There are plenty of options when it comes to styling your hair, refreshing and brightening its appearance for all manner of looks. However, whether it’s with heavy dying, constant heat drying, or having to use abrasive styling products to keep it in place, you can end up doing a lot of damage in the long-term. So, what are some of the ways of keeping your hair styled in the way you want but without running quite as much of a risk?
Dry with care
When it comes to the ways that we do damage to our hair, there are few that are easier to avoid than drying roughly. Rubbing your hair dry can cause frizz, which weakens the hair, while blowdrying your hair can interrupt the natural recovery process, effectively sabotaging the way your hair regenerates. Instead, a wide-tooth combing can help you let your hair air dry a little more easily.
Safeguard it from the heat
A lot of the treatments we use to style our hair, such as blowdry and using hair straighteners or curlers, directly apply heat into the hair. However, heat, as well as the added pressure, leads to brittle hair and more breakages. However, if you are using any form of heat to style your hair, then you can at least apply some thermal heat protector, usually in the form of a spray, to stop it from roasting the strands entirely.
Dye with a difference
People who are concerned about hair damage have good reason to be wary of most methods of dying. Saturating your hair in color dye or bleach is going to stress out your hair and doing it regularly enough can lead, eventually, to hair loss. However, there are ways to add some color without as much concern, such as with balayage and hair color services. Partial dye jobs, carefully managed by professionals, can keep things much healthier.
Stop tugging it
While you’re washing or otherwise caring for your hair, you should avoid tugging it too much. This can pull and rip the hair right out, meaning your head has to work overtime to grow and repair and leading to long-term hair loss. Not only are we prone to tugging on our hair while we’re styling it, but you should be mindful of how handbags and the like can tug your hair with the strap, as well.
Strengthen your hair
As well as styling methods that don’t do as much damage as the usual options, there are also options that can help you strengthen your hair. The single best way to do it is to make sure that your hair gets all the nutrients it needs to stay strong and resist damage and it’s worth looking at some of the hair superfoods (both in terms of those you eat and those you put only your hair) that can help.
Unless you go entirely natural, then your hair is destined to suffer a little stress as you style it. However, the tips above can mitigate it and at least keep your hair healthier for longer.