The Natural Way To Care For Chemically Damaged Hair
Hair that has been treated with the use of strong chemicals tends to undergo an abrasive process to do so. When you chemically treat hair, you are doing so for one of two reasons. Reason number one would be to “relax” your hair using chemicals that work to straighten out the likely curly strands. The second most common reason why hair is chemically treated is to dye it a different color using a variance of different types of chemicals, based on the color someone is aiming for.
Chemicals that are most commonly used for these procedures are often bleach, sodium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, and ammonia, depending on the formula you are using. Some formulas are less abrasive than others and researchers are always trying to find ways to make cosmetic products more desirable, but for now these are some of the most common ingredients found to actively dye hair in the cosmetic industry. What each chemical does to hair will be different, based on what makes up the chemical’s compound.
When you treat your hair with chemicals of any kind, you are essentially damaging your hair, but with a reason to do so. What really matters with treating hair with chemicals is just how damaged it is. You will always experience a little bit of damage, particularly if you are known to dye your hair often. The key with treating hair with chemicals is to lessen the amount of damage and to find ways to maintain your hair between hair dying or curl relaxing sessions, so that you do not completely fry your hair beyond repair.
Since there is no solution to naturally dye one’s hair in a permanent way, without the use of harsh chemicals, those who do wish to dye their hair are left with only two options. They can either go with more temporary means of dying their hair, using naturally based dyes, or they can stick with the tried and true method of long lasting hair dye by using chemical based dyes. You might choose to go through a professional to do these procedures or you can buy a kit (or the pro ingredients if you’re savvy enough) to perform the work on your own hair at home. The same concept applies to those who wish to relax their hair. You can either choose to go to a pro at a salon and have it done or purchase a hair relaxing kit to use at home.
Chemically straightened hair is an interesting and slightly complex procedure that is often used by those with African heritage or with hair that is naturally very tightly curled. It tends to go by the name of Japanese straightening, which implies that the hair will be very straight and silky once the process is complete. Chemical straightening, or the use of relaxers on the hair, utilizes thermal reconditioning to permanently straighten hair. This is as permanent as that hair that has been grown, so the process will need to be repeated at the roots as more hair grows in over time. Unlike Brazilian blowouts and special keratin treatments for the hair, which usually only last around a week, hair relaxers are a longer lasting solution. Hair relaxing also changes the entire texture of hair, while a hair treatment like a Brazilian blowout would simply manage the frizz of your hair. Think of a Brazilian blowout or a keratin treatment as a treatment to be done occasionally for upkeep purposes.
Knowing your options is great and all, but what about after you treat your luscious locks with these harsh chemicals? Particularly if you are the type to perform multiple dye treatments over a shorter period, aftercare for your hair is something to absolutely take seriously. It’s not enough to just stick with the usual shampoo and conditioner that you normally have set aside for daily use. With chemically treated hair, you have the option of going with laying even more chemicals on your head to take care of it, but is that something that you really want to do? What if you could nourish your chemically damaged hair using all natural products?
The daily maintenance of your hair after it is chemically treated can indeed be done using tons of natural ingredients that will add to the overall health of your hair. When using a relaxer, the cuticle of the hair will remain open during the process. Before getting a shampooing done for your hair, request an oil based treatment to be applied to your hair. Vitamin E oil is one that can be found at most quality salons will undoubtedly have this miracle oil. Ask for your stylist to introduce this oil to your opened cuticles, to help enhance the hydration process of healing your hair right from the get go.
After your trip to the salon is complete and you are left with the responsibility of caring for your hair at home, the ideal course of action is to avoid heat treatments as much as possible. Be sure to pump up the hydration for your hair, as well. As a rule of thumb, try to only style your hair using heat once per week. Be sure to use a protector when you do so, too. As difficult as this may be, introducing too much heat to chemically treated hair right off the bat will only further damage what you’re trying to regain and maintain. Too much damage to the hair can lead to brittle hair that is easy to break and split at the ends, which would cause you more hassle in the long run.
Conditioner is the most important thing for your hair’s health. Deep conditioning is required to bring your hair up to optimum health after a chemical treatment. Instead of using the typical conditioner, try to swap it out for a hair mask that is formulated to repair damaged hair. You can find plenty of masks that are infused with natural proteins to bring your hair back to its former glory or even to improve its texture like never before.
As for natural resources to help the health of your locks, there are plenty of 100% naturally derived oils that are fantastic for hydration and recovery. Grape-seed oil, olive, avocado, and Vitamin E oil are just a few that people turn to for providing health and strength to their strands. Some people choose to use one or more of these oils at night, due to how heavy they are (apart from Vitamin E). Try applying the ones that work best for you to your hair at night and wrap it up in a silk fabric scarf or head cap. In the morning, let your hair loose and wash out the oils for added health and shine to last you through the day.
A great daily used method, that can be done in the morning, would be a Vitamin E and aloe vera mixture. This can be worked in easily from the very roots of your scalp, up to the ends of your hair. Since Vitamin E is thinner than the other oils mentioned, it can be used every day in the morning and absorbed more easily into the hair shaft. These natural methods are a great way to maintain the health of your hair. There is no way to absolutely remove the damage done to your hair, nor reverse it, without cutting all your hair off and starting again with “virgin” hair. Still, those who dye their hair are not without hope. Using the natural methods covered here, you will be well on your way to having a more manageable time after undergoing a chemical hair treatment.
What coloring your hair does to the strands of your hair will depend on what type of dying treatment you are undergoing. If you are adding darker color to your hair, what it does is it lifts the cuticle of each strand the chemical formula touches and inserts the color into it using ammonium. With bleaching your hair, what happens instead is that color is stripped from your strands. This process is referred to as “de-colorization” and is the process of fragmenting the naturally occurring melanin in the hair to de-saturate color. This process is quite harsh and will result in a completely different texture for anyone who bleaches their hair.
