Follow these 7 steps to repair chemically damaged hair

You might love the look of a perfect perm, freshly bleached hair, or sleek, keratinized strands, but your hair? Not so much. While chemical treatments can help you achieve your ideal look, they can be harsh and cause structural damage to your hair, especially when attempted at home. 

Worried that you might have chemically damaged hair? You’ve come to the right place. This article will show you common signs of chemical damage, provide a step-by-step recovery plan, and help you determine whether [or when] it’s time to call in a professional.

What is chemically damaged hair?

Chemically damaged hair is exactly what it sounds like: hair that’s been repeatedly exposed to harsh chemicals, such as ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, ammonium thioglycolate, sodium hydroxide, and formaldehyde, all of which are found in common chemical treatments.

More than just dryness and frizz, these chemicals can cause structural damage to hair, from breaking down the bonds that give each strand its strength and shape¹ to degrading the proteins and lipids that maintain hair’s mechanical integrity and barrier function.² Chemical treatments can also disrupt the cuticle — the outermost layer of hair — exposing the inner cortex to damage. And the more treatments you get, the more damage you do.

4 common chemical treatments that can cause damage.

Some of the most common chemical haircare treatments and their effects [both intended and unintended] include:

Hair dyes

Want to make a subtle change to your natural hair color or go for a dramatic look with a vibrant fashion color? With hair dye, you can. While the formulas for different dyes vary, almost all permanent dyes — dyes that last for more than 12 weeks — include developers and alkalizers.

Developers are oxidizing agents that lift color from strands by breaking down pigment, and alkalizers cause the cuticle layer to swell and open so color can deposit more easily. Hydrogen peroxide is the most common developer used in hair dyes, while ammonia is the most common alkalizer.

Together, these ingredients enable you to achieve a wide spectrum of colors with long-lasting results. However, they can also strip away essential moisture, erode the cuticle, leave the cortex vulnerable to chemical and mechanical damage, and even irritate your scalp.

Relaxers

If you have wavy, curly, or coily hair and like the look of smooth, sleek strands, chances are you’ve at least considered trying a hair relaxer. This type of treatment uses chemical relaxers — often sodium hydroxide, guanidine hydroxide, or ammonium thioglycolate — to penetrate the hair shaft and break down the disulfide bonds that help hair retain its shape.³

Once these bonds are broken down, the relaxer removes a sulfur atom from cysteine [an essential amino acid found in keration], which converts it into lanthionine.⁴ For this reason, relaxing is also known as lanthionization. Science aside, all this really means is that hair becomes permanently straight, even after washing. Emphasis on permanent: If you’re looking to temporarily straighten your curls or coils, a hair relaxer might not be for you.

There’s also the damage to consider: Because they chemically alter the structure of hair, relaxers can also weaken strands, leaving hair drier, more brittle, and prone to breakage or thinning. Also, many relaxers rely on sodium hydroxide, also known as lye, a corrosive chemical that can cause irritation and burns and has even been linked to breast cancer diagnoses.⁵

Perms

While relaxers remove texture from hair, perms [short for “permanent wave”] add it.

To create a perm, hair is wrapped around a set of curling rods to set strands in a desired pattern. Then, a reducing agent — in this case, ammonium thioglycolate — is applied to break down disulfide bonds. The curling rods reshape the keratin and the style is set with a neutralizer, such as hydrogen peroxide, which reforms the bonds.

Though perms can add volume, texture, and bounce to your hair, they’re also damaging. As with relaxers, perms weaken disulfide bonds and disrupt the cuticle and cortex, which can cause protein loss and leave hair weaker and more prone to breakage.

Keratin treatments

Before we can explain what a keratin treatment is, we need to talk about keratin. Keratin is the fibrous protein that makes up the cortex and cuticle of each strand of hair. The keratin fibers that comprise the cortex give strands their strength and structure, while the overlapping keratin cells of the cuticle provide a layer of protection.⁶ Many haircare products and treatments include keratin as a key ingredient, as it can fill in gaps in the cuticle caused by damage and restore resiliency.

Similar to a relaxer, keratin treatments are designed to straighten and smooth hair, so that it’s shiny and frizz-free. The way these treatments work, though, is a bit different. Rather than break down and convert bonds, keratin treatments apply a hydrolyzed keratin solution and conditioning agents to each strand. The solution is then sealed into hair using a flat iron.

While you might think a keratin treatment would be nourishing — it does, after all, restore keratin to hair, closing the cuticle and making each strand stronger — it still contains chemicals that are harmful to your hair and your health. More specifically, many keratin solutions use formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen, as a preservative.⁷ When heat is applied to the solution, that formaldehyde can be released as a gas, which can be hazardous when inhaled.⁸

As for hair, formaldehyde can cause cuticle irregularity, especially when combined with heat, which makes hair more porous and prone to damage.⁹ It can also reduce hair’s resistance to breakage, lower water retention, and cause scalp irritation. But formaldehyde isn’t the only risk keratin treatments pose to hair: They can also cause protein overload, which can make hair look and feel stiff, brittle, and dry.

7 signs you’re suffering from chemically damaged hair.

Have you had a chemical treatment recently and think your hair might be damaged? Here are the telltale chemically damaged hair symptoms to look for:

• Dryness that doesn’t go away, even after deep conditioning or using a moisturizing mask
• Split ends and mid-shaft breakage
• Rough, straw-like texture
• Loss of elasticity causing hair to snap rather than stretch
• Dullness and lack of shine
• Tangling or matting
• Increased shedding

7-step recovery plan to repair chemically damaged hair.

So, you have chemically damaged hair. Frustrating as that might be, it isn’t cause for alarm — there are few things you can still do to prevent further damage and restore life and luster to your hair.

• Step 1: Stop all harsh chemical treatments immediately.

  At the risk of stating the obvious, the first thing you need to do is cancel or postpone any upcoming treatments that involve color touch-ups, bleaching, chemical straightening, or perming. This is critical to preventing further damage. You should also take a break from hot tools — that means no blow-drying, flat ironing, or curling [except for heatless curls] until your hair’s had time to recover.

• Step 2: Know when it’s time to cut.

  Sometimes the best thing you can do for chemically damaged hair is to trim away the damage. While a big chop can be exciting and provide a stylistic refresh, it isn’t for everyone. If you want to mitigate damage while maintaining your length, talk to your stylist — they’ll be able to give you a strategic cut that offers the best of both worlds. No matter what you do, remember to schedule regular trims to prevent split ends from traveling up the length of the hair shaft.

• Step 3: Invest in the right shampoo and conditioner.

  Not all shampoos and conditioners are made alike. Some are formulated with harsh or otherwise harmful chemicals, such as sulfates, silicones, parabens, and formaldehyde, which can counteract efforts to heal your hair. It’s important to look for products that are formulated without these ingredients and designed to provide a gentle yet powerful cleanse.

• Step 4: Try a deep conditioning treatment.

  Hair that’s been repeatedly exposed to harsh chemicals is often dry and brittle. Deep conditioning treatments and moisture masks replenish essential moisture to hair and can even create a protective barrier around strands, all without adding extra weight. For best results, use a clarifying shampoo, first, to remove any buildup that might prevent these treatments from fully penetrating the hair shaft.
  

• Step 5: Use leave-in products and serums wisely.

  Leave-in treatments such as conditioning sprays or leave-in conditioners and smoothing serums can restore moisture, seal the cuticle, make detangling easier, and fight frizz. Just be sure to choose products with lightweight formulas and to avoid applying too much so that you don’t create buildup that will weigh down already fragile strands.

• Step 6: Rebuild bonds.

  Whether you have damage from coloring, relaxing, or perming, one of the best ways to bring life back to your hair is to rebuild the bonds that were broken by chemical treatments. Bond builders are specifically formulated to reduce visible signs of damage while improving the protein structure of hair, making it stronger and more resilient. Living Proof’s Triple Bond Complex, in particular, is scientifically proven to make hair eight times stronger, fast-tracking your hair’s road to recovery.

• Step 7: Make protection part of your routine.

  Chemical treatments aren’t the only thing that can damage your hair — daily wear and tear and environmental stressors can also take their toll. Thankfully, there are a few simple things you can do to help your hair recover faster:
  

• Sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase or wear your hair in protective styles to reduce tugging, tangling, and breakage overnight
• Try to limit your sun exposure and wear a hat when you go out to protect your hair against UV rays
• Use a wide-tooth comb and be gentle when detangling to avoid snagging and snarling
• If you use hot tools, apply a heat protectant, first, to prevent further damage
• Regularly wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo to remove product residue, excess oil, hard water buildup, and environmental pollutants

Repairing chemically damaged hair takes time, so it’s important to be patient. While every hair journey is different, here’s a preview of what you can expect:

• Short-term (2–4 weeks): Hydration and manageability improve
• Medium-term (6–12 weeks): Fewer split ends, stronger feel, visible shine
• Long-term (3–6 months): Significant recovery, new growth replaces damaged sections

If damage persists even after following this regimen — or if your hair texture changes dramatically — it may be time to seek the assistance of a professional. A trusted stylist can apply a salon-quality bond-repair treatment or corrective color and provide invaluable guidance on how to repair chemically damaged hair.

Each and every one of Living Proof’s products are free from harmful chemicals, including sulfates, silicones, parabens, and more, and are formulated to nourish even the most dry, damaged hair. Explore our full range of products today or get customized recommendations when you take our free Haircare Quiz.

FAQs

Can I fix my chemically damaged hair?

Yes, it’s possible to repair chemically damaged hair, but how you go about doing so depends on the extent of the damage. Minor damage can usually be resolved at home within a few months with the right products, gentle care, and a bit of patience. If, however, damage persists for six months or more or the texture of your hair changes dramatically, you should seek out the advice of a haircare professional.

Do I need a professional to fix chemically damaged hair?

Not necessarily; there’s a lot you can do on your own to bring life back to your hair, though it depends on the extent of the damage.

How do you repair chemically damaged hair?

There are a few things you can do to repair chemically damaged hair at home, including:

• Swearing off harsh chemical treatments until your hair has healed
• Avoiding hot tools, including blow-dryers, flat irons, and curling irons
• Restoring moisture with deep conditioning treatments or moisture masks
• Improving the protein structure of your hair with a bond builder
• Cutting away damage and scheduling routine trims
• Sleeping on a silk or satin pillowcase to avoid snagging and snarling overnight
• Avoiding prolonged exposure to sunlight and UV rays

What are the best products for chemically damaged hair?

Chemically damaged hair is often dry, dull, brittle, and lacking in elasticity. To address these issues, you’ll want to use:

• Shampoos and conditioners formulated without sulfates, silicones, parabens, and formaldehyde
• Deep conditioning treatments and moisturizing masks
• Leave-in conditioners
• Smoothing serums
• Bond builders
• UV protectants

Sources