10 Treatments You Must Try to Heal Your Damaged Hair
While one’s hair can be an amazing way to
express uniqueness, hair styling, coloring, straightening and the myriad
of other things we do to our locks all eventually take a toll. The use
of products and excessive application of heat or chemicals to your hair
can not only damage your scalp but also break down the cuticle, the
protective layer coating each strand of hair. This can leave your hair
exposed, weak and prone to breaking and split ends.
Even for those of you that don’t use
product, frequent exposure (or even lack of exposure) to the sun, as
well as the havoc-wreaking effects of pollution and excessive use of
shampoo and conditioner, can all lead to your hair becoming weaker. At
first, you might hardly notice a change in your hair, but suddenly,
you’ll find your hair falling and thinning simultaneously and in some
cases, damage to your scalp can also develop. To combat this common but
all the more heartbreaking problem, here are a few remedies you can try
with various items around the house to treat your damaged hair.
1. Neem oil
1. Neem oil
The Neem Tree is a native of India, also
sometimes called the Indian Lilac. Neem Oil's scientific name is
Azadirachta indica, and it is known for its numerous healing properties.
It is a key ingredient in many Ayurvedic medicines, derived from
traditional Indian medical practices. In addition to being an
anti-bacterial, anti-fungi and great for your skin (among many other
properties), it can also help you protect your hair from lice and
dandruff and heal damaged cuticles.
In addition to that, it is packed to the brim with fatty acids like
oleic acid and linoleic acid that can moisturize dry and broken hair
follicles. As an antioxidant, it also works to protect your scalp from
oxidative damage (caused by these things in the body called free
radicals that basically attack certain cells, like skin cells) and
promotes better hair growth.
2. Butter
That’s right. It’s not just the perfect
coating to make your movie theater popcorn delicious, it is also
extremely good for treating dry hair. While there are recipes for making
hair masks out of butter, it can be applied as is too. All you need is a
bar of unsalted butter, left out and ever so slightly melted so that it
is just the right texture to massage into your hair. After covering
every inch of your hair with butter, cover it up with a shower cap and
leave it for an hour. Then its time for your usual process of lather,
rinse, repeat.
A point to be noted, using butter is much
more effective if you avoid using a shampoo that has an excessive number
of harmful chemicals. Shea butter, derived from the nut of the Shea
Tree found in Africa, is also great for camouflaging split ends.
3. Avocado
This common salty fruit is great with
nachos and for your hair. It is chock full of nutrients, like vitamins
A, C, E and B6, amino acids, minerals like potassium and magnesium and
proteins, which make it great for strengthening your roots and
moisturizing your scalp. The best part about avocados is, you don’t
necessarily need to apply it to your hair for it to be effective, like
butter. Just eating half an avocado a day can help your hair growth and
strength improve drastically over time.
Combined with regular applications of jojoba oil, it is also great for
helping you get your product-damaged hair back to its old lustrous
glory. A study conducted in 2013 showed that a regular dietary inclusion
of Avocados can also help in weight management and promote the health
of your heart
4. Apple cider vinegar
This household item has an endless number
of benefits for both your skin and your hair. But don’t go to a grocery
store and just grab the first bottle you find. For the best effects,
you’re going to need unfiltered, unpasteurized, 100% (or as close as it
gets) organic Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV for short). It is also important
to note that the best part of apple cider vinegar (for your hair at
least) is what is referred to as the “mother” of vinegar. That’s the
muddy thick sediment that tends to settle to the bottom.
Despite its less than savory appearance, this is the part of ACV that
really does the trick. It is packed with over 30 different enzymes
including, but by no means limited to, various kinds of amino acids,
proteins, vitamins, minerals and alkaloids that can do wonders for a
damaged scalp. t has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties that can
help improve the pH level of your hair and scalp and even help fight
split ends.
However, this high-intensity quantity of
strong, albeit beneficial chemicals increases the acidity of this
mostly-liquid. So it's important to remember that if you decide to use
it for your hair, mix a little less than a quarter cup of AVC with a
quarter cup of water and then apply to your hair and scalp. After
applying, wrap your hair up in a towel, and after 20 minutes, rinse
twice thoroughly. As with all home remedies, it's most effective if done
on a weekly basis.
5. Tea
Green tea, chamomile tea, black tea, earl
gray, the list can go on and on. Each of these teas has its own variant
set of properties that make them beneficial for your health in some way
or the other. They also have their own unique positive effects on your
hair and scalp. Green Tea, for example, is a fantastic applicant for
reducing dandruff and making your hair grow.
Just brew a pot of it, have a cup for yourself and let the rest cool.
When it's lukewarm, pour or spray it on to your hair, massage it into
your scalp and cover it with a shower cap for 30 minutes. Make sure to
rinse it out with cold water, and you can add honey to the mix for an
extra radiance!
Chamomile tea is great for brightening blonde hair, rooibos and hibiscus
are ideal for red hair, and black tea is perfect for brunettes looking
to darken their locks while sage tea adds strength to grays. Honey and
lemon can help the color to sink in and shine. Black tea also reduces
hair loss. To make applying it easier, you can make a big pot of the tea
and pour it into a spray bottle after it cools. Then, just spray it on
20 minutes before you go for a shower.
6. Eggs
It might not be the best thing for your
cholesterol, but egg yolk is absolutely amazing for your hair. It's one
of those wonderful things that’s awful for you while also being so good
for you. It is filled with all those nutrients and vitamins that make
your hair more resistant to damage, especially in this age of smog we
live in, and can also add a thick lustrous shimmer to your hair.
However, that isn’t to say the egg whites aren't packed with proteins
too. You can use the entire egg, but it's also a great way to make use
of the yolk if you’re on an egg white-only diet. Mix it with a little
olive oil and you can make yourself a hair mask that will help
moisturize the scalp and follicles.
A major problem with applying egg to your hair is the smell that
follows, even after multiple washes. But its a quick fix. Just make sure
to add citrus juice (i.e, lime juice) to the mixture before you begin
massaging it into your scalp. It's important to note, if you have an egg
allergy, it doesn't extend only to eating. The application of any
substance you are allergic to on your body will result in an allergic
reaction.
7. Olive oilIn terms of flavor, aroma and health
benefits, this oil derived from the fat of the Mediterranean fruit, the
olive, is fast becoming a favorite to add to food dishes and is also a
tasty option for anyone practicing great weight management. It's great
on pastas, salads, and your skin and hair!
Olive oil is a great moisturizer for your skin and your hair, soothing
the scalp and strengthening the cuticles to promote better hair growth.
But keep a lookout for high-grade olive oil, what the markets label as
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which is the highest grade and Standard Virgin
Olive Oil.
These are especially potent and provide the
most number of health benefits because they have been extracted through
the process of “cold-pressing”, which essentially means extracting the
oil directly from the olive. It is so beneficial largely because this
form of extraction doesn’t expose the oil to any heat or chemicals that
could dilute its nutrient content.
Refined Olive Oil and even what the market labels as Pure olive oil
(despite it usually being a blend) are put through a fairly rigorous
chemical and heat-based extraction process. Pomace oil, which makes use
of the leftover olive pulp to extract oil is high in nutrients but still
considered not to be high grade as a chemical process is used for
extracting it.
Olive oil is easy enough to use for your
hair. Just massage it into your scalp, let it sit for 20 minutes and
then wash thoroughly with shampoo. Don’t forget, olive oil is a little
thick and strong, so it might take two or even three washes to get it
all out. But it can work its magic with just one use a week, although
you can increase the number of times you apply it if you have incredibly
dry hair and an immense amount of patience. Olive oil isn’t just for
women, it can also help to reduce balding in men and drastically
strength the scalp and roots
8. Cucumber
This refreshing summertime healthy snack is
often seen on TV covering the eyes of actors in the midst of a scene at
the spa. It is well known for its rejuvenating properties for the skin
and can help cool the body. That’s why you’ve probably seen a lot of
face-washes and face packs using Cucumber as a major ingredient. But
this vegetable-fruit can be extremely beneficial for your hair as well.
And the best part about it is, you can make an all-natural totally
organic and healthy hair mask or conditioner for yourself at home using
just normal household items.
All you need is a quarter of a peeled cucumber, one egg and a single
tablespoon of olive oil. Pop it all in the blender and get to mixing. It
should eventually become a thin paste-like mixture that you can just
scoop up and spread evenly through your hair, giving a little extra
attention to some of the parts that are more damaged. Make sure you
leave it in for at least 15 minutes and then rinse it out thoroughly.
This treatment is great for regular swimmers, and applying it once a
month can help combat any damage caused by exposure to chlorine.
9. Rosemary
This culinary delight also happens to come
with some fantastic healing properties. Not only does consumption of it
help to enhance your memory, it also works as an anti-inflammatory,
anti-flu, anti-migraine, a digestive aid and can also help reduce
oxidative damage in the body. But what can it do for your hair? A whole
lot, as it turns out. There are two majorly useful and easy ways to use
rosemary for your hair.
The first is almost effortless. You can
purchase a ready-made bottle of extracted Rosemary essential oil. It’s
the same kind you can use in a diffuser to make a room smell lovely.
Apply and massage thoroughly into your scalp, and then wash it off with
shampoo. It will help to strengthen your hair follicles right from the
roots, which will reduce hair loss.
The second way of using Rosemary is more of a home remedy, but still a
simple enough one. Brew yourself a big pot of Rosemary tea, strain the
brew well and after the liquid cools fully, pour it (or spray it, as
suggested for the other teas) onto your hair. Wrap your soaked hair up
and let it sit for a while before rinsing it off. There are also ways of
using Rosemary to get rid of head lice !
10. Onion Juice and Coconut Oil
These are two household ingredients (the
latter especially so if you’re from anywhere in South Asia) are more
than just for adding flavor to your meals. On their own, each is still
quite effective as a hair treatment ingredient.
Onion juice, among its numerous health benefits, can assist in
stimulating the blood flow to your scalp when applied. This can increase
the rate at which your hair grows and its anti-bacterial properties
help keep your scalp free of any skin diseases and can also reduce
dandruff. It has even been thought to slow down the graying of hair!
Coconut oil can increase the amount of Vitamin E in your hair and can
also enrich your hair to better prevent loss of important proteins which
can cause thinning of the follicles.
However, these two potent remedies, with
their unique properties can be mixed together in the right proportions
to create an amazing concoction that can do wonders for your hair.
Regular applications of this mixture can add to the thickness of your
hair and the strength of the roots of your hair and your scalp.
As someone who is always attempting to save
my poor damaged hair from the madness I’ve done to it in an attempt to
assert my individuality, I’m a firm believer in giving everything a try.
And I know it’s always better to have options so you can figure out
what works best for you. But all these treatments come with a fair
warning. You are likely only to see results after a prolonged period of
regularly applying whatever treatment you choose. So take your time to
pick one you like, and then stick to it!
Oh, and here’s an added tip for any swimmers out there, try conditioning
your hair, either with a standard deep conditioner or a natural
protective ingredient like coconut oil, before going for your swim. This
can help keep it safe from the harmful effects of chlorine and other
bacteria that may be in the water. A swimming cap can also give your
hair an added layer of armor. We hope these tips help you treat your
damaged hair and do share this post with anyone you know that is
struggling with weakened hair and hair loss.