How to care for and repair damaged hair

The list of creative things you can do with your hair is endless. You can neaten it with adorable French braids, scrunch it up into a messy bun or you can tease it for a wild and whimsical look. One day it’s sleek and straightened hair, the next day you’re spicing things up with beach waves. And then it’s pay-day, so why not splurge on a balayage?

While it’s fun and fabulous to express yourself with your hair – take caution! Over-styling, over-colouring or just plain overdoing it can result in limp, brittle, and broken locks. That is why we will always continue to advocate for embracing the natural beauty of your hair, not only for its health benefits but also for its ability empower and embolden your unique self. The good news is that there are ways you can minimise the damage to your hair and if the harm’s already been done, don’t fret! There are ways you can restore your strands so that they look healthy and new.

Here Are 8 Ways You Can Take Good Care of Damaged Hair

1. Turn down the heat

Your curling iron, flat iron, and blow dryer are the essential tools that can transform lifeless hair into something magical. But all that heat can result in heat damage. After days of use, your hair may become brittle and you will be left with annoying broken and fly-away strands.

All of this can be avoided, however, if you simply set your hair tools to a lower heat setting. Unless you have naturally tight curls or super thick hair, there’s no need for extreme heat to get the results you want. Instead, stick to low – mid-range settings. We also encourage you to use a styling booster like Dolce Satin Glow Booster, to shield your hair from thermal damage and to choose a tool with the latest technology that controls heat and respond to needs of your hair, such as the GHD hair tools.

Excellent advice: instead of blow-drying soaking wet hair, give your hair time to dry a little on its own first. This way, you can reduce the amount of time you’re applying heat.

2. Be gentle with wet hair

Hair is fragile when it is wet and should be treated with extra care. We recommended that you choose carefully your brush or comb to use in your wet hair, and select a wet brush with soft teeth or a wide-toothed comb to gently detangle.

If you are going to towel-dry your locks, try not to rub your hair vigorously because this friction can cause stress. A great way to avoid breakage is to tap or blot dry your hair dry using a soft towel. The point is, be gentle with hair when it’s wet and at its most vulnerable.

Myth buster: the ancient old-wives’ tale “100 strokes and your hair will become shiny and full” is far from true.

As a matter of fact, if you brush your tresses too often, then you apply more pressure to your hair than necessary, causing it to snag as a result. For a smoother snag-free brushing experience, add a quality hair oil or serum to your hair prior to brushing. A good hair oil product or serum will also help to keep your hair looking smoother (and shinier) for longer, eliminating the need to brush it so often.

3. Hair masks are your friends

Hair masks are the best deep conditioners. They are fully-loaded with reparative and moisturising ingredients such as vitamins, oils, and natural resources. Hair masks are normally much richer than conditioners, they need to stay on the hair for longer , but they penetrate deeper into the hair fibre, leaving hair conditioned for longer.

Hair masks work even better when you use one that’s right for your hair type—for example, you can choose between “Dry hair” like our Dolce collection or “Thick hair” from our Intenso collection or for thin or ageing hair types and especially fragile hair from our Vita collection.

4. Invest in a professional treatment

Desperate times call for a visit to a professional hair salon. Professional, in-salon hair treatments from a Rossano Ferretti Hair Artist will ensure that you receive the best treatments for damaged hair, tailored for your hair type and your individual hair concerns as well as ensuring any colours or treatments are done in the best way with the best quality products. Trust us, it’s worth it!

Find a Rossano Ferretti HairSpa near you.

5. Rid yourself of your split ends

Split ends are inevitable and they are one of the main culprits that cause hair to look dull, broken, and frizzy. We suggest you trim your split ends regularly so that your hair looks and feels better.

You can also reduce the onset of split ends by keeping your hair supple and strong with fortifying shampoos, conditioners and our specifically designed and award winning Prodigio Regenerating Oil.

6. Swim and sun with care

Swimming and UV rays from the sun can take a toll on your hair. Saltwater, chlorine, and other pool chemicals can be especially hard on hair, causing it to become brittle and fragile.

To protect your locks from pool water, you can wear a swimming cap and if you’re heading to the beach, then you can protect your hair and its colour with a hat. As an added protective measure, you can apply a hair protective product, like our Brillante Protect & Shine Oil when you intend to spend time under the sun or in the water. We also recommend that you cleanse and condition your hair immediately with a moisturising and replenishing shampoo once you’re done frolicking in the water and sun.

You can always read up on Best ways to protect your hair from the sun.

7. Stick to natural hair care formulas

When it comes to maintaining healthy hair, then natural origin ingredients will help to repair damage while preventing further harm at the same time. While sulphates are by no means dangerous, they do tend to strip your hair and scalp of natural oils, leaving it dryer and more vulnerable to breakage. Our sulphate-free shampoos help to maintain the natural oils of your hair and scalp, which leaves your hair with more moisture and less breakage.

Professional tip: avoid over-washing your hair. We’re by no means endorsing dirty hair, we’re just stating that it doesn’t need to be washed every day. Every time you wash your hair; you remove the natural oils that your scalp has worked very hard to create. These oils keep your strands hydrated and they also act as a protective barrier to guard against heat, toxins, and other harmful elements.

Try washing your hair every other day, or even better, every third day.

Treat yourself! Try this cruelty-free and vegan-friendly lux Dry Shampoo Crème is a clever formula that will keep your hair looking and feeling fresh in between washes.

8. Make sure your hair stays hydrated

Last, but certainly not least, don’t let your hair get thirsty! Just like your skin will appear dry and listless when you don’t moisturise often, so too will your hair! Dry hair is extremely prone to damage and hair breakage. This means that you need to embrace a moisturising regimen that includes a hydrating shampoo from our Dolce collection, a mask, and ideally, a final protective, leave in treatment like our Brilliante or Prodigio Oils. For hair that needs an extra dose of hydration, try our award-winning and incredibly popular Vivace Leave In Conditioner. This way, you will help to prevent your strands from becoming parched, brittle, and frail.

The bottom line…

While damaged hair can never be truly fixed, per se, with the proper hair care and targeted treatments, you can help to restore the outer cuticle layer of your strands – which will improve the look and feel of your locks. Good hair care will also stop damage in its tracks as it protects against heat and the chemicals we use for our fabulous dos.