Healthy Damaged Hair. :)

[Kome]

I've been thinking about making this thread for awhile, simply because I want to prove to people that you CAN grow out damaged hair.

My hair is currently 25.5 inches long and 20 inches or so of that is damaged hair. Now, when I say damaged... I mean straw like, breaking off, white spots, matted, unhappy hair. This was almost exactly a year ago. My hair was just hitting waist when I decided to cut it off to 19 inches long. The cut was not because of the damage, but because of the ugly layers that I had put in myself. Cutting off that damage did not help my hairs health in any way because the damage went all the way to my scalp. I still regret cutting it that short as I simply could have grown out the layers.

So, in a years time my hair is now 6.5 inches longer. In reality, it has grown a lot more than that as I have trimmed off at least 6 inches within' the last year. So in the last year my hair has GROWN 12 inches. I am pointing this out for a reason. DAMAGED HAIR DOES GROW NORMALLY. There is nothing that tells your scalp, "Oh hey, my hair is really fried down there. I think I'll grow slower now." It only seems this way if your hair keeps breaking off at the ends.

Now on to the "healing" of my hair. As we all know, there is no way to "fix" your hair or get it back to it's virgin state. Once you've stripped out your natural oils and proteins of your hair... they're gone from the folicules that you took them from... forever. Your virgin hair will grow out like normal, but those damaged hairs are now in a new state. They now have to be treated differently. A big part of doing this is giving your hair time to RELAX AND RECOVER. For example, I bleach the roots of my bangs once a month. When I first do so, that part of my hair is a little dry. I slather on conditioner and detangler when I am done bleaching and things are fine within' a day or two. Bleaching MY hair once doesn't do a lot of damage, but keep in mind that everyone's hair is different, and in some cases certain people can't use bleach at all. So please don't read this and go, "Okay! I can bleach like 5 times now!" It doesn't work that way. I just know how my hair works. I really don't want anyone's hair to fall out.

Okay, so on to the care taking. After cutting my hair to 19 inches I was still straightening my hair a lot. Why? Well it was fried and looked horrible if I didn't. However, I soon found a remedy that kept me from straightening as much. I started using Aloe vera gel. My hair loved it. I put it in after I showered, while it was still wet. I would then scrunch it while it dried. I have never been able to scrunch my hair, but with aloe vera it actually worked. It looked nice, it was soft to the touch, and not sticky or crunchy. I used this for about a month while also occassionally use Vitamen E Oil.

I was still straightening my hair about once a week or so because my boyfriend can't stand messy hair. He was a big part of my inspiration to find a way to make my hair look healthy and nice despite the damage. I think he might have cried if I cut it any shorter than I did. :p

Conditioners I used that worked well were:

Pantene Pro V Restoratives Time Renewal Replenishing Mask- This was the first product I started using, but it stopped working as well after a couple of months.
Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Moist- This is a great sized travel product and works pretty well.
Joice K-Pak Deep-Penetrating Reconstructer (My favorite deep treatment)- This product contains hair keratin which is protein. Using it too often can make your hair dry. I use it about once a week.
Suave Professionals Almond and Shea Butter Conditioner(Most recent and use every shower)- This is a new product by Suave and it is CHEAP and AMAZING. I also use the shampoo when I have to shampoo.

I also used Loreal Kids Detangler. This was required even after conditioner to detangle the knots in my hair. With my most current conditioner I rarely even need a detangler now (I know, wow!), but I still use it occassionally when needed and while your hair is more damaged I recommend getting one. I find Loreal Kids to work the best for me.

Another thing I changed about my hair hair routine was my brush. I have never been able to use a normal brush, even on my virgin hair, as it makes it go POOF. I read about wooden combs and went and bought one from The Body Shop. The wood holds your hairs oils and whatever products you use in your hair. It has made my hair silkier, shinier, and less frizzy.

My ultimate hair savior was Henna. I realize this is not a color choice for everyone, but it really made a huge difference in the texture and happiness of my damaged hair. It has "healed" my hair so much that I can actually shampoo, without conditioning, and my hair will dry fairly normally. I can't get a comb through it, but it looks okay. :cheese:

**To end this... I know that everyone's hair is different. I know that this will not work for everyone's hair. Also, keep in mind that this took almost an entire year for me to find products that worked with my damaged hair and to "heal" it as much as I possibly could. This is NOT for everyone, but I want people out there to know that just because your hair got fried from dying it once, or flat ironing it a little too much, doesn't mean it's time to cut your hair. I see that suggestion on this website WAY to often for my taste. This website is about growing out your hair LONG, healthy along the journey or not. We should be helping people grow their hair long, not telling them to cut it! I encourage those of you with patience, and a desire for your long locks, to not cut off the damage so quickly and to nurture your hair as much as possible. It IS possible to have long, damaged hair. Take it from the queen of hair bleaching. I have bleached my hair as much as 4 times in ONE DAY. It makes me cringe, but girls and guys, I've still got hair! :D :cool:

[melrose1985]

Well... It worked for me the second time of trying to grow my hair. I have damaged ends but I have a hard time parting with them... We are a team now!

The only reason, that I've come to, that damaged hair doesn't grow is because while it is growing the ends are breaking off and it seem like it's not or it's slow...

But like you said not everything works for everyone... To each is own... And I just can't let go of my damaged ends!

[Kome]

The only reason, that I've come to, that damaged hair doesn't grow is because while it is growing the ends are breaking off and it seem like it's not or it's slow...

@melrose1985- This is why I trim. I tend to trim my hair when it starts tangling too much on the ends or the ends look stringy. I just trimmed off 1/4 of an inch yesterday. It's not a lot, but it was enough to make my ends less stringy looking and give them more of a blunt look.

I think it's important to cut off ends that are splitting badly because this will only further damage and thin out your hair. My hair has MANY split ends from damage, but they are random through my hair and I can dust trim them as needed. For the ends though I make sure to keep them fairly bluntly trimmed so that my hair stays thick on the ends. I also oil the ends a lot as well.

[melrose1985]

@melrose1985- This is why I trim. I tend to trim my hair when it starts tangling too much on the ends or the ends look stringy. I just trimmed off 1/4 of an inch yesterday. It's not a lot, but it was enough to make my ends less stringy looking and give them more of a blunt look.

I think it's important to cut off ends that are splitting badly because this will only further damage and thin out your hair. My hair has MANY split ends from damage, but they are random through my hair and I can dust trim them as needed. For the ends though I make sure to keep them fairly bluntly trimmed so that my hair stays thick on the ends. I also oil the ends a lot as well.

Same here. I only trim, less then 1/4", when it's tangly. I just work around my head and layers with the trimmers.

[Shany]

I think it was a good idea to create this thread. I read everywhere that damaged hair can't improve much. In May 2010, my hair was driving me crazy! Damaged from overbleaching and blowfrying/flat ironing. I did too much protein treatments and it dried my hair out too. Cones didn't help. That's what worked for me : no more flat ironing and blowdrying, hot coconut oil and olive oil treatments, ACV rinses, biolage conditioning balm, SLS free and cone free shampoo/conditioner. A small trim helped a lot too and I got rid of my inverted shape.

There's a picture..
left: May 2010, my face was shinier than my hair! I never had damaged hair like that before.
right: August 2010... a lot better.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=5928&pictureid=79152
Can you see the difference?

[melrose1985]

Shany, that second picture hair style is so cool.

[Shany]

thanks Melrose :D

[BrightEyes7]

This is NOT for everyone, but I want people out there to know that just because your hair got fried from dying it once, or flat ironing it a little too much, doesn't mean it's time to cut your hair. I see that suggestion on this website WAY to often for my taste. This website is about growing out your hair LONG, healthy along the journey or not. We should be helping people grow their hair long, not telling them to cut it!

Personally I don't agree with what you said. I understand it may work for you but I think getting rid of damage is the best thing to do. Maybe not all at once but it is something that needs to be done. I think it is worthless to have long hair that is in poor shape because it sort of defeats the purpose... just my opinion.

Also this website isn't about just growing your hair long, it is about getting the best possible hair. I mean I heat style, I chemical dye. But my hair is healthy. But personally I would rather have a bob of healthy hair than classic length straw. This website is about quality of hair, not quantity(or length). The people who have reached long lengths don't get there by holding on to damage, they get it by babying their hair.

There is my :twocents:

[Kome]

Personally I don't agree with what you said. I understand it may work for you but I think getting rid of damage is the best thing to do. Maybe not all at once but it is something that needs to be done. I think it is worthless to have long hair that is in poor shape because it sort of defeats the purpose... just my opinion.

Also this website isn't about just growing your hair long, it is about getting the best possible hair. I mean I heat style, I chemical dye. But my hair is healthy. But personally I would rather have a bob of healthy hair than classic length straw. This website is about quality of hair, not quantity(or length). The people who have reached long lengths don't get there by holding on to damage, they get it by babying their hair.

There is my :twocents:

Like I said, it depends on the person. However, if I saw you in person and you saw my hair... there is no possible way you would know I'd damaged my hair as much as I had in such a short period of time. The only reason you know now is because I posted it in this thread. I think you misunderstood what I said. My hair is NOT straw like, but it WAS. My whole point to this thread is that you can semi heal that damage INSTEAD of cutting it off. I baby my hair now and there is no reason to cut it off now. That dryness or staw-likeness doesn't stay with your hair forever if you take care of it instead of cutting it off.

Thank you for your input though. It is nice to know that other people heat style and color and still have healthy hair! :)

[BrightEyes7]

. That dryness or staw-likeness doesn't stay with your hair forever if you take care of it instead of cutting it off.

Thank you for your input though. It is nice to know that other people heat style and color and still have healthy hair! :)

I agree with that... the dryness can go away with pampering. But damage (split or frayed ends) need to be cut off. That was what I was trying to say. I like you straightened every day. I would wash, blow fry and straighten every single day. I cringe to think of that now. But after pampering the dryness went away but I stil had to cut a good portion to get rid of the damaged ends, the split ends.

But hey more power to you!!

[UltraBella]

I bleach and dye my hair and until recently I curled and flat ironed as well. My hair is super healthy, always has been and I am at hip length. However, if I had split ends I would cut my hair before I would let it look scraggly and damaged. I trim often anyway but I would cut more if it needed it. So I guess I feel both ways depending on the circumstances.

[AgnesONutter]

The thing with damaged hair, for me, is that damage tends to travel upwards for me. What begins as a simple split, soon develops into an advanced tree, going upwards not unlike damage to a rope. Besides, when my ends are damaged they tend to knot together more, sometimes into the kind of knots I have to cut or pull out. Hence, damage causes damage for me.

It is not impossible to grow long, healthy hair beginning with damaged hair. I've grown a perm out once, which really turned my hair into straw but I kept on cutting those ends at waist length every second month or so until one day...the perm was gone and I was back to virgin, silky hair. In the meantime, lots of conditioner, deep treatments and silicones helped A LOT to make the ends of my hair soft and manageable despite the damage. So yes, it is very possible to grow long, healthy hair from damaged hair. In my case, I kept the length I was at, cutting and cutting until my hair was as I wanted it before continuing growing it longer instead of cutting it short and beginning all over.

So, I don't doubt you in the least. It is just that it takes a lot of pampering of the hair you have and that the damaged hair will have to go sooner or later if you want your hair to look the best. You can grow out damaged hair, true, but best is to maintain a current length until the damage has been cut away entirely or to cut the damage out at once. Trust me, it makes a world of difference having healthy ends in compared to damaged ones. For one thing, it is so much easier to brush and detangle!

[JenniferNoel]

I grew out deep-fried hair before and somehow managed to keep it looking "healthy", so I totally agree with this thread.
My damage has never, ever traveled upward, nor have I ever seen a deep split. Ever. Even in the bleach/iron days.
So, bottom line, certain hair types can be grown out just fine loaded with damage, others, well, not so much.

[Luckysock]

just wanted to say 12 inches in one year!!!! Lucky girl!!!! I am coming up on my one year anniversary here and am only 2 inches longer than when I started :( of course I got 3 trims this year that probably account for an additional 4 inches (hard to say) but 12 inches is just awesome fast

[little_cherry]

I always thought my damaged hair looked healthy because I babied it with oils, but the oils were just masking the damage- as soon as I stopped oiling for a short time, the damage reared its ugly head. I trim ever few months and still get 1" + per month. I went from just above shoulder length to just above APL in 6 months.

I don't like damage- it feels gross; I know it's there. It defeats the purpose. I'm here to have healthy long hair, not just long hair.

[ghost]

I've done the 'chopping all my fried hair off at once' thing and the 'babying the damage while growing it out and occasionally trimming' thing. Of the two, I prefer the second: yes, I want healthy hair, but I want *long* hair, too -even if it means I have to grow out damage!
I've settled on simply trimming off 1/4 inch every month or two, as needed. This way my hair still grows and I don't have to give up the 13" or so of previously dyed hair that I'm still hanging onto.

[Kome]

So, bottom line, certain hair types can be grown out just fine loaded with damage, others, well, not so much.

Definately! And that's part of what I wanted to prove! This method won't work for everyone, but it will for a lot of people. I do feel that a lot of people are missing what I am saying though. My hair is no longer damaged. It is no longer fried. I am not masking anything. I can run my fingers through my hair and there are no knots. It is soft, silky, and smooth and it's taken a lot of patience and work to get it that way. However, it does have a lot of split ends throughout my hair, but that is something I am willing to deal with. I'd rather have some split ends than 4 inch long hair. And anyways, my split ends in my virgin hair in highschool were actually just as bad as they are now! But I knew nothing about taking care of my hair then. :p


just wanted to say 12 inches in one year!!!! Lucky girl!!!!

Yeah. I totally had no idea my hair grew that fast until I took measurements this year for this website. I was all, "Woah!" and quite pleased to say the least!


I don't like damage- it feels gross; I know it's there. It defeats the purpose. I'm here to have healthy long hair, not just long hair.

Oh, I completely agree with you, but my hair does not feel damaged anymore. It tooks MONTHS of treatments and finally hennaing to get it where it is. It literally feels soft and silky now, no oils or masks. It still has a dryness to it that won't go away, but it's not something you can feel so much as see, and my hair has always had that problem, damaged or not.

[iceyblue]

This is very inspirational since i have damaged hair too.
Glad to know you can grow out damaged hair healthy (:

Did you use cones btw?
I've been debating if i should omit cones and just try to moisturize my hair

[Katze]

Well, my experience is the opposite. :)

My hair would never grow long and I did not know why. After treating my scalp better, it is MUCH thicker than it ever was (hard to measure since new growth is 1-6 inches long). When I bleached and blowdried and curled I had very bad scalp crustiness and flaking, and lots of hair loss. It was even thinning at the temples!

After lots of SMTs (I did them weekly, with my washes), stretching washes, leave-ins, misting, the only thing that really made my hair 'healthy' was to cut off the bleached, heat-damaged ends. So after 5 years of better hair care, I am still only at BSL - but a solid BSL, with the ends thickening up.

I do think it depends a lot on hair type as well as what YOu are used to and consider healthy. My hair does not really shine, so 'healthy' for me has nothing to do with shine. If I wash with 'cones, my hair LOOKS healthier (shiny, hangs better) and it also LOOKS healthier (tidier, smoother) if I use product. So I do both fairly regularly.

For me it was also a matter of getting used to the 'feel' of my virgin hair, it felt so slippery and almost 'greasy' after two decades of bleaching and using heat. I think that makes a difference too...

[shawneez]

Kome,
This is a great thread. My 3 ft. long hair was destroyed by a careless hairdresser mistake this past April which caused a lot of damage and major breakage. Every time I carefully co-wash more breaks off. I can no longer brush it due to breakage. I've been trying to figure out what I can do to help the damage/breakage that won't take out the corrective color I had to have put in. I feel I need protein and have ordered wheat, soy and silk protein to add to my conditioner. Hopefully this will help. I have 2 inches of virgin hair and approx. 34 inches of damaged broken off hair to deal with which is a major pain. Since my hair has always been long it would be too much of a shock to chop it off....... I'm still trying to accept the fact that this hairdresser destroyed 3 feet of my then healthy hair. Just don't think I could stand the shock of chopping it all off on top of the shock I'm still trying to deal with.
Thanks for a great thread.

[Jessica Trapp]

Do you have photos?

My hair was pretty damaged when I found LHC and broke off. After a new hair care routine, some TLC and a lot of benign neglect it started gaining length again.

jes

[Night_Kitten]

Kome said henna was great for her hair but the color effect might not be to the likes of everyone, so I wanted to say cassia also has similar qualities, but without the added coloring (except for those with really light blond or silvery hair - cassia has a yellow shade...) :)

[Kome]

Do you have photos?

My hair was pretty damaged when I found LHC and broke off. After a new hair care routine, some TLC and a lot of benign neglect it started gaining length again.

jes

There are pictures in my profile of my hair now. I don't have any pictures of the damaged hair I started with I don't think, at least not any that show how bad it was. Why would I take a picture of that??? Haha. I have a couple of videos of it from a year ago, but you can't see the damage as I have loads of oil and conditioner in my hair.

[Shany]

well I didn't intentionally take a picture of my damaged hair but still had one on my computer because it was took during my friend's birthday party. So, maybe you could have a picture of you with damaged hair hidding somewhere.. it's hard to see the damage on a picture though.

[Kome]

well I didn't intentionally take a picture of my damaged hair but still had one on my computer because it was took during my friend's birthday party. So, maybe you could have a picture of you with damaged hair hidding somewhere.. it's hard to see the damage on a picture though.

Right. That's what I mean. You can't really see the damage in the pictures that I do have. I looked through them and you really can't tell. Oh well.