Damage question...

[Rapunzal2Be]

How do you tell if your hair is damaged?

I don't sound too dense :undecided - I have had fried and damaged hair before from over processing. (I've bleached all the way to platinum, gone from light blonde to espresso brown and then back again in a short time, permed my bleached hair :wail: and had to chop to a pixie, etc.)

But besides looking for split ends, or gummy hair, or hair that looks like straw no matter what you do - is there anything else that I need to look for to spot damage?

Oh - and what is worse, heat styling or chemical coloring?

:inlove: Thanks in advance for answers!!

[Rapunzal2Be]

Boy I can't wait until I can edit my own posts - I meant to say "I hope I don't sound too dense"!

[Gypsygirl]

Well, I think you've mentioned the most important things. My hair is highlighted, and the bleached strands get tiny white dots sometimes that turn into "holes" or split ends later. I can also tell when my ends need moisture because when they get too dry they "sound" funny when I touch them...I don't know how to describe that- it's kind of like a "crunchy" noise. :o

Oh, and I think heat is worse- on a regular basis. If you just blow-dry your hair once in a blue moon, then the dye is probably worse... But as long as you don't blow-dry chemically treated hair every day you can win the battle against damage, I think. Just make sure you use very good hair care products that really work for your hairtype.

[Nightshade]

You're not dense at all :flowers:

There's a big article in my siggy about damaged hair, how to recognize it, manage it, and rehabilitate it.

It also gives links to methods on how to know if your hair needs more moisture or more protein and how to remedy that.

From other threads, I think heat was voted the most damaging, though it was dye that destroyed my hair.

[Islandgrrl]

My hair from the shoulders down is pretty damaged from an old color disaster (oy, don't ask). I don't have splits, it isn't gummy. It's dry and sort of straw-like, but what I notice mostly is that it's very rough and more prone to tangles than the new, undamaged growth. It looks lighter in color, too, and less shiny.

The damaged can't be fixed (so sad), but it can be dealt with and minimized by proper and very gentle treatment. For me that means HEAPS of moisture, a good, cone-free leave-in conditioner and absolutely NO HEAT (there's a reason they call it frying your hair, right?).

As for what's worse, I think it depends a lot on your hair type and the frequency and method with which you heat style and/or chemically color your hair. In terms of color, anything that lightens your hair is generally more damaging than something that deposits color without first stripping the color out. But as far as I know, any conventional chemical process has at least the potential to cause significant damage. Considering heat....well, the occasional heat styling isn't going to destroy your hair.

I use hot rollers (well, really warm ones) once or twice a year for special occasions. No biggie. But way back in the day I used a curling iron daily (have the burn scars to prove it, too :grin:). Never could figure out why my hair wouldn't grow long. It wasn't until my curling iron broke and I went into "benign neglect" mode (2 little kids, one income = no money for stuff like curling irons) that my hair really took off.

I actually did kind of have that light bulb moment when I realized that I'd been my own worst enemy with heat styling.

Check out Nightshade for great info on damaged hair rehab....
(http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=79)
You will get more growth if you stop damaging your hair, that much is certain.

[Anje]

Nightshade can tell you all sorts of things about damaged hair.

I suspect heat is the worst, largely because it's something that people often do very regularly. Occasional, careful use of heat isn't going to be that bad.

Bleach, peroxide, ammonia, perms, and relaxers (with and without lye) are all damaging. They all affect the chemical structure of your hair, and weaken it. Some people here lighten their hair regularly with few ill effects, others get straw if they bleach their hair. It depends on your hair, past care, and the maintenance you give it. Multiple applications of any of these to a section of hair is asking for more trouble. Dyes that lack peroxide and ammonia are going to be quite mild on hair by comparison, but different ones will probably affect hair different ways. Some dyes, like henna, can even strengthen hair.

[Fethenwen]

You're not dense at all :flowers:

There's a big article in my siggy about damaged hair, how to recognize it, manage it, and rehabilitate it.


Wow, that's a very good article. Answered a lot of questions I've been having lately.

[Nightshade]

Wow, that's a very good article. Answered a lot of questions I've been having lately.

Hey, thank you! :cheer:

Gotta do something with that English Writing degree :lol:

[Arctic_Mama]

I agree that not damaging it further and using tons of moisture are your best bets. Good luck in dealing with your damage and growing healthy hair!

[RancheroTheBee]

The things you mentioned are essentially the warning signs of damage. Unless your hair is breaking off, or splitting all over the place, you're probably doing a pretty good job of staving off the damage.

In response to your other question, I would consider them both equally bad, when they are done regularly. I used to think I could blow dry my sopping wet hair on high, and just avoid chemical dyes and be fine. Wrong. I did it the other way around, and just accumulated a different kind of damage. I still blow dry on occasion, but now it's always on low, warm and only after my hair is almost completely dry anyway.

[jera]

Yeah, if I were you I'd explore the condition of my scalp? Is it hydrated? Are you producing enough oils there? No chemical burns or excessive flaking? If you can answer no to all these questions, consider yourself very lucky and please try to treat your scalp better in the future.:) The root of all healthy hair is a healthy hydrated scalp. :p

[salamander]

When my hair gets particularly tangly it's usually a sign of damage, but I think it's because of the splits, so looking for splits ought to work fine.

[bjjowett1993]

Well, I won't compare mechanical to chemical damage, but the worst chemical damage you could do are perms or relaxers, with bleach right behind them. The worst mechanical thing you can do to your hair is teasing - ripping off the cuticle which can never be replaced. The worst mechanical heat damage that can be done would be straightening/curling/crimping, with crimping being the most, as it essentially bends the hair, and leaves the hair very vulnerable to breakage at the bends. Blowdrying isn't as bad, especially if you are comparing straightening every day Vs. blowdrying. Blowdrying is just hot air drying the hair, while the straightener/curler/crimper are extremely hot metal plates that your hair is between, and the moisture inside your hair can literally be boiled, and burst open the hair shaft.

[Rapunzal2Be]

You're not dense at all :flowers:

There's a big article in my siggy about damaged hair, how to recognize it, manage it, and rehabilitate it.

It also gives links to methods on how to know if your hair needs more moisture or more protein and how to remedy that.

From other threads, I think heat was voted the most damaging, though it was dye that destroyed my hair.

Your article was beyond fantastic!! Thank you!!!

[Nightshade]

Your article was beyond fantastic!! Thank you!!!

You're so welcome!