5 Ways to Know if Your Hair Is Actually Damaged and It's Time for a Haircut
So many of my clients come in for a haircut asking for me to cut off the “dead ends” when their hair is only dry with no damage, and all they need is a good hydrating cleanser to bring their hair back to its best health. What does this mean? You don’t need to cut your hair off as much as you think!
However, knowing when to cut your hair is vital for your own sanity. There is no need to fight with your hair constantly trying to get it back to its healthy state when it’s just ready to go.
So here are 5 major signs that your hair is actually damaged and needs that big chop.
Your ends feel differently than your roots
This is a big one and one that I look at every time a client comes in. If the first 2 inches of your hair from your scalp are healthy, and the ends are a different texture — could be dry, course, straight — your hair has been damaged. It’s so important to look at the re-growth of your hair at the scalp to see what its natural texture is and to compare it to the ends. If it’s doing something funky, it might be worth a haircut.
You see obvious split ends
If there is one sign you need to look out for it’s this. Seeing split ends is the number one way to know that your hair is actually damaged. When you see split ends, it’s game over. There is nothing that will seal or remedy those split ends except a cut. Split ends, when left alone, continue to split even further and drive up the hair shaft, where you will have to cut even more hair than you’d initially thought.
Contrary to what some brands will tell you, there is no mending split ends. There are in-salon treatments that can seal the split ends for a few weeks, but they will come right back up when the treatment wears off after about 10 shampoos.None of the treatments are working
You’ve done all the treatments, professional deep conditioners, applied all the leave-ins, you’ve stopped using heat and you sleep on a silk pillowcase … yet nothing is working. Once you wash your hair, it goes back to the way it was as if you didn’t just spend $8,765 on all the best tools and products. It’s frustrating! Save your money. When the treatments stop working, it’s a major sign than your hair is damaged beyond repair and you will have to cut it off.
Your hair is dull with no shine
Healthy hair is shiny. On healthy hair, the cuticle is closed. When the cuticle is closed, it reflects light and light bounces right off in one direction. It’s absolute beauty to our eyes. When hair is damaged, on the other hand, the cuticle is raised, and reflecting light in one direction becomes impossible. When hair is dry and on the brink of damage, it absorbs light.
Your hair won’t style naturally
You’ve noticed that your hair isn’t drying naturally with elasticity and bounce. If it had a natural wave before, it’s now straight. If it was curly before, it’s now wavy. This could be a change in curl pattern, but coupled with the mentioned signs above like #1, this could be irreversible damage.
If you’re not ready to cut your hair and want to give it a fighting chance, try Hairstory New Wash. It is a hydrating cream cleanser that cleanses and hydrates your hair, leaving it beautiful and shiny like nothing else. For normal hair, use the Original formula. For extra dry hair, use the Rich formula and leave it on for a few minutes to penetrate and act as a deep-conditioning mask. This is the only product I use in the salon 🧡
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