Damaged Hair

You can recognize damaged hair by an open hair cuticle: it feels rough, tangles easily, breaks off and lacks shine. Usually, it is caused by dyes, bleaching or excessive heat. Repairing means filling it with proteins or keratin and restoring moisture. Cut away the breakage points — they will not grow back together. What you can repair and what you cannot: hair is dead material. You can close the cuticle, fill the fiber and prevent breakage, but you cannot make damaged hair new again. What you notice after a good treatment is real — smoother, less tangling, less breakage — and it is temporary. Consistency is key. The order that works: first stop the breakage with a bonding treatment or protein treatment, once or twice a week. Then moisture with a mask or leave-in. And in between, remove the cause, because that is almost always heat or bleaching too often. A heat protectant with every blow-dry makes more of a difference in the long run than any treatment. Are you unsure whether your hair is damaged or just dry? Gently pull a wet strand of hair. If it stretches and springs back, it is dry. If it breaks almost immediately, there is damage.