Haircare tips: Ways to treat and mend colour-damaged hair

Want to bring back your hair’s natural lustre and shine? Here's how to treat and mend colour-damaged hair

Many want to live that coloured-hair life but as fun as it is to have coloured hair, it is also immensely damaging. Of course, you must love your blonde streaks or an ombre red however, it might be time to repair your strands from the inside out.

While colouring our hair certainly makes us feel transformed, coloured hair also needs special care, else can cause damage. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Divya Kohli, Brand head and Distributor of Davines India, revealed that hair damage can show up as the following hair woes in order of least to most severe -

• Dry hair: Strands that feel or look parched can be a cue that the cuticle, which locks moisture into hair, is damaged.
• Split ends: As the cuticle is further damaged or completely lost, the hair strand can start to fray, or split in pieces, at the ends or in other areas.
• Breakage: This occurs when a strand’s layers deteriorate enough to cause weak spots along the hair shaft where the strand fractures.
• Hair loss: Severe damage that pulls on hair roots, from causes such as styling, can produce permanent follicle loss.

She further recommended, “Use a cuticle sealer on damp hair- a nourishing and protective fluid that doesn’t need rinsing. It seals hair cuticles, increasing their brightness and softness. Strengthens the hair fibre, preventing split ends. It is recommended that you should not frequently shampoo or heat style your hair as that would strip away your hair of hydration and lead to dry & damaged hair. Heat protectant is a must while blow drying and styling as it helps reduce moisture loss and smoothen the cuticles of the hair.”

Dhruv Madhok and Dhruv Bhasin, Founders of Arata, added to the list and suggested 5 ways to bring back your hair’s natural lustre and shine:

1. The simplest and often overlooked step is to use a conditioner suited for coloured hair. It helps improve the texture of your hair, reduces dryness and rejuvenates your strands.

2. To get rid of brassy and yellow undertones, you must use products that contain purple mica- a natural pigment with reparative formulas. It counteracts yellow tones to make your colour pop and makes your hair shiny.

3. To rejuvenate your hair and repair damage, look for natural ingredients like shea butter and argan oil as they hydrate and add moisture to make your brittle strands soft and shiny.

4. Trimming your hair every six months is a great way to remove split ends after colouring.

5. Hydrate! Lastly, like everything else, hydration is critical when mending your hair. This includes using hydrating hair products as well as drinking enough water.