Tips for Preventing Hair Damage

Ever wondered why your hair has started to feel rough, dry, or brittle? These are all signs of hair damage, something that can occur for a variety of reasons. Whether it may be from the flat iron you use, the way you brush your hair, UV exposure, or anything else, there’s so much out there that can damage your locks.

So, what can you do about it? Well, in addition to using the right hair care products to restore the look and feel of your hair, it’s also important to prevent even more damage from occurring. Here are some of HerStyler’s top tips for doing exactly that!

Don’t Overwash Your Hair

One of the easiest ways to prevent hair damage is to make sure that you aren’t overwashing your locks. It’s a common mistake to make but it’ll leave your strands stripped of their natural oils. These oils are vital for keeping the hair hydrated and moisturized, and they also help to prevent harmful compounds from damaging the hair. If you want to prevent hair damage, then you need to work on retaining these oils as much as you can.

Shampooing your hair cleans away excess oil, which is how overwashing can leave the hair dry and damaged in the long run. 

So, how often should you be washing your mane if you want to avoid looking greasy yet don’t want to damage your hair?

For most people, the answer would be every 2-3 days, but it depends on your hair type. People with oily roots may need to shampoo their locks a little more often, whereas those with very dry hair could get away with a weekly wash.

While you’re at it, make sure that you’re using a gentle shampoo too. Some formulas can be too harsh, once again stripping away natural oils. Others, like HerStyler’s Hemp Shampoo, are fortified with hydrating plant oils that will leave your hair feeling stronger and more protected.

Never Skip the Conditioner

Many shampoos can be quite drying on the hair, but a conditioner helps to restore the feeling of moisture. This is exactly what you need after shampooing since, as we mentioned, a shampoo cleans away the hair’s natural moisturizing oils. By using a conditioner, you’ll be able to prevent the appearance of hair damage in the long run.

What should you be looking for when shopping for a conditioner?

Moisturizing plant oils are always beneficial as they contain so many antioxidants as well. Vitamins are key too as these will contribute to healthier-looking hair.

You’ll find all of these ingredients in HerStyler’s range of conditioners. The Argan Oil & Biotin Conditioner is particularly popular due to how it repairs the look of breakage and damage. It fortifies the feel of brittle strands to give the hair a much smoother and softer finish.

Our Rosehip & Sage Conditioner is also worth trying. Packed with natural oils, this formula is ideal for dry and frizzy hair. It will smooth down frizz while deeply moisturizing your strands, giving them a beautiful sheen.

Deep Condition With a Weekly Mask

Conditioners are great for preventing the appearance of damage. However, if your hair is already looking quite damaged, then it’ll need some extra TLC, and a hair mask is perfect for this.

In some ways, hair masks are similar to conditioners. However, they’re so much more intense. They contain a much higher concentration of moisturizing ingredients, which is why they shouldn’t be used as often as a conditioner. 

If you’re new to the world of hair masks, start with HerStyler’s Argan Oil Hair Mask. Argan oil has been proven to be capable of preventing the appearance of oxidative hair damage. It’s also extremely moisturizing and will leave your locks looking thicker and fuller. 

Be Very Gentle With Wet Hair

When your hair is wet, its hydrogen bonds weaken. This makes it extremely fragile. When it stretches, it can snap and break rather than bouncing back, leading to split ends and other forms of hair damage.

So, in order to prevent that hair damage, you need to be extremely gentle with your locks when they’re wet. 

This begins while you’re in the shower. If you often comb your conditioner through your strands, make sure that you’re doing so slowly and carefully. Start at the bottom and slowly work your way up, just in case you encounter any tangles. 

Once you’re out of the shower, don’t scrub at your hair with your towel. Lightly press your towel into your hair instead to absorb moisture. If this doesn’t make much of a difference, then it could be time for a towel upgrade. A microfiber towel will dry your hair so much faster than a cotton one. It will also create less friction when it comes into contact with your wet strands, meaning less breakage.

Give Your Hair Some Time to Air Dry Before Blow Drying it

If you’ve ever needed to dry your hair in a hurry, then chances are that you’ve blasted it with your blow dryer while it was still soaking wet. However, this is something that you’ll need to avoid doing again if you want to prevent hair damage.

Why? For a couple of reasons…

Firstly, as we mentioned above, your hair is so prone to breakages when it’s wet. The wetter it is, the more vulnerable it is. Aiming a blow dryer at it may dry your hair faster, but it’ll do some damage in the process. 

Instead, wait until your hair is 50-75% dry before you start to blow dry it. Ideally, use a blow dryer that has been designed to prevent the appearance of hair damage, such as HerStyler’s LED Pro Luxe Dryer. This model comes with red LED technology and negative ion technology. Both will keep your hair looking healthy and shiny, with frizz being a problem of the past!

Turn Down the Temperature

Excess heat is bad news for your hair. It affects the way in which strands are able to retain moisture. As a result, consistently exposing your hair to excess heat will lead to dehydration, split ends, and brittle locks.

Where does all of this excess heat come from? 

Hot water is one big problem. If you wash your hair under a steamy spray, try cooling things down a bit the next time you’re shampooing your locks.

Excess heat also comes from heated styling tools. People often style their hair with overly high temperatures. Switching to styling tools that offer an adjustable temperature feature is a good way to gain back some control. 

Take the HerStyler Pink Blossom Fusion, for example. Its maximum temperature is 450°F, making it perfect for even the thickest and coarsest of strands. However, if you have fine or thin hair, you can turn the heat down as 450°F would undoubtedly do some damage!

HerStyler’s 3P Curler also offers an adjustable temperature. It comes with negative ion technology as well, which will keep your hair looking frizz-free and glossy!

Invest in a Good Heat Protectant

Now that you know how easily heat can damage your hair, it only makes sense to ensure that you apply a heat protectant before heat-styling your locks. Whether you go with a spray, a serum, or anything else, a heat protectant will form an additional barrier between your hair and your styling tool. This seals in moisture while preventing frizz.

While dedicated heat protectant products are readily available, many beauty pros prefer to use hair serums instead. This way, not only will they block the appearance of hair damage, but they’ll also leave your strands feeling strengthened and renewed.

The HerStyler Marula Hair Nourishing Serum is perfect for this. Numerous studies have confirmed the hydrating and moisturizing properties of marula oil, making it a great one to use before applying heat to your locks.

HerStyler’s VitaOil Biotin Hair Serum is another product that works well when applied to damp hair before heat styling. The star ingredient in this formula is biotin. Also known as vitamin B7, it will help your hair look fuller and more voluminous. 

Go for Regular Trims

If you have split ends, then this is a sign that hair damage has already taken place. However, leave them be and this damage will only get worse. Over time, your split ends will start to travel up your hair shafts, breaking the hair further up as well.

The best way to put a stop to this hair damage is to make sure that your hair is being regularly trimmed. A trim every 6-8 weeks is usually enough to keep the hair looking healthy. It doesn’t need to be anything drastic – just a small snip through the ends of your hair will remove split ends to ensure that your hair looks full and fabulous.

Don’t Rely on Tight Hairstyles

Whether it may be a high ponytail or a chic updo, hairstyles that tightly pull your hair back from your face can damage your hair. They continuously pull at your strands, encouraging breakages and thinning. 

This doesn’t mean that you need to completely avoid tight hairstyles. Instead, mix up your hairstyling routine a bit. A tight hairstyle once in a while is absolutely fine, so long as your hair is worn in a loose manner in between. This will give it a break, enabling your hair to relax.

And, when you do decide to go with a tight hairstyle, make sure that you’re using the right hair ties. Regular elastic ties pull and tug at the hair, exacerbating the damage caused by tight hairstyles. Silk or satin ties would be a much safer alternative as they’ll glide over your strands, holding them in place without pulling them out.

Repair and Prevent the Appearance of Hair Damage With HerStyler

Hair damage is difficult to completely avoid. There is so much out there that can cause harm to our locks, making it important to put preventative measures in place whenever possible. Whether this may involve investing in some new hair care products or switching up your heated styling tools, the tips above are worth keeping in mind if you’re trying to ensure that your hair looks and feels as healthy, glossy, and voluminous as possible.

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