What Kills Hair
Hair is the most tortured part of the body. In many ways it's just like arms and spleens and belly buttons, but it's missing two essential things that would have saved it: blood and nerves. Hair gets regular surgery with no anesthetic; it gets welded, branded and tortured with screaming hot electrical devices; it gets grabbed, wrestled down and crammed into an elastic like a calf at a rodeo, and of course it gets coloured and bleached, sometimes in a fairly humane way, sometimes within an inch of its life. I'm not so sure nature had all of that in mind when it left out blood and nerves — or maybe it knew what was coming.
So what are the villains? What kills hair? And on the flip side, what will resurrect it? Let's keep this simple. I'm going to point out the most damaging things that can happen to your hair (aside from campfires and other natural disasters) and I'll offer easy solutions.
Keep in mind that each of us has their own particular perceptions about hair damage. What one of us would consider reasonably healthy hair might be, to another, Hair Armageddon. Many people are so used to having damaged hair they may have completely forgotten what healthy hair feels like. And if they're happy with what's sitting up there, there's no problem. Personally, I tend to lean toward wanting hair to be strong and healthy. I wouldn't call myself a fanatic, but again, it all depends on your perspective.
Okay, things that make hair want to run away:
Bleach (also called “lightener”) can be a blessing or a villain. Not all bleach is harsh, but most brands can be quite damaging. There are some good, milder bleaches around but the next part of that story is how much (as in: how many highlights you have), how often (as in: how often do you get them done) and how long is it on your sweet hair? (as in: could you walk to Lethbridge and back before it's time to rinse it off?) In my opinion, bleach is often overused and abused. It is, however, quite possible to use good quality lightener in a proper, balanced way and create no suffering. There's nothing inherently wrong with bleach, just like there's nothing inherently wrong with chocolate (if you catch my drift).
Straightening Irons. I think flat irons are one of the great inventions in hairstyling and I use them. I also think they work well for grilled cheese sandwiches and starting the bar-b-que. The average flat iron has to capability to reach over 400 degrees. It's difficult to put that into perspective but suffice it to say that if hair could scream, it would. Just how much damage will occur depends on many factors, such as the type of hair you have, how often you straighten it and how much bleach is in it. Unless you have very strong hair naturally, the flat iron will dry it out without question, especially if you have highlights. I'm not suggesting you don't use it, but experiment with the temperature and find a moderate setting. Don't automatically put it on “high”. Use a heat protection oil or spray. Straightening irons are powerful and need to be used with awareness and caution. When used in this way, they are very effective.
Round Brushes. It's not that round brushes are bad, they just get used in harmful ways. People sometimes roll them into the hair rather tightly, then point a screaming hot blow dryer half an inch from it. "Ouch!" is an understatement. This happens most often on bangs and causes breakage and burnt hair. The solution? Don't roll it in so tightly, pay attention to what your doing, always keep the dryer a few inches away, and always keep the dryer moving. Don't focus the heat it on one spot for more than a second or two without letting it cool off a little.
Excessive Sun. The sun, the beautiful sun; life giving, in moderation. When you go on a holiday to a hot place, simply be aware, find balance. Cover your hair as much as you can, let it drift and play in the breeze when you feel like it; make a conscious choice. If you know you have damaged hair, and care about that, be more careful. Highlights, especially on fine hair, are easily dried out in the sun and salt. Put some nice conditioner in your hair and leave it in while you're at the beach, not every day, just once in a while. Moderation is the key to enjoying the sun in all its glory.
Swimming Pools. Salt and chlorine are hair assassins, especially on coloured hair and porous hair. They strip out colour faster than anything else and just generally dry the heck out of your hair. But swim, please swim, if you love it. If you can wear a cap, please do. Use clarifying shampoo when you come out of the pool and make sure you use good quality shampoo and conditioner the rest of the time. There is a product line I'm looking into called Malibu that apparently works well for removing salt and chlorine without killing the hair in the process. If salt and chlorine build up, they can also cause problems with artificial hair colour.
Well-Meaning, Evil Hairstylists. I honestly believe that a great many stylists and their clients have simply forgotten what healthy hair feels and looks like. I can say without exaggeration that at least 6 out of 10 new clients that walk into Flow with coloured hair have quite damaged hair. I'm regularly baffled. Granted, I'm a stylist that is more concerned about hair condition than perhaps most, but that's because healthy hair is shiny, moves well and looks good. Plus, it just seems like the right thing to do. We have the choice, so why not? Sometimes the problem is that stylists and clients are so badly wanting a particular style or colour that they are willing to pummel the hair into submission to get it. It's easy to lose balance.
If you and your stylist are pushing your hair a long ways from what it naturally wants to do, you may have to live with it being a little “toasted”, but that's not always such a terrible thing, as long as you're happy with the overall look. I suggest making choices that take into consideration all the factors. A spontaneous choice based solely on the fact that it sounds exciting is a great way to do something you may regret the minute the fun wears off. It takes twenty minutes to ruin two years of hair. This doesn't mean you can't explore a wide range of options, just always keep in mind that your hair is part of your body, and hopefully, that means it should be loved and respected.
Some of the other hair bullies include: home hair colour (see my other newsletter : “Women, Booze and Home Hair Colour”), poor quality salon colour and cheap shampoo.
Now, here's what makes hair happy:
Good quality shampoo and conditioner.
Not washing it more than you need to.
Being careful when combing out tangles.
Being careful when putting in and taking out elastics.
Deep conditioning treatments, especially with some gentle heat.
Not letting your cat chew on it.
A good hairdresser who cares about the condition of our hair and uses quality products.
Eating well, living with balance and awareness.
Loving everyone the best you can, including yourself. I'm not sure if that helps your hair, but it feels so darn good, you might as well.
Considering how fragile hair is, it sure endures a lot. If I did to other body parts what I do to hair, I'd be kicked in the shins and thrown in jail for a very long time. But isn't life great? I get paid for it! I'll tell you what though, there's a lot worse that can happen to your hair than anything I'm going to do to it, and now you know what it is … so you'll be nice to your hair from now on, right?
