Sometimes, we want to spice up our hair, change our look, and try something unusual. Chemical treatments, such as coloring, perming, and straightening, are popular ways to change our hairstyle and achieve that perfect look. These treatments can change your appearance, making you stand out in a crowd. They give you a chance to express yourself and reflect your mood through your appearance.
However, if not managed properly, these treatments can often lead to significant hair and scalp damage. Understanding the impact of these processes on hair health and learning strategies to prevent and repair damage is essential for maintaining strong and vibrant hair.
Read on to discover how common hair and scalp treatments affect your hair, how to prevent damage, and which healthy hair care practices you should incorporate into your routine to keep your hair looking it’s best.
Common Types of Chemical Treatments and Their Effects
Hair Coloring
This involves altering the natural color of hair using chemical treatments. This can be for aesthetic reasons, to cover gray hairs or to make a fashion statement. Hair dyes contain ammonia and peroxide which lifts the natural hair color, depositing a new one. The ammonia opens the hair cuticle, allowing the peroxide to strip the natural pigment and deposit the new color.
This process can weaken the hair shaft, making it more prone to breakage and dryness. Bleaching, a more intense form of coloring, completely removes the natural pigment, causing severe dryness, breakage, split ends, and a rough texture. Additionally, scalp irritation and allergic reactions are possible side effects.
Mastering the use of hair dyes and proper care for dyed hair will determine if you can win on both sides – enjoy vibrant hair color and maintain healthy hair.
Perming
Perming involves applying chemicals to break and reform the hair’s natural bonds to create curls or waves. It can be a great way to achieve long-lasting curls, added volume, and a variety of styles, but it comes with risks. This process can lead to weakened hair, scalp irritation, breakage, loss of natural moisture, and increased porosity, making hair more susceptible to damage from other environmental factors.
Chemical Straightening
Hair straightening chemicals like relaxers can alter the hair’s structure by breaking the disulfide bonds within the hair shaft, resulting in permanently straightened hair. However, this process can leave hair brittle, prone to breakage, and generally unhealthy. Relaxers often cause scalp issues such as burns and irritation, and they can also lead to split ends, further damaging the hair.
Reflecting on my experience with relaxed hair, it’s hard to believe how thick, long, and healthy my hair has become since I stopped using these chemicals. Back then, I didn’t even know my natural curl pattern or texture because I was relaxing my hair almost every month – obviously, the most terrible way to use relaxers!
Heat Styling
Heat styling is a popular method for shaping hair using tools like flat irons, curling irons, and blow dryers. These devices apply direct heat to the hair, allowing for quick and versatile styling options, but they also pose several risks to hair health if not used properly. Hair is primarily made up of keratin, a protein that can be denatured by excessive heat. This damage manifests as weakened hair that is prone to breakage, split ends, color fading, etc.
How to Prevent/Repair Damage Caused by Chemical Treatments
Deep Conditioning Treatments
Deep conditioning offers numerous benefits, especially for hair that has been subjected to chemical treatments like relaxers, dyes, and perms. Regular use of deep conditioning masks and protein treatments which contain ingredients like shea butter, argan oil, and coconut oil can help restore moisture to dry and damaged hair, strengthen hair, improve elasticity, and rebuild the hair’s structure by filling in gaps in the hair shaft caused by chemical damage.
Minimizing Heat Styling
To prevent or reduce hair damage, you should minimize the use of heat styling tools. Whenever possible, allow hair to air dry instead of using heat tools like blow dryers, flat irons, or curling wands. Heat can exacerbate the damage by further stripping moisture from the hair. If heat styling is necessary, always use a heat protectant spray or serum to minimize damage. These products create a barrier between the hair and the heat source.
Trimming Regularly
Since chemically treated hair is very prone to split ends, regular trims are essential to prevent split ends from traveling up the hair shaft, which can lead to further breakage. Aim to trim every 3-4 months to prevent hair breakage and maintain healthy ends.
Avoiding Over-washing
Washing hair too frequently can strip it of its natural oils, leading to increased dryness. Chemically treated hair is already very prone to dryness and so all you should do to it is looking out for ways on how to help restore moisture to hair. To wash your hair, opt for sulfate-free shampoos and try to extend the time between washes using dry shampoo if necessary.
Gentle Hair Care Practices
It is very important to handle your hair right, even when it is chemically treated. Learn to carry out good hair care practices like using wide-tooth combs, detangling gently, protecting hair with silk bonnets or pillowcases, and following a good hair care routine.
Transitioning to Healthier Hair Care Practices
Even if you have used all the harmful chemicals and heat on your hair all your life, it is still possible to make a change and start to choose healthier options for your hair. This will help prevent further damage to your hair, as well as repairing the already done damage. Below are some ways for you to transition into healthier hair care practices:
Gradual Shift to Less Damaging Treatments
If you’re transitioning from frequent chemical treatments, consider gentler alternatives. For whatever hair style you want to make, choose a healthier and safer alternative. For instance, opt for demi-permanent colors instead of permanent dyes or natural hair dyes like henna. Instead of regular perming, consider using heatless curling methods such as braids, rollers, or flexi rods.
Embracing Natural Hair Texture
One of the healthiest shifts can be embracing and working with your natural hair texture. This means choosing hairstyles that your hair can achieve easily without needing too much manipulation. You can also use products designed for your specific hair type to enhance its natural beauty. Embracing your hair texture will help reduce the need for damaging chemical treatments and heat styling.
Nourishing Diet and Supplements
Nourishing diets and supplements play a key role in helping you transition into healthier hair care options. A diet rich in vitamins and minerals supports hair health from the inside out. Incorporate foods high in vitamins A, C, D, and E, as well as biotin, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids. Supplements like biotin, collagen, and fish oil can also promote stronger, healthier hair. Before taking supplements though, make sure to consult with a health care professional.
Professional Treatments and Advice
Seek advice from professional hairstylists who can recommend specific treatments tailored to your hair type and level of damage. Salon treatments like Olaplex can help rebuild broken bonds in the hair shaft. Regular professional treatments can include deep conditioning, protein treatments, and scalp treatments to maintain hair health.
Patience and Consistency
Grooming healthy hair requires patience and consistency. If your hair is already damaged, it only means that you will need to be a lot more patient. You need to know that your hair will not grow to become long and healthy immediately; it will definitely take some time. Even if you don’t notice any positive changes immediately, ensure consistency in your hair care routine. You’ll notice steady improvements over time.
Conclusion
For anyone suffering from hair damage, overcoming this damage is a multi-faceted process that involves understanding the cause of damage, implementing repair strategies, and adopting healthier hair care practices. Focusing on deep conditioning treatments, minimizing heat styling, and gradually transitioning to less damaging methods can restore your hair to full health and vitality. It is possible to recover from chemical damage and enjoy beautiful, strong hair.
