I love changing up my hair but I always end up going platinum every few years. I will always be a blonde gal! With going platinum, I have had my fair share of rounds of chemically damaged hair.
When you bleach that much, that often, even if you do it professionally it can lead to chemically damaged hair in need of some hair repair.
At the beginning of 2020, I went all over platinum. I ended up doing it at home because the salon I was going to was taking over 3 trips to get anywhere and it was expensive. Do NOT recommend!
The first time I bleached it, it was still pretty healthy, nothing extreme, but it didn’t lift enough so I bleached it again…..that’s where it went wrong.
As I’m publishing this, it’s August 2021. My hair is healthy, long, and strong! My hair stylists can attest to this as well. And this is what I did to get here.
How To Repair Chemically Damaged Hair – What I Did
I want to preface that my hair and nails grow fast naturally. My hair type is thin but I have a lot of it. I have a mixture of coarse and shiny strands.
Stopped over bleaching the ends and went more natural coloring
From January 2020 to August 2021, I colored my hair 4 times, and the last 2 I added in some lowlights and they just added blonde towards the roots, not the end.
Regular-ish trims
From January 2020 to August 2021, I got 5 professional haircuts and had Bryan cut it once.
Only use silk/satin scrunchies & pillowcases
On the day-to-day, I only use silk or satin scrunchies for my hair. I will occasionally use small clear hair elastics or the invisibobbles. I have an entire blog post about why I switched to these and the benefits.
If you are still using those black elastics, STOP NOW!
Switched to a simple hair routine and products
I was trying anything that said repairing at the drugstore but that lead to protein overload with my hair products (read about it in my blog post here).
I ditched those products and got a more clean, simple shampoo and conditioner, and only use a leave-in conditioner, hair oil, and heat protectant.
My Dae hair product review blog post is here and I still love the products!
Fewer Washes, More Oil
By washing your hair less, you let your natural hair oils condition and nurture your hair strands. I only wash once sometimes twice a week.
If your hair is naturally on the dryer side or just feels like it needs some oil in between washes, add hair oil at night to help condition and hydrate.
Heat Once A Week
It’s no secret that heat can damage your hair, but if you use it in moderation, it’s fine.
Make sure you are using heat protectant!!
I limit heat use to only once a week. I rarely blow-dry but I usually curl or wave my hair and it lasts for a week.
Here is a blog post of how I curl my hair and make it last for the week.
Air dry as much as possible
Like the tip above, blow-drying isn’t really necessary. It depends on your hair type, but if you are going to straighten your hair or curl it, why do both?
Air drying your hair limits the amount of heat on your hair. DUH we know that Annie!
But also remember that your hair is fragile when it’s wet. So sometimes if it’s still pretty wet when I’m about to go to bed, I will do a quick rough dry so it doesn’t get snagged or stretched at night.
Limit Dry Shampoo Use
Dry Shampoo can be amazing to extent washes, but it can also dry out your hair and clog your hair follicles.
How to use: Use at night, spray about 6 inches away, brush it out before you wash your hair and before if you are going to apply more.
Here is another blog post all about dry shampoo and my favs that I tested out.
Brush Scalp Every Night
Brushing your scalp is so important to not only breakdown the hair product, it distributes your hair’s natural oils from your roots throughout your hair, it also stimulates blood flow which can help with hair growth.
I learned this from Jasmine’s Instagram, username @jasmineraehairco, under her highlights. She is such a good resource for hair training to go longing between washes and healthy hair.
Scalp Health!
Scalp health has been slowly becoming more talked about in the recent year. It is SOOO important!
Your hair grows from your scalp, if it’s not healthy, how do you expect to have healthy hair. Once your hair comes out of your scalp it’s essentially dead. Start with the source.
Think of it like your face skin. If you aren’t taking care of your skin, it won’t look good. It needs to be cleansed, exfoliated, and have treatments at times.
I have a blog post about it here. I am no expert but I do break it down for you.
Gentle w/ Wet Hair & Brushing
Your hair is in its most fragile state when it’s wet so be gentle. Especially when you are detangling your hair after the shower. Use a wide-tooth comb and work your way from the bottom up.
I have a blog post of things NOT to do when your hair is wet to prevent damage.
Collagen Powder
Some say collagen powder doesn’t really work, but I personally have noticed a difference when I take it consistently. I baked mine in my oatmeal that I would have every morning.
Here is a post I did about choosing collagen powder and the benefits of taking it.
Since I’ve been pregnant, I haven’t taken collagen but prior to March 2021, I was taking it for a little over a year.
Healthy Diet – Fats, Loads of Protein
Healing from the inside out applies to healthy hair. A healthy diet can be different for everyone but fats, omega-3, and a lot of protein.
I’m not sure if the high protein is scientifically linked to healthy hair, but I have been getting 135 grams every day for over a year and have noticed a big difference.
High protein isn’t a bad diet to have but fats and omega-3 are definitely linked to healthier hair. I eat avocado, olive oil, and salmon a lot to get these nutrients into my diet.
Shampoo Just Scalp
You should only be using shampoo on your scalp, not your whole head.
The point of shampoo is to cleanse, like a face cleanser. To get rid of product build-up and refresh your scalp.
Using it on your ends will dry out your hair. When you rinse out the shampoo will run down to the ends of your hair to help cleanse.
**If you have a lot of product build-up throughout your hair, then shampoo the entire hair but you shouldn’t be doing it too often.
Condition Mid-Shaft to ends but Scrunch into hair
I hope you are already brushing your hair before you are getting into the shower to wash your hair because shampooing can tangle your hair further.
BUT only use conditioner from mid-shaft to the ends of your hair. And scrunch it up into the hair. I learned this from Amber Fillerup’s Instagram.
You don’t need to condition your roots, if you have a dry scalp, you need to change your shampoo and/or use a scalp serum.
Cooler Water When Rinsing Out Conditioner
I’m not 100% sure why it’s better to have cool water to rinse out your conditioner.
I heard that cold water closes the cuticles and pores in the scalp and also adds luster and shine, which is due to the closed cuticles. But it has been working for me personally.
Less Tight Hairstyles
If you notice your hairline is getting thin or you have baby hairs or breakage, it could be multiple things. Postpartum, diet, age, but it could also be because your hairstyles are pulling out your hair.
You know the slick back high pony, Hailey Bieber hair inspo..yes be careful how often you wear those styles.
Also, if you wear ponytails and buns a lot, switch up where you are ‘mounting’ the ponytail. The same placement can cause tension and break the hair where the tie is.
Those are the tips that I have implemented to treat my chemically damaged hair.
What are your tips?
XO, Annie
