New year, new you – with damaged post-holiday hair? Doesn’t have a cute ring to it huh?
The holiday season can cause some serious damage to your hair especially when you love to experiment and go all out during the festive season.
Some common causes of hair damage include colouring, excessive heat, and pure negligence. Let’s be honest, wash days take a back seat when the holiday season is in full swing. So what now?
To undo the damage, we’ve got a list of to-dos to help you out:
Trim away the damaged hair.
Caring for damaged hair is a long, difficult process. If you're not willing to cut your hair short, consider trimming away split ends, a common problem in damaged hair. Repeat this trim every 4–6 weeks.
Exfoliate your scalp.
This helps remove sebum and hair product build-up. This creates a healthy environment for your hair and provides nourishment to the scalp and follicles.
Protect the ends of your hair.
Every week, seal away the ends of your hair with shea butter. To seal the deal, sleep on a satin pillow or with a satin or mesh scarf over your hair. This will not only protect your hair but unlike cotton or fleece pillowcases, It will prevent pulling thus protecting your hair from breakage.
Use a leave-in conditioner daily.
Leave-in conditioner restores natural oils without requiring water. Put this in your hair daily to encourage health and shine.
Shampoo and condition regularly.
Mild, all-natural shampoo and conditioner can help your hair recover from chemical overload. Wash your hair once a week without fail. The consistency of your hair regime is just as important as a skin regime.
Apply protein treatments every other week.
Hair damaged by colouring or relaxer is often low on protein. Once every two weeks, apply a protein treatment to restore strength. Follow label instructions for the best results or just visit a salon.
Deep condition weekly.
Every week, massage a moisturizing conditioner into your hair. Hold your hair over steam to encourage the conditioner to penetrate your hair's inner layers. Put your hair up and leave it in for at least a couple hours, or overnight.
A hot oil treatment can provide similar benefits.
Wear a protective style.
Cornrows, braids or twists help reduce damage from exposure just make sure you do not over-manipulate your hair to protect your hairline.
Brush and comb your hair regularly.
Work out tangles gently, without jerking your hair. Damaged hair breaks easily when combed dry so add a small amount of conditioner or water to it as you work your way through the knots. Damaged hair is already fragile so be gentle and kind to it.
Make sure to use your favourite MPL hair care product to bring your hair back to its full glory.
Good luck to you and your lovely locks. Love MPL!