Hair Damage: How Does It Happen?

VOLUME 2

As a professional cosmetologist, you will see many cases of damaged hair, and it will have a dramatic effect on your work. Any cut, style or chemical service might not turn out the way you planned because of hair damage. To do your best work, you need to take the condition of the hair into consideration before you start the service.

In addition, clients may ask your advice if they have a problem with damaged hair. As the expert, you need to understand the damage and determine the best way to treat it.

What is damaged hair?

Hair is damaged if it is rough to the touch, overly porous and easily broken, possibly with split ends. Damaged hair does not shine or feel silky to the touch. It is more difficult to style, and haircolor fades more quickly on overly porous hair. Damage starts with the protective cuticle layer of the hair, which is important for the shine, feel and protection of hair. When the cuticle becomes raised and softened by processes like lightening or perming, and to a lesser extent, by exposure to too much sun, the hair is much more vulnerable to mechanical abrasion, such as combing, especially when the hair is wet. The cuticle can be weakened by various chemical processes and can be stripped away, exposing the inner cortex layer of the hair to further damage. The cuticle is easily damaged by rough wet combing, or brushing wet hair. Damaged hair should be shampooed gently without scrubbing or rough drying. Backcombing hair is particularly damaging.

How can you help?

If a client has damaged hair, the best course of action is to give several deep conditioning treatments before attempting any chemical service. The client should be advised on healthy hair practices, such as gentle combing of wet hair with a wide-toothed comb, never brushing wet hair, and regularly conditioning hair between salon visits. It is best to avoid all hot-iron styling and high-heat blow drying.

Remember, you cannot create beautiful work on hair that is damaged. As a professional, it is your responsibility to counsel your client and recommend that the damage be corrected. If damaged hair is medium-to- long in length, recommend a haircut to eliminate overly damaged areas.