Do you often search for how to repair damaged hair naturally at home? or Shampoo and conditioner for damaged hair or home remedies for damaged hair.
Chances are you have tried it all but nothing seems to be working. You have done tons of DIY methods but the situation is not getting any better. You have come to the right place.
In this blog, we will first identify why you have damaged hair in the first place.
Want to repair damaged hair? But before that, understand why is it happening.
We live in a world full of solutions yet it is somehow giving rise to more problems.
I have never heard my grandmother complain about her damaged hair. In fact, she had gorgeous, luscious hair even during her final days.
I remember combing through that platinum hair with black streaks and they were so strong.
Let’s break a few myths and find what exactly has caused the epidemic of damaged hair.
1. Shampoos and conditioner
The number one reason why you are unable to repair damaged hair is your shampoo and conditioner.
Contrary to the belief that your shampoo will make your hair shiny and strong, it will damage your hair long before you start seeing the signs.
A shampoo is nothing but a complex mix of chemicals (mostly surfactants) to clean your hair. 99% of shampoo in the market, share the same chemical formula but market them differently.
| Must Use Ingredients | Typical Use Level | Example Ingredients |
| Distilled Water | 60-80% | Water Mixed with Botanical Extracts |
| Surfactants | 15-30% | Alkyl sulfonates family, Sodium laureth sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, |
| Foam Boosters/ Stabilizers | 1-4% | EDTA, Lauramide DEA, Cocamidopropyl Betaine |
| Thickeners | 0.1-5% | Xanthan Gum, Acrylate Copolymer |
| Preservatives | 0.1-1.0% | Dmdm hydantoin, Imidazolidinyl Ureabenzyl alcohol, Isothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Sodium benzoate |
| pH Stabilizer | As needed | Sodium hydroxide, citric acid |
| Optional Ingredients | ||
| Humectants | 1-5% | Glycerin, Plant Oils, Panthenol |
| Conditioning Ingredients | Depends on ingredient | Polyquats such as Quaternium-80, Dimethicone or other silicones, Guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride |
| Ingredients for Consumer appeal | 1-5% | Proteins, Provitamin B5, minerals |
| Fragrance | 0.1-1.0% |
These liquid detergents strip off the natural oils from your scalp which looks clean initially but becomes extremely dry and flaky later on.
This makes it even more difficult to repair damaged hair.
The anti-dandruff shampoos are even worse. The conditioners are introduced to provide the moisture that was ripped off by the shampoos in the first place.
So basically you are replacing your hairs natural oils with artificial conditioners superficially.
Conditioners give you that moisturised feel when you wash your hair and yes some part of it allows to lock in the moisture but only for a few hours.
The scalp remains dry and your ends become oily.
Salon treatments
Every time you go to a salon, salon staff starts pitching you different solutions to repair damaged hair. Keratin smoothing, colouring, hair spa or an expensive-looking green coloured bottle.
Excessive use of artificial chemical-laden treatments will leave your hair irreparably damaged in the long run. Some chemicals might cause contact dermatitis in people.
Hair colour
Since we live in India, we usually have deep black gorgeous hair. But the entire hair colour industry has been blossoming on the insecurities of young women.
Black hair is often bleached before putting the hair colour. This bleaching step destroys the entire structure of your hair.
Lack of nutrition
I can’t stress this point enough. You are what you eat. Your body will reflect if you have poor eating habits. In Ayurveda, eating according to your hair type will give you a healthy mind and a healthy body.
Try to eat at home as often as possible and limit the intake of junk food. It’s a privilege to be able to eat a freshly cooked homemade meal.
Often so, our bodies are filled with toxins. Just like you take an external bath, it is important to take an internal one.
In order to cleanse your system, I would recommend doing a bimonthly detox. An Ayurvedic Panchakarma treatment is the perfect detox to get rid of the toxins.
if finding a good Panchakarma detox near you is difficult, you can also try a home-based Panchakarma treatment.
Else, you can check out this guide for best panchakarma centres here.
When your body is able to flush out the toxins, your skin starts glowing and your hair health becomes better.
Stress
And the final one, stress! Stress ruins your entire system. The stress hormone cortisol is responsible for acne, dull skin, dull hair and diminished immunity.
Stress has been a global epidemic and is said to affect the 2/3rd of the population. Learning methods to lead a stress-free life will also save your hair and skin from a lot of damage
How to repair damaged hair naturally? Here are the remedies
1) Hair Masks
Hair masks have been used for ages to repair and replenish hair. A lot of natural herbs, fats, oils, butter have been listed in the Indian medicine system of Ayurveda.
Banana hair mask
Banana for hairThey improve manageability and shine, prevent and control dandruff, and moisturize your scalp.
Bananas are rich in potassium, natural oils, carbohydrates and vitamins, which help soften the hair and protect the hair’s natural elasticity, preventing split ends and breakage.
Recipe:
1 Banana
½ cup yoghurt
1 tablespoon olive oil/coconut oil/almond oil
Mash the banana and mix with yoghurt and oil. Mix them thoroughly. Apply it on the entire length of your hair and scalp.
Leave it on for 20 mins. Wash it off with lukewarm water when dry.
Take a small amount of shampoo and wash it off. Lock in the moisture with a leave-in hair tonic.
Henna hair mask
Henna has immense benefits for hair. It is one of the most widely accepted hair conditioners around the world. However, it’s not an option for people with coloured hair.
2 tablespoon henna powder
½ cup yoghurt
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil/coconut oil/almond oil
Mix the ingredients thoroughly. Apply it onto the entire length of your hair. Leave it on for 30-45 mins. Once dry, wash it off with lukewarm water. Follow it up with a hair tonic.
After washing, there might be a few residues in your hair. They will drop off easily once the hair dries out. You will have the most gorgeous colour ever and your hair will shine crazy.
Mango hair mask
Summers are here and so are mangoes. Every season has its own special fruits and vegetables.
These seasonal fruits have so many benefits for the entire body.
A lot of people are unaware of the benefits of mangoes for hair.
Mango is high in vitamin C, which promotes healthy hair and skin.
Additionally, mango is a good source of vitamin A, which encourages hair growth and the production of sebum — a liquid that helps moisturize your scalp to keep your hair healthy.
To make this mango hair mask
1 ripe mango (any variety)
½ cup yoghurt
1 tablespoon olive oil/coconut oil/almond oil
Grid the mango pulp and mix it with yoghurt and oil. Apply on the scalp and entire length of your hair. Leave it on for 20-30 mins.
Wash it off with lukewarm water and a tiny amount of shampoo and then shine baby shine.
2) Shampoo and conditioner
Use your shampoo and conditioner carefully. Avoid using more than once a week if you want your hair to stay on your scalp.
Or find a brand that has natural ingredients in the products. Shampoo bars are good replacements for shampoos.
These shampoo bars not only reduce pollution but will also make your hair strong and shiny in the long run.
I have heard from people about not feeling the silkiness after using shampoo bars.
There is a transition period when you move from shampoo to shampoo bars.
You just have to endure that phase and then tadaaa, best hair ever.
3) Diet
I can’t emphasize this enough. If you don’t eat right, nothing you put on your hair will ever work if you are not eating well.
Your body’s complex machinery. It converts your food to cells that make you. If your diet is poor, the cells forming you will not get proper nutrition.
When the foundation is weak, the building cannot be strong.
To repair damaged hair naturally, ea well, eat seasonal food and understand your body.
4) Moisture lock
It is very important to lock in the moisture after washing your hair if you want to repair damaged hair.
Your hair looks silky smooth when you shampoo them but in a day or two they start looking rough, dry ends and oily scalp.
Skip your conditioner and instead use any oil to lock in the moisture. A good quality light hair oil is best for an after shower moisture lock.
These hair tonics tame the frizzy-ness and make your hair super soft, shiny and manageable.
Once the moisture is sealed in, your oil glands will not produce extra oil and your hair will do without washing almost a week. Less shampoo, less damage.
Avoid using serums. As these are plastic-based formulations which create a film on your hair making them weak and brittle in the long run.
5) Salon treatments
Minimize your hair treatments! If you really want to repair damaged hair, try home-based remedies for hair instead of a hair spa.
To colour your hair, find an alternative to chemical-based dyes. Your hair will thank you.
Now that you know how to reverse hair damage, try these proven methods and enjoy beautiful tresses once again.
Be patient and follow the tips for a month and see the difference. Let us know what you think about it!
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Chakshu is a US alliance certified yoga teacher, a biotechnologist and an Ayurveda evangelist. Her passion is to help people live a toxic-free life, emotionally and chemically. She loves reading self-help books. When she is not writing, she is busy thinking about life.
