This post on 3 Best Ways to Repair Damaged Hair is a sponsored post on behalf of Lunchbox and their client, Dove.
The first time my hair changed from its natural state was when I was 8 years old and I got a perm. It was the early 90s and all the rage. Everyone I knew had one. My mom, my aunts, my cousins, even my uncle was doing his long hair with hot rollers to get a curly look.
Fast forward 5 years later and I ran head first into the world of hair color. My grandma used a box of something from Walmart that suggested it was natural but was definitely just some clever advertising as this was no henna.
What was supposed to be strawberry blonde turned into a carrot orange and it was not a pretty sight. Thank goodness the color was only a demi-permanent and I was 13 because these days I would have been horrified and holing up at home until I could get my color corrected. Correction, these days I wouldn’t even attempt to color my hair because it’s time consuming, damaging to your hair, and I have no idea what I’m doing and would probably turn my hair orange again.
Not to mention every time I use anything with bleach in it whether hair dye, teeth whitener, or the bottled stuff for whitening your clothes, I fail and always end up dying *something* that isn’t supposed to be dyed. Towels, clothes, carpet…
Regardless of how successful that first dying attempt was, I was hooked on changing up my appearance by coloring my hair. I perfected my technique using box dyes and even shared it with my husband when I had leftovers (maybe the reason his hair started falling out?!) before wising up and trusting a professional. I didn’t know how to repair damaged hair.
These days, my hair is in way better shape than it was as a teenager but is still color treated and super dry. I try to do whatever I can to repair my damaged hair within my budget. If your hair is in need of a little TLC and you need some help getting started, check out the best ways to repair damaged hair. These are in no particular order and all pay an important role in repairing damaged hair.
3 Best Ways to Repair Damaged Hair
1.) Regular visits to the hair salon. Obviously this is number one. There’s a reason that hair stylists require schooling and can command the rate they do, they’re professionals and there’s a lot more to coloring, highlighting, and cutting your hair than meets the eye. Not to mention, getting your hair trimmed is necessary to keeping those split ends at bay, even if you’re growing it out.
Tip: Opt for highlighting over all over color. I’ve been highlighting my hair (for the most part) since I was 22 instead of all over color and its definitely better for your hair than all of that bleach (for the blondes). You can also space out visits a little more than with all over color because that dread line of demarkation isn’t as obvious!
2.) Lay off the heat. On days when you’re not doing anything special, avoid the heat altogether. Wash your hair if you must but don’t use super hot water. Or better yet, only wash every 2-3 days so you’re not tempted to constantly assault your locks with the hair dryer or flat iron.
Tip: Save your heat styling for the day you wash it. Depending on your hair type, your hair may hold the straightening or curl well into the next day. Then, rock a creative updo or just a messy top knot to give your break the hair it needs while looking put together.
3. Select the right products. Like I said, my hair has damage for coloring it for the last 20 years but is also naturally dry so it needs lots of TLC. Using a product like the Dove Nutritive Solutions Intensive Repair Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner is key to restoring moisture to your hair and it not looking fried.
The Intensive Repair Therapy Shampoo reconstructs at the cellular level of your hair while preventing split ends and breakage. You can enjoy 5x smoother hair in just one wash; while enjoying weightless, beautiful tresses without any excess residue weighing it down. And the matching conditioner, smooths, strengthens, and prevents split ends and breakage.
Tip: Dove also makes an Intensive Repair Mask. On lazy pj days or just days you know you won’t leave the house, apply the mask, throw it in a top knot and let it penetrate your hair all.day.long. Seriously. You may be worried about your hair feeling greasy or weighed down, but if your hair is as damaged as mine from years of color treatments and relying on the flat iron to keep frizzies away this will restore and fortify your weak and damaged tresses, while smoothing your hair.