Hair Care at Every Age: Damaged Hair Treatments
Time to fess up! Your hair might look great now, but are you doing everything you can to make sure it stays that way down the road? Here, we tell you the treatments you should be doing right now to have shiny, healthy hair for many years to come.
In Your 20s: Protect Yourself from Heat Damage
In your 20s, your hair will suffer more heat damage than at any other age, says Mari Lynne Mele, Blow salon educator and stylist. This will be the age you experiment most with your color, and the combination of the sun, chemicals, and heat from styling tools can do a number to your hair down the road. Protect your locks with a heat guard like SAMY Heat Guard Spray before drying or using any styling tool. It will save your hair from heat damage, leaving it frizz free and silky smooth.
In Your 30s: Stop Hair Loss
Your hair won't start falling out in clumps, but Mele says your 30s are when you might start to see signs of thinning and some loss. Since many women have kids in their 30s, they experience hair depression after they stop taking prenatal vitamins, which causes them to go from shiny, full hair to dull, limp strands. Mele says to spend five extra minutes a few times a week giving yourself a scalp treatment. This increases blood circulation, the main factor in hair growth.
Try Pantene Pro-V Medium-Thick Hair Solutions Intensive Restoration Treatment for a full, thick mane.
In Your 40s: Combat Grays
During your 40s, the texture of your hair begins to change. Some of this is due to aging hair, and some is from the treatments and color changes you experimented with in your 20s, which are now catching up with you. In addition to seeing a few stray grays, you might notice your hair is significantly dryer. Mele recommends using essential oils to soften wiry hair and rebalance the oils on your scalp. Peppermint is especially great for dry hair, and rosemary for oily strands. Apply at night and brush through, or choose a leave-in conditioner like Organix Hydrating Tea Tree Mint Leave-in Conditioner to use day or night.
In Your 50s and Beyond: Pick a Pure Protein Blend
At this point, your hair might be feeling slightly overprocessed, says Mele. That's why it's important to pick a shampoo (we like Blow's Blow Up Daily Volumizing Shampoo) that is a pure protein blend. It adds body and volume without being harsh on your hair and is sulfate- and paraben-free, and won't leave lots of residue behind.
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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.
