Did you know there are four levels of damage that can take place to your precious hair? There are so lets talk about them and talk about what you can do to help!
Level one: Cuticular Damage
Who: This is something almost everyone has.
Causes: Our environment, blowdrying, sunshine, salt air. You name it.
Solution: Since it is so easy to have level one damage do not panic! Getting regular trims and using a quality shampoo, conditioner, and styling products will help keep your hair healthy and happy.
Level two: Loss of Moisture
Who: Anyone that receives chemical services (color, highlights, perm, straighteners), regular use of hot tools (curling and or flat irons) or has not maintained regular trims.
How: The cuticle has been opened through chemicals, heat, or just neglect and left abraded for too long allowing the moisture to slip out. Chemicals and heat break down different bonds in your hair, when this is done without the proper TLC in-between, those moisture molecules just wave goodbye! Often leaving your hair feeling staticy and frazzled.
Solution: Regular conditioning treatments. As well as the right products need to be used for styling and color maintenance.
Level three: Loss of protein
Who: This happens when you have allowed all that moisture to leave your hair. Or drastic change in color. Say going from black to blonde, while as other posts have stated its the healthiest to do that drastic of a change in small steps its still a rough process.
How: Your hairs natural proteins such as fatty acids, lipids, and other hair nutrients (which is what makes your hair happy and shiny) have nothing to hold onto. Moisture is no longer blocking the door so they leave the hair shaft as well.
Solution: Things are getting serious here. You need deep conditioning treatments. Here at The Strand we offer protein and moisture treatments. You should also trim your ends so that your splits don’t get the chance to spread any further up. This may take a few different treatments, but the time money and effort into doing this is much better than getting to stage 4. . .
Level four: Loss of elasticity
Who:
How: The hair has lost too much moisture and protein. It snaps off. Normally hair stretches and retracts. Once you get to this point though it is too weak, dry and brittle. The loss of elasticity is caused by intense exposure to sun, wind, water, heat, chemical treatments, poor quality shampoo, conditioner, styling aids and tools.
Solution: Once hair starts breaking there isn’t much that can be done. All of the previous solutions apply. Deep conditioners, the right products, and most certainly a good healthy cut.