil, being careful not to boil it. Massage this oil into your hair and cover it with a shower cap. Wrap up with a towel to keep in the heat. Allow the oil to sit for at least 45 minutes so the moisture can build up. Afterwards, shampoo and rinse.

3. Protein-Enhanced Shampoo

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To strengthen your strands and repair dry, brittle ends, you need to infuse a little protein into your hair. This can be done by applying a hair treatment consisting of an egg mixed with a small amount of shampoo. Keep it in for five minutes and then rinse well. If homemade isn’t the way you’d like to go, there are a plethora of protein treatments available at your local beauty supply stores. Follow the directions as specified and your strands will be healthy and strong in no time at all.

4. Homemade Hair Rinse

If you’re a swimmer, the chemicals in the swimming pool and the harsh elements in seawater can make your hair brittle. So before a swim, protect your hair with this quick and easy to make homemade hair rinse. Simply mix 1/4 cup of apple cider diluted with 3/4 cup water and cleanse your hair with it. Follow up with a moisturizing conditioner of your choice.

5. Mash Up an Avocado

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Avocados have plenty of minerals, vitamins, and essential fatty acids. Try this avocado hair treatment to restore luster to your hair. Combine a ripe, mashed avocado with an egg to make a smooth paste. Apply this on wet hair and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse well. If your hair is quite brittle, then you need to do this at least once a week. Even if your hair is healthy, using this once a month ensures that your hair remains gorgeous, lustrous, and strong.

6. A Coconut Oil Treatment

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Coconut oil is a wonderful elixir for damaged hair and works great on thick and heavy hair. Thoroughly coat your hair with the oil after dampening it with some water. If coconut oil is not your preference, botanical oils like sweet almond, olive, or jojoba oil are all great alternatives. Put on a shower cap and wrap your hair up in a thick warm towel for effective deep conditioning. Rinse out the oil by following up with shampoo.

7. Bounce and Volume for Limp Hair

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For bringing life back into your damaged and limp hair, combine 3 egg whites, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Rub this mixture into your hair and put on a shower cap. Shampoo your hair and rinse out the treatment and cleanser after half an hour.

8. The Internal Moisturizer

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A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like gamma-linolenic acid, is great for keeping your hair moisturized. An easy way to add omega-3 to your diet is to take capsules of flaxseed oil, borage oil, or evening primrose oil on a daily basis. You can consume 250mg capsules of any of these oils one to three times a day, as specified. If you want omega 3s straight from the source, add foods like salmon, fresh tuna, oysters, halibut, yogurt, eggs, and omega-3-enriched breads and pastas.

Does hair dyeing facilitate hair loss?

Hair dyeing does not inhibit hair growth, but it may cause hair loss by damaging the hair that is color treated. Hair beneath the scalp that has not yet emerged cannot be reached by hair dye and thus hair dye cannot fundamentally cause hair loss, but hair shedding can increase with hair dyeing.

First, the manipulation of the hair shafts as part of the rubbing and combing associated with the dyeing procedure can loosen hairs in telogen causing increased shedding.

Second, the hair dye contains both ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, which also loosens telogen hairs.

Third, hair dye can physically weaken hair shafts increasing breakage-caused hair loss.

The most common cause of hair loss related to hair dyeing is physical weakening of the hair shaft by disruption of the protein backbone. Hair dyes that lighten hair from its natural color are the most disruptive as they contain high volumes of peroxide. Peroxide is necessary to remove the eumelanin pigments from the hair shaft and replace them with blonde colors. Many individuals who dye their hair from brunette to blonde will notice shortening of the hair or the need for less frequent haircuts. This is due to breakage at the distal end of the hair shafts, which are the oldest and have accumulated the most cuticle disruption, a phenomenon known as weathering.

If the hair has been bleached to a very light color from a very dark color, the hair can be weakened to the point of breakage at the point where it exists on the scalp, resulting in the appearance of alopecia. The alopecia is temporary, of course, until the hair regrows. Fortunately, the treatment recommendation is simple. The patient should no longer lighten their hair color and pick another darker shade. Thus, hair dyeing can cause temporary hair loss due to breakage.

Should You Be Using Conditioner?

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The rules surrounding when to use shampoos and conditioners are refreshingly straightforward: Always use shampoo, condition if your hair is dry, rarely use both. “Shampooing cleans by removing dirt and oil and is formulated to be gentler than regular soap,” says Dr. Ryan Welters, Chief Medical Surgeon for the New England Center for Hair Restoration. “Conditioners leave behind a layer of lipids which protect hair from losing too much oil during the shampooing process.” Still, different hair and scalp textures require different levels of shampooing and conditioning– and different products.

Short Hair
In general, short hair only requires a moisturizing shampoo, like Aveeno Pure Renewal ($7.49 for 10.5 fl oz). Conditioners weigh hair down and make the follicles all fall together, so if a short haircut is worn with a little volume and/or texture, you don’t need it. The same goes for short hair that feels oily to the touch.

If your hair tends to feel dry – you know this if it is brittle and frizzy – or is styled neater and/or closer to the head, opt for the next level in strength – a 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner like Mitch Double Hitter ($20 for 8.5 fl oz) to add a little more nourishing hydration.

Then there’s short curly hair. “I always suggest using a moisturizing shampoo plus a conditioner for curly hair,” says Kristan Serafino, celebrity stylist who works with Matthew McConaughey. Curls tend to be more brittle, dry, and frizzy than straight hair, a characteristic the moisture of a conditioner can help to keep under control.

Longer Hair
The longer the hair the more you’ll tend to need a separate conditioner, says Serafino. Burt’s Bees More Moisture Baoaban shampoo ($8 for 10 fl oz) and conditioner ($8 for 10 fl oz) are strong choices. Oils produced by the scalp that naturally descend along the follicles can’t travel far enough to naturally hydrate ends. If you’ve got long and dry hair, condition your whole head everyday, but if you have long hair and a scalp that tends to produce a lot of oil, Dr. Welters advises, “you might find you need a conditioner every day, but only use it in the distal areas away from the scalp.”

In all cases, it is important to chose a sulfate-free product. Sulfates make a product sudsy but also causes over drying which defeats the entire purpose of a conditioner. All products suggested here are free of sulfates.

How to Make Your Hair Grow Faster the Natural Way

7 Ways to Nourish your Hair from the Outside

The key to a well-rounded hair care routine consists of a nutrient-rich diet, healing herbs, supportive supplements, healthy lifestyle practices, and natural external treatments.

To help you nourish your hair from the inside out, I’ve created a two-part blog to give you the ultimate guide to caring for your hair in a natural & healthy way, from both the inside and the outside

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No. 1 – Shampoo your hair less frequently

It may seem counterintuitive, but did you know that the ideal frequency for washing your hair is between 1-3 times a week?

Shampoo strips your hair and scalp of sebum, the oil your sebaceous glands produce to protect your hair and keep it healthy and supple. When you wash away the naturally produced sebum, and especially when you wash it too often, your glands produce more sebum, which means your hair can become even oiler than you already thought it was!
And to top it off, by removing the oils too often you can actually strip and dry out your hair and your scalp, giving you dandruff, greasy roots and dry ends – gah!

The best thing to support a healthy head of hair is to get into a healthy hair washing routine, allowing time in between for the natural oils to absorb. This will add natural softness to the hair over time.

To maintain a healthy scalp and oil balance, try shampooing your hair a maximum of 1-3x per week. Naturally, start reducing your hair washing over time – don’t just go from washing every day to just Monday mornings!
Simply try to wait longer in between washing your hair. Instead of every day, go for every two days, then every 3rd or 4th day. Keep in mind that it may take a little time for your hair to adjust to less frequent washing, but remember; in the end, it means healthy, lustrous tresses.

No. 2 – Switch over to natural shampoo

And whilst we’re on the subject of shampoo – natural is the way to go my friends.
Natural shampoo cleanses hair without stripping it completely of its natural oils, plus it’s much friendlier on the environment 🙂

Take your time to shop around for natural hair products that don’t contain any nasty chemical ingredients or additives like parabens, preservatives, sulphates, artificial fragrance and dyes (to name a handful).

These chemical ridden products can cause all matter of irritation to the scalp (we’re talking dermatitis, psoriasis, or eczema ) and even damage to your hair over time.

And don’t forget how absorbent your skin is. You can actually absorb these chemicals into your skin via your scalp, increasing your exposure to hormone disruptors and toxic build up. You only have to see how nicotine patches work to see how easily your skin absorbs things into the body.

As everybody’s hair is different I advise trying out different products and companies to find the right ones for your hair. We have plenty to try out in our Nourish store’s, so feel free to pop in, or have a browse in our online store.

Products we love:

Faith in Nature – beautiful smelling shampoos containing herbal extracts and essential and organic oils to leave your hair feeling both smooth and glossy – just as nature intended. They use organic and natural ingredients and all products are free from parabens, perfume, colourings and SLES. Faith in Nature don’t test on animals, nor do they contain any animal ingredients. Their ingredients are naturally derived and cruelty-free sourced.
Try for yourself – we love Rosemary, Lavender and Geranium, Ginger and Lime or Aloe Vera.

Urtemkram – lovely organic and vegan shampoos with hair and scalp healing benefits. Urtekram Organic Nettle Anti-Dandruff Shampoo is a great organic and vegan anti-dandruff shampoo combining nettles, known for their high mineral content that may relieve a dry scalp, with magnolia bark extract and aloe vera, known for their moisturising benefits.

Jason – has plenty of natural hair care products for shampooing, conditioning and styling.

Surya Brasil – If you’re still wanting to cover those greys, or just try out a new shade but don’t want to damage your hair, Suyra Brasil have some amazing all natural henna hair colour creams to cover your grey or change your hair color, while simultaneously protecting your scalp and colouring, conditioning, strengthening and adding extra shine to your hair. Plus they have a great shampoo and conditioner to nourish those locks of yours!

No. 3 – Condition your hair

For those of you with very short hair, you probably don’t need conditioner, but for those with longer hair or very fine hair, here’s a tip on conditioning: Shampoo your roots and condition your ends.

Leave your conditioner in for roughly 3-5 minutes to allow it to really absorb and then wash out.
We love Faith in Nature (especially the Coconut Conditioner) and Suyra Brasil conditioner.

No. 4 – Scalp massage

Scalp massage is a lovely way to stimulate hair follicles and promote growth. Massaging your scalp increases the blood flow to your hair follicles, conditions the scalp, and helps relieve stress.

Simply massage your hair with oil once a week, running the oil through your hair, root to tip and allow it to stay in anywhere from 20 minutes or even overnight before washing it out – this trick can really nourish your locks. You may need to wash twice with shampoo to really get the excess oil out.

Extra tip: Rosemary is excellent for helping to prevent dandruff and hair loss, whilst also working as a great circulatory stimulant when gently massaged into your scalp.
Combine a drop or 2 of rosemary essential oil (and/or a drop of ginger) with a carrier oil like coconut or jojoba oil, then gently massage this into your scalp for a circulatory boost.

Try out any of the following oils to help promote growth, nourish your scalp and heal hair damage:

Coconut oil
Olive oil
Avocado oil
Jojoba oil
Argan oil

For anyone with a dry or dandruff-prone scalp, have a look at Moogoo scalp cream. This cream helps return the skin to a healthy condition.

And if oils aren’t your thing, you can even just give yourself a gentle scalp massage while shampooing your hair.

No. 5 – Hair-rinse

If you have a build-up of products in your hair or it’s just feeling really limp, then apple cider vinegar could be the answer. I know this may sound a little strange but it really does work.

You can either mix one part apple cider vinegar with one part water in a water bottle or use one part ACV and one part cold herbal tea (in place of water) like chamomile for example.

Wash your hair like normal with shampoo (and conditioner if you use it) and then finish off by rinsing it with your diluted ACV.

You can choose to leave it in your hair for a few minutes then rinse, or chose not to rinse it out and just leave it in. Don’t worry – you won’t smell like vinegar once your hair is dry 🙂

ACV is a natural conditioner; helps remove product build-up, won’t strip or dry the hair, and contains antibacterial and antifungal properties which help heal itchy and dry scalp conditions.

Personally, I brew my own kombucha, and once it’s reached its vinegar stage, I use that and it works wonderfully!

No. 6 – Avoid heat styling

You can eat all the best foods, drink all the water and cover your hair in all kinds of lotions, but if you constantly blow dry your hair, curl it, straighten it and bleach it, you’re going to suffer from breakage and damage.

Unfortunately, styling with heat is one of the most damaging things you can do to your hair.
Try limiting your use of blow dryers, curling irons and straighteners to the minimum and make sure to keep your hair healthy and moisturized so it can hold up as best it can.
Blasting your hair with heat day after day only serves to make it dryer and weaker. Better yet, try stopping your use of these appliances altogether – even for a little while – simply for the sake of your hair and instead try letting your hair dry naturally as much as possible.

Of course, the occasional use is fine, but even when you do, try lightly brushing a few drops of jojoba or argan oil through your hair for heat protection, or find a natural product to do this job. I know, I know, it’s easier said than done, but if you’re suffering from dry or damaged hair it really is one of the biggest things you can do for the health of your hair.

No. 7 – Get your hair cut/trimmed regularly

To improve the length, strength, and condition of your hair make sure to get it cut or trimmed regularly. The recommended time between cuts is generally 6-8 weeks, and for those of you with really damaged hair and split ends, I’d recommend you follow this hair care routine until your hair has perked up.

I’ll leave you here with one final tip – avoid brushing your hair when it’s wet. This is when it is at its most vulnerable. Soaking wet hair is much more fragile and weak, and brushing it can damage your hair.

I’ll leave you here with one final tip – avoid brushing your hair when it’s wet. This is when it is at its most vulnerable. Soaking wet hair is much more fragile and weak, and brushing it can damage your hair.