Damage and Breakage due to highlights

[Aquariushair]

I need help!!!

About 3 months ago I highlighted my hair a few days later I saw my hair damaged and breaking. I was well into my long hair journey when I did this and I don't know what to do now
because there are short pieces of hair in between due to the breakage my and my hair is dry and brittle. Everyone is telling me to cut and regrow but I don't want to.
What do you guys think is there hope?

[Tosca]

For this kind of situation you have a few options.

Do a protein treatment to strengthen the damaged parts and baby it as much as possible. Then cut it shorter later on when the damage is grown out enough that you won't end up with a pixie.

Microtrim or maintain until the damage is grown out.

Microtrim or maintain just the highlights until the damage is grown out. (Might result in weird layers)

Cut and regrow.

[HairPlease]

I second the protein treatment--it held my formerly bleached hair together for enough time. Cutting and re-growing is a huge commitment, I know, I'm doing the re-grow part right now, but it feels so liberating to get rid of many inches of damaged hair. It's up to you, but I'd say try protein treatments, and perhaps combine that with microtrimming. Cutting and re-growing should be a last resort. With your uneven breakage, though, microtrimming is going to be good for you. :thumbsup:

[meteor]

Another vote for protein treatments. I'd go for something strong in this case - like Aphogee 2-Step or Joico K-Pak Reconstruct and a DIY gelatin mask (http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/04/gelatin-protein-treatment-recipe-update.html). Follow up such treatments with a moisturizing one. (With gelatin, start with a smaller concentration - if these treatments are giving you only a small effect, you can up the dose.)
And maybe a standalone treatment like Olaplex might help.

Damaged hair tends to do well with penetrating oils (e.g. coconut), hydrolyzed proteins, panthenol, 18-MEA, ceramides, and silicones. Severely damaged hair can hold up badly even to basic daily stresses, like UV, washing, detangling, styling... so I'd try to treat it like "antique lace" - wear low manipulation updos, detangle gently with a seamless wide-tooth comb, use silky sleep caps/pillowcases at night, no heat styling, no chemical processing, avoid overwashing (when you do wash, try to avoid very hot water and do try pre-poo oiling, if you haven't done so already - these things will help damaged hair hold on for longer and they help preserve color for longer, as well.)

Good luck! :)

[lapushka]

Yep, protein. Redken has a range (a blue deep conditioner, I think) and there's Joico that do a few good things as well. You could DIY it, but I'd go with the store products, that's just my personal preference.