If you perm or dye your hair then your hair is chemically treated. It has been irreversibly changed or altered by the chemicals you have put in it in order to change its appearance. Hair that has been chemically altered requires a completely different kind of care to hair that is virgin or that has never been chemically treated.
Hair that has never been treated is healthier and has an intact cuticle. Using harsh chemicals such as dyes and perms on your hair lift up your cuticles and this act alone causes permanent damage as the cuticles will never like they were originally before you altered their natural state with chemicals. Because the cuticles are no longer intact, it means treated hair is prone to dryness, breakage and being brittle.
Don’t get me wrong, it is definitely possible for your hair to remain strong and supple even if you have processed it. But you will need to look after it very carefully in order to achieve this.
The first and most important thing to do is make sure you don’t cause any further damage to the hair and your already damaged cuticles. So make sure you always handle your hair very gently when you are combing, brushing or styling it.
Use hair products that are meant for processed hair. Products specifically for processed hair understand its needs. One of its primary needs is protein to fortify and strengthen it. Without added protein your permed or dyed hair will remain weak and break at the slightest provocation, something you definitely want to avoid. This piece of advice applies to shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, and serums.
Reduce the amount of heat you apply to your hair if you can. Regularly using heat on your hair only makes matters worse than they already could be. Heat tends to be directly applied to the hair in the form of blow dryers, hair straighteners and curlers. How do you think your skin would fare if these appliances were rubbed against your skin on a daily or at least very regular basis? Can you imagine the state your skin would end up in? Your skin would be battered, burned and bruised. Yet our hair has to suffer this constant abuse in some cases on a daily basis. How can you expect your hair to remain healthy and look it’s best when it is constantly being mistreated?
Not only does heat increase the damage already done to your cuticles by chemically processing your hair, it also sucks your hair dry of any moisture making it even dryer. Dry hair has no elasticity and therefore breaks off very easily or splits easily. Ends that have broken off or split can not be repaired. The only remedy to split ends is cutting them off completely. Same applies to ends that have broken off, you will require a hair cut to even out your hair.
So remember if you take good care of your hair, your hair will look after you. It will shine when you want it to, and be healthy and elastic enough to be styled as you wish. Just remember you have to put in the hard work and effort in order to see the results you desire.