Home Products Used for Over Processed Hair
- Don't let hair products ruin your hair.shaping hair image by Kostyantyn Ivanyshen from Fotolia.com
Hair can become over-processed for many different reasons. Blowing your hair dry, using flat irons, curling irons and rollers can lead to dry, damaged and over-processed hair. However, the main culprit is hair dye. The chemicals in hair dye (along with non-professionals applying the dye) can make your hair break, fray, fry and become damaged. Luckily, there are a few home remedies that will bring shine, silkiness and strength back into your over-processed hair. - Although you can run up to any beauty supply store and purchase a hot oil treatment, save yourself some money and make one yourself. Using simple olive oil as a hot oil treatment will help to smooth away frizz, strengthen your ends and repair even the most damaged hair. Pour a half a cup of olive oil into a bowl. Heat up the oil in the microwave--but make sure it doesn't get too hot (if you see little bubbles at the bottom of the bowl, the oil is way too hot). Drizzle the oil over your scalp, and use a wide-toothed comb to distribute the oil through your locks and to your ends. Wrap your hair up in a terry cloth towel and let the oil penetrate your hair and scalp for 30 minutes. Rinse the oil out then wash your hair thoroughly.
- Mayonnaise has long been used to help dry, brittle and damaged hair. On top of hairstyling tools causing damage, many products---like shampoo, conditioner, hairspray, gel---also contain alcohol which makes dry hair even worse. Instead of rushing to your hairstylist for a deep conditioning treatment (most run about $40-$75), make your own at home. Surprisingly, it's the cholesterol in the mayo that helps to soften your hair and reverse damage. Pour a cupful of mayo into a bowl and allow it to sit until it reaches room temperature. Add a few drops of vanilla to the mayo so it smells a little better. Add to the bowl three egg yolks and half a cup of olive oil. Throw 2 bath towels in the dryer to get them hot. Apply the mixture throughout your entire hair, focusing on the ends. Wrap your head in plastic wrap to seal the mayo mix into your hair. Wrap one hot bath towel around your head for 10 minutes. Switch to the second hot bath towel for another 10 minutes. Rinse the mixture thoroughly out of your hair---if you're going out, shampoo your hair thoroughly; if not, just rinse the mixture out without shampooing.
- When products and hair chemicals settle on your scalp's surface, two things happen: they reduce the shine and the mess up your hair's pH. Hair is just slightly acidic, but most hair products are very alkaline. When product build-up happens, the hair will appear dull, lackluster and damaged. Cleanse your hair and restore its natural pH with an apple cider rinse. Mix one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with one cup of warm water. Shampoo your hair as normal. While rinsing the shampoo out of your hair, pour the vinegar through your hair as well. Leave the vinegar in your hair for several minutes before rinsing out.
