SoZo HAIR Salon Tips
We have all seen the pretty lady on the television commercial with a crazy rats nest of hair. She then shampoos and conditions with the latest over the counter product and suddenly has a head full of smooth, lustrous locks, causing consumers to believe that treating their damaged, over processed hair is just that simple. But is it really that simple?
Not necessarily. In the following paragraphs we will talk about how to tell if your hair is indeed over processed, and different products and styling methods that can help repair your hair and take it out of its state of distress.
Causes Of Overprocessing
So first, let’s talk about what causes over processing or distress to your hair. There is the obvious, over processing due to color, perm or other chemical services done either at home or at the salon. The chemicals used to highlight, color, perm and relax the hair are very strong, and are recommended for salon professional use only for several reasons, including burns to the scalp, neck, and face, melting of the hair, breakage, and baldness due to chemical over-exposure, or reaction with another product already in the hair.
Professional cosmetologists are trained to safely and correctly use these products on your hair. When these products are used incorrectly or too aggressively we wind up blowing apart the cuticle layers of the hair strands as well as doing permanent damage to the amino acid and protein bonds in the hair shaft, giving the hair a distressed or over-processed appearance. What will this over-processed appearance look and feel like? Your hair will often feel dry or straw like, it will break easily while being brushed or styled, it will look frizzy or have a lot of ‘fly-aways’, and it may also not retain color or other chemical services. Heat styling, over exposure to the elements, such as sun or wind, and exposure to chlorine in pool water can also damage the hair strands and leave them looking and feeling dry, brittle and lifeless.
Correcting Overprocessing
So how do we correct over processing? While there is no complete cure, there are several recommended products and treatments that will help repair and minimize the look and feel of damaged over processed hair. Getting a trim regularly will help start you out in the right direction. Trimming the hair removes dead or split ends and prevents further splitting to continue up the hair strand. Using salon quality products all the way from your shampoo and conditioner to your finishing spray will also make a huge difference. Using a shampoo and conditioner with Keratin in it will help to replace and rebuild some of the protein and amino acids that your hair is lacking. Use of a leave in conditioner and a thermal protectant is also imperative. Your hair is already at its weakest and most fragile point, so if you feel the need to heat style these items will help minimize continual damage from happening.
Putting yourself on a regimen of conditioning treatments will also help immensely! There are several types of conditioning treatments, so be sure to ask your stylist which one will fit your needs best, and go see your stylist to have them done. Sometimes over conditioning the hair with the wrong thing can actually have an adverse effect and create more breakage or dryness instead of smoothing and repairing the hair. Be sure to lay off the heat styling as much as possible. Try letting your hair air dry, or blow drying with low heat or cool air. Also, try washing your hair in cooler water, this helps close down the hairs cuticle and will add to making it look smoother.
Avoid Overprocessing
As we said before, use salon quality products and sprays, these contain low or no alcohol additives and will reduce dryness and product build up in the hair. Washing your hair less frequently will also help reduce the look of over processing. The natural oils from your scalp are good for your hair, and when we wash every day we are actually not allowing them to do their job on our hair because we are constantly washing them away. Using a styling treatment oil in the ends of your hair may also help, depending on your hair type. There are a variety of treatment oils ranging from Argon oil to Marula oil, asking your stylist which oils may work best for your hair type and texture will help you purchase the proper products to help remedy your over processed hair.
It is always the goal of a stylist to get you as close to the look you are wanting, in the safest and most gentle way possible. If you feel your stylist may be doing something too aggressive to you hair, or you notice any change to your hair or scalp condition, be sure to talk to your stylist right away! There is no magic cure for correcting over processed hair, but there are a plethora of services that can help reduce and repair your weary hair, let us show your hair the loving-kindness it truly deserves!
About SoZo HAIR:
SoZo Salon Tips is a blog about beauty salon tips, tricks, and hints. SoZo HAIR by Bajon Salon & Spa serves the greater Cincinnati area. We are located in Olde West Chester at the corner of Cincinnati-Dayton and West Chester Rds. We’re just a short drive from Mason Oh and Fairfield Oh….a big city hair salon without the big drive and big traffic.
Chelsea S. is a passionate hair designer with an up to the minute awareness of what’s happening in the hair, beauty, and fashion industry. Her passion shows immediately along with her very caring customer service skills!
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Karen Welch has 32 years of experience in the Hair Fashion Industry and is considered an expert in hair design, hair color and beauty makeovers.
