8 Easy Ways To Prevent Damaged Hair

Having kids has wreaked havoc on my hair. I lost a lot of hair in the first few months after giving birth and it’s been a frizzy, dry mess ever since. Looking into the mirror, I realized it was time to give my damaged hair a little TLC and wanted to share some of the tips I’ve been following to reduce damage and breakage in my hair while I get my lustrous locks back.

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 1. Don’t Wash Your Hair Too Often

Every time you wash your hair, you remove the essential oils that keep your hair and scalp moisturized. The drier your hair is, the more prone to breakage and damage it is. For this reason, try to keep hair washing to a minimum to prevent damaging your hair. For those of you that I just know are saying “my hair gets so greasy, I have to wash it every other day,” I would recommend investing in a good dry shampoo (I’m currently loving Refresh Care from Dove) to give you some extra time in between washes.

Personally, I wash my hair every 4 or 5 days to avoid damaged hair. If it feels like its getting a touch oily, I choose those days to throw it in a braid or topknot, since you need a little oil in your hair to give up-dos some texture and hold. You can also give the Ponydry a try – it’s a fun hair sleeve that lets you wash your roots while keeping your ends dry.

RELATED READING: Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub With Sea Salt

 2. Hair Is Breakable When Wet

The bonds in hair are weakened when they are wet, so it’s important to be very gentle to your hair at this stage to prevent damaged hair. Always use a wide-toothed comb to comb through wet hair and never yank or rip through tangles. When drying hair with a towel, make sure to squeeze out excess water with the towel instead of rubbing your hair in the towel. I also let my hair air-dry for at least 10-15 minutes before blow drying; this allows the bonds to dry and strengthen again and also reduces the amount of time spent in front of the dryer.

If your hair is prone to tangling, make sure you brush it before going into the shower and use a wide-toothed comb to evenly distribute your shampoo and conditioner through your hair to avoid further tangles while washing.

RELATED READING: This Umbra Starfish Hair Catcher = Hair-Free Drains

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 3. Avoid SLS + Harsh Detergents

Most shampoos and cleansers contain a detergent called sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), which removes dirt and oil. The problem? SLS is so good at removing oil that it strips your hair and scalp of every last bit of it. Overly dry hair is more prone to damage and a dry scalp can sometimes cause hair loss. To prevent damaged hair, I try to find a good sulfate-free shampoo. While SLS free shampoos don’t foam as much, I found switching to these gentler shampoos made a huge difference in my hair; it feels much softer and I also experience less hair loss. My current fave SLS-free shampoo and conditioner combo are from the Avon Elastine Propolithera range, which makes my hair feel smooth and smell amazing!

RELATED READING: Why I Ditched My Foaming Cleanser

 

 4. Minimize Heat Styling

When I was a teenager, there wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t blow dry and heat style my hair. But now that I have ZERO time for myself, I’ve learned to find ways to style my hair without blow drying or flat ironing it to save time and inadvertently save my strands. Braids and updos can be your best friend when you’re trying to avoid heat styling. If you do need to use heat on your hair, remember to use a heat protectant spray. Some heat protectants also help reduce hair drying time as a bonus.

RELATED READING: 5 Easy, Heatless Summer Hairstyles | Pinterest Edition

 

 5. Beware Of Tight Ponytails

 6. Try Not To Colour-Treat Too Often

I don’t care how “gentle” or “nourishing” a hair dye claims to be, the chemicals in the dye still cause damaged hair whenever you use it. I have tons of gray hair that I can’t avoid dying, but I make sure to really stretch out the time between hair dye jobs (usually every 5-6 weeks) to prevent damaged hair. If you feel the need to cover your regrowth more often, consider doing a root touch up instead of dying all of your hair; this ensures that only the fresh regrowth is treated while the middle to ends of your hair (which are already damaged from previous dying) are avoided.

You can also cover up your roots for the day using some root-covering powders and sprays (I love Clairol’s root touch-up powder!)

RELATED READING: 9 Tips for Dying Your Hair at Home

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 7. Hair Mask & Chill

While I’ve been getting really lazy with these lately, incorporating a hair mask into your hair care routine can really help. Select a hair mask targeted to dry and/or damaged hair, which will help moisturize and strengthen damaged strands for the week ahead. Personally, my hair has become so coarse that it only shines like it used to after a good hair mask treatment.

Tip: Use a wide-toothed comb to evenly apply your hair mask from root to tip.

My current hair mask is from the Ouai hair care line. I got it as a sample in one of my previous Ipsy bags and I’m totally in love with the stuff!

RELATED READING: Two Products That Turn My Hair From Straw To Silk

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 8. Stay Out Of The Sun

Just like skin, your hair can be damaged from the harsh UV rays of the sun. While I avoid the sun like the plague, if you’re planning a day in the great outdoors, be sure to wear a hat. Since sun protection is so important nowadays, many brands have SPF products made to protect your hair from the effects of the sun if you insist on leaving your locks uncovered!

 

How do you prevent damaged hair?