The bad news: between the pandemic and the cost of living crisis, people are getting fewer haircuts. And with that arises a slew of concerns previously sorted by regular salon visits (and a professional eye). The good news: there are a huge range of damaged hair repair products that can help!
It’s hard to fix hair once it’s damaged, but there are ways to protect your locks from being compromised by heat and poor styling techniques. It’s all about proper prep, maintenance and regular check-ins with your scalp and strands to identify what your hair needs at any given time.
And luckily, a mass of effective formulas targeted at damaged hair repair are just a same-day-delivery away. It’s now just a matter of sifting through to identify what products, treatments and techniques will help…easy right?
Queue the experts. We enlist hairstylists Anthony Nader (founder of RAW salon) and Jaye Edwards (founder of Edwards and Co) for their top remedies to treat common hair woes and maintain overall healthy locks.
Split Ends
Supposed split-end saviours are on the rise (and amassing millions of views on TikTok’s #hairtok). But Nader warns these “revolutionary” products may not be giving the results we had hoped for. “Once the hair is split, it’s split,” he explains. “There are products on the market that can ‘mask or seal’ a split end but it’s not permanent.” Nader’s solution? Regular haircuts because “why do you want to grow unhealthy split hair?” So if your last trim is a distant memory, preventing frayed ends from splitting further up the hair shaft sounds like a very good reason to book in.
How To Repair Overall Damage
To repair damaged and frail locks, Anthony Nader recommends investing in a quality hair mask. “Think of it like a facial for your hair. You can improve the longevity and healthy by applying a supple moisture or protein masque once a week. The more you feed your strands the more productive your hair styling will be” says Nader.
Prevent further damage (and rough texture) by considering your hair’s exposure to heat. When using hot styling tools use a heat protective spray and experiment with temperature. Nader suggests using your tools on half the heat temp and closing the hair cuticle post shower by switching to a cool water temperature at the end.
For a boosted improvement to hair strength, try an at-home bond repair treatment. Previously reserved for the salon, Jaye Edwards advises “I would stick to using a bonding product weekly and consulting with your stylist in salon. Once you have repaired your damaged bonds, using additional treatment will just wash down the sink. You cant fix what isn’t broken.”.
The Best Products For Damaged Hair Repair
Oribe Gold Lust Transformative Masque
$108 at Rogue Beauty
Virtue Labs Restorative Treatment Mask
$100 at Sephora
Epres Bond Repair Treatment
$83.30 (usually $98) at Raw
K18 Molecular Repair Hair Oil
$95 at Sephora
Kristin Ess Strand Strengthening Reconstructive Moisture Mask
$13.99 at Chemist Warehouse
How To Protect Against Colour Harm
Much to our dismay, colour treating your hair runs the risks chemical damage.
Edwards can attest “I see a lot of blondes who have been over highlighted, causing breakage and inconsistent colour… Using non salon quality products at home will also create build up and affect your colour.” His advice? “Put down the bleach, have a decent trim and invest in a quality restorative treatment STAT.”
We suggest L’Oreal Professionnel’s Metal Detox Serum In Oil, which helps to repair damaged hair and protect against harmful metal deposits seen in colour treated hair. Eleven’s Blonde Toning Spray is a great option for neutralising tone and brassiness.
To extend the longevity of colour services, and reduce you’re exposure to high intensity chemicals, Edwards suggests “booking in for regular glosses, these are quick 15 minute in salon treatments that help make your colour pop again without booking a full colour service”.
The Best Products To Repair Coloured Hair
John Frieda Blonde Repair Pre-Shampoo
$21 at Woolworths
John Frieda’s 3-step Blonde+ Repair System range leverages cutting-edge bond-building plex technology to repair damage and strengthen blonde hair, as well as optimise blonde reflections in just one minute.
Oribe Bright Blonde Radiance & Repair Treatment
$99 at Rogue Beauty
Goldwell Dualsenses Blondes & Highlights 60 Second Treatment
$31.95 (usually $36) at Oz Hair & Beauty
O&M Clean.tone Colour Treatment Cool Blonde
$41.95 at Oz Hair & Beauty
L’Oreal Professionnel Metal Detox Serum In Oil
$43.40 (usually $62) at The Iconic
Eleven Australia Keep My Colour Blonde Toning Spray
$28.95 at Adore Beauty
How To Treat & Improve Dullness
Locks lacking lustre? Nader suspects your shower routine may be to blame. “If your hair strands are frail and lack shine, I’d say you’re using the wrong shampoo and conditioner,” he explains.
“Ask your hairdresser to prescribe the best products for your hair type.” Other factors can be diet, sunlight and chemical damage. Try adding serums from Iles Formula (dosed with Australian botanicals) or Guerlain (enriched with black bee honey) into your daily hair routine, to promote vitality and shine.
Nader’s preferred application involves “a few drops onto damp hair. It blow-dries in beautifully and doesn’t appear dirty or feel heavy”.
The Best Products To Add Lustre To Dull Hair
Iles Formula Haute Performance Finishing Serum
$84 at Rogue Beauty
Guerlain Abeille Royale Scalp & Hair Youth-Oil-in Serum
$232 at Sephora
Fekkai Brilliant Gloss Glass Hair Anti Frizz Oil Serum
$41.25 (usually $55) at Sephora
Typebea G4 Hydra-Gloss Treatment Hair Mask
$37.50 (usually $50) at Typebea
How To Treat & Tame Unruly Frizz
Hydration is key for combating frizz, says Jaye Edwards. He suggests applying products right after you shower to lock in moisture; think of it as “skin flooding” for your hair.
While there are external aggressors that contribute to frizz, it often comes down to genetics, so “work with your natural hair texture, rather than against it.”
For wavy to curly/kinky hair, products such as Bread’s Curl Capturing Gloss gel are essential in reducing frizz and taming flyaways while retaining texture and volume. Living Proof’s Smooth Styling Serum is a great option for straighter hair types and will leave locks looking polished and sleek.
The Best Hair Products To Tame Frizz
Bread Hair-Gel Curl Capturing Gloss
$51 at Sephora
Color Wow Extra Strength Dream Coat
$62 at Sephora
Kevin Murphy Killer Curls Rinse
$47.95 at Adore Beauty
How To Treat Thinning Hair
Try an inside-out approach to hair loss and thinning.
Invest in a high-performing ingestible (JSHealth and Vida Glow stock some of our favourites) in addition to active topicals such as Vegamour’s GRO Serum or Robe Haircare’s Tonic.
Both are lightweight and dosed with phyto-actives that work overtime to revitalise the look of hair and help improve body. Just make sure you apply your chosen system consistently, as thicker-looking locks and visible growth takes time.
The Best Products For Hair Growth & Strength
Hair + Energy Formula
$33.75 (usually $44.99) at JSHealth Vitamins
How To Solve Scalp Issues
The root cause of dry, oily or greasy hair could be your scalp care (or lack of). Investing in your scalp care can help promote growth, stimulate more manageable oil production, and encourage a healthier, more damage-resistant head of hair in general.
The new wave of scalp-care products focus on a holistic routine, with ingredients like salicylic acid and others offering exfoliating properties that aid in the removal of product build-up and help other treatments penetrate your strands properly. Aveda’s new Scalp Solutions range has adaptogenic herbs and hyaluronic acid to help maintain the heath of your scalp’s microbiome.
Kérastase Symbiose Crème Hydrating Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
$57 at Adore Beauty
Klorane Anti-dandruff Rebalancing Shampoo with Galangal & AHA
$24.99 at Adore Beauty
Coco & Eve Pro Youth Scalp Massager
$14.70 (usually $21) at The Iconic
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