How to care for damaged hair: a weekly routine
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Bleach, color, heat tools and even rough towel-drying can leave hair dry, dull and prone to breakage. This simple weekly routine focuses on what makes the most visible difference.
Once a week: treat
- Bond-building pre-shampoo: apply Olaplex No.3 to damp hair and leave it on for at least 10 minutes before washing.
- Deep condition: after shampooing, use a rich mask like Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! for 10 to 20 minutes.
Every wash day
- Use a gentle shampoo and always follow with conditioner on the lengths.
- Squeeze water out with a soft towel instead of rubbing.
- Apply a heat protectant before any hot tool, and use the lowest effective temperature. If you love a blowout, the Revlon One-Step or Dyson Supersonic can make it faster.
- Finish with a drop or two of oil such as Moroccanoil Treatment on the ends.
Every night
Sleep on a satin pillowcase to reduce friction, and loosely tie long hair instead of wearing tight elastics.
Be realistic
Treatments improve how hair looks and feels, but split ends cannot be permanently fused back together. A regular trim is still the best fix for very damaged ends.