How to Repair Heat Damaged Hair

Co-authored by Laura Martin

Updated: March 29, 2019

Heat damaged hair often looks dull and feels coarse to the touch. Other signs of damage include split ends and breakage. If you have naturally curly hair, you may even notice that your hair is losing its curl and becoming straighter. Although heat damaged hair can’t typically be fully repaired, you can smooth and strengthen strands with a committed treatment.

Part One of Three:
Finding Quick Solutions

  1. 1
    Start your new hair care regime immediately. The sooner you catch and treat the damage, the better. The longer you wait before treating the damage, the more difficult it will be to repair. In some cases, you may have to resort to more extreme treatments, such as cutting your hair.[1]
    • Your hair care regime includes not only treatments, but also good habits, such as avoiding heat styling.
  2. 2
    Use a clarifying shampoo if your hair is dry or staticky. Clarifying shampoo can help smooth and calm your hair when it’s dry or crispy. If you can't find a clarifying shampoo, use a gentle shampoo instead, then rinse your hair with apple cider vinegar.[2]
    • Wash your hair no more than twice per week. Skip the hot water and use cool or lukewarm water instead.[3]
    • Don’t use a clarifying shampoo if your hair is severely damaged, as this could make the damage even worse. If you’re unsure whether to use it or not, ask a stylist.
  3. 3
    Strengthen your hair with a protein-based conditioner. Protein-based conditioners fill the tiny rips and tears in your hair, making it stronger. The repair is not permanent, and only lasts until the next time you wash your hair. The benefit is that your hair is stronger and more resistant to damage.[4]
    • Consider using a leave-in conditioner after you step out of the shower. This will help lock the moisture in and keep your hair hydrated throughout the day.
    • Follow the directions carefully. Don’t leave the conditioner in for longer than the recommended time, as this can make your hair brittle.
  4. 4
    Turn a deep conditioner into a hydrating mask. Get your hair damp first, then apply a deep conditioner to it. Pull your hair up into a loose bun, and cover it with a shower cap. Wrap a hot towel around your head, wait 10 to 20 minutes, then rinse the deep conditioner out.[5]
    • Look for ingredients such as keratin, olive oil, protein, or shea butter.
    • If you are in a hurry, apply a deep conditioner to your hair after you rinse the shampoo out. Leave it in for 3 to 5 minutes, then rinse it out.[6]
    • You can use hair masks once or twice each week.[7]
  5. 5
    Replenish your hair with a hot oil treatment. Heat some olive oil over the stove, then allow it to cool down to room temperature. Apply it to clean, towel-dried hair. Tuck your hair under a shower cap, then wrap a hot towel around your hair. Wait 1 hour, then rinse the oil out with cold water. Use shampoo to remove any residue, if desired.[8]
    • You can do this treatment 1 to 3 times a month.
    • How much olive oil you use depends on how long and thick your hair is. You need enough to completely saturate your hair.
    • For a deep conditioning treatment, leave the oil on overnight.[9]
  6. 6
    Give treatments 3 months before reassessing your hair. How often you use a treatment depends on the product itself, so read the label carefully. In most cases, you can use them once or twice a week. If you don't see any progress after 3 months, your hair is likely damaged beyond repair. Visit a salon  to have the damage cut out.[10]
    • Keep in mind that not all treatments work for everyone. What works for your best friend may not work for you.
  7. 7
    Cut the damage off as a last resort. How short you cut your hair depends on how far up the damage extends. Ideally, you should cut all of the damage off.[11] If your hair is damaged all the way to the roots and you don't want to cut all of your hair off, cut layers into it instead. This will prevent the damage from creeping further up the hair shaft.[12]
    • Make the most of your cut. Go for a chic bob or a cute pixie. If you want something more edgy, try an undercut instead.
    • If you don’t want to go too short, you can trim your hair every 4-6 weeks until the damage is gone. This will take longer, but will prevent the ends from fraying, which can increase the damage.

Part Two of Three:
Styling Your Hair with Care

  1. 1
    Brush your hair starting from the ends. Never drag a brush straight down from the roots if your hair is all knotted and tangled. Work in small sections instead, starting from the ends. Brush out the ends of your hair first. Once you can run your brush smoothly through them, brush from the mid-lengths down, then finally from the roots-down.[13]
    • Don't brush or comb your hair when it is wet. Detangle your hair before you wash it, then wait until after it dries before brushing it again.
  2. 2
    Wear your hair in loose, pulled-back styles while it recovers. Wearing your hair up can protect it from getting damaged by the environment. Opt for loose braids, ponytails, and buns and use cloth-covered elastics or bobby pins to secure the styles. Avoid tight braids and sleek ponytails. If you feel tension on your roots, your style is too tight.[14]
    • Wearing your hair in tight styles will damage the hair shaft further. Your goal is to minimize damage while your hair repairs itself.
  3. 3
    Dry your hair using a T-shirt. An old, but clean T-shirt will work great. You can also use a microfiber towel, but take a pass on regular towels. Regular towels are too harsh on your hair, and they will only make it more coarse than it already is. If you must use a regular towel, lightly pat your hair with it to soak up the excess moisture, then let your hair air dry.[15]
    • If you have curly hair, consider using the scrunching method. This is where you wrap a long-sleeved T-shirt around your hair, and take it off once your hair dries.
  4. 4
    Skip or limit the heat styling. This includes curling irons, straighteners, hair dryers, and hot hair rollers. Let your hair air dry instead. If you want to add curls into your hair, try a no-heat method, such as foam rollers or braids. Some people are able to straighten their hair using large hair rollers.[16]
  5. 5
    Use heat protectants and low temperatures when you do heat style. Apply a water-soluble heat protectant to your hair while it is still wet. Allow your hair to completely dry before styling it with a curling iron or hair straightener. Avoid using temperatures higher than 320 °F (160 °C).[17]
    • Wait until your hair is damp (not wet) before you start to blow dry it. This will limit its exposure to heat.[18]
    • Limit your heat styling to once per month.[19]
  6. 6
    Hold off on the relaxers, bleach, and hair dye. All of these will damage your hair further. If you try to relax, bleach, or color your hair, you will have to treat it for chemical damage in addition to heat damage. Give your hair a break and leave it natural for a few months.[20]
    • If you need to color your hair, go for gentle semi- or demi-permanent hair dyes, which won’t damage the hair as much as fully permanent ones.

Part Three of Three:
Preventing Further Damage

  1. 1
    Avoid products containing ingredients that contribute to dryness. This includes parabens, silicones, and sulfates. Silicones are difficult to remove, and contribute to build-up. Parabens and sulfates cause your hair to become more brittle and dry. This will only slow down the repair progress. Other things to look out for include sodium laurel, laureth sulfate, alcohol, or peroxide.[21]
    • If you cannot avoid these ingredients, make sure that they are towards the bottom of the ingredient list. This means that their content is very low.
  2. 2
    Protect your hair against the sun's rays. Heat damage doesn't only occur when you use curling irons or straighteners. It can also occur from spending too much time in the sun. If you will be spending lots of time working, hiking, or sunbathing outside, cover your hair with a hat, scarf, or hood. You can also use a hair product that offers UV-protection on your hair.[22]
    • Cold weather and harsh winds can also damage hair. If it is cold and windy outside, cover up your hair![23]
  3. 3
    Brush your hair and coil it into a loose bun before going to sleep. Brush your hair to get rid of any tangles. Sleep on a silk pillowcase, or wrap a silk scarf around your hair. If your hair is very long, coil it into a loose bun.[24]
  4. 4
    Drink plenty of water. Try to drink around 8 8-ounce (240-milliliter) glasses of water each day. This won't necessarily repair the damage, but it will ensure that your hair grows out healthy and strong.[25]
    • If you keep forgetting to drink water, begin a habit of drinking a glass of water with each meal.
  5. 5
    Eat a healthy diet that is rich in protein, vitamins, and nutrients. Fruits and vegetables that are especially beneficial to hair include: avocados, carrots, kale, and spinach. Protein is also very important, and it will ensure that any new growth is strong and healthy. You can get your protein from lean meat and low-fat dairy.[26]
    • Chicken, fish, and nuts are great sources of protein.[27]
    • Flaxseeds, salmon, and walnuts are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.
    • If you are allergic to any of these foods, or choose not to eat them (i.e. vegan), you can always try dietary supplements.

Community Q&A

Add New Question
  • Question
    Can coconut oil help repair damaged hair?
    Licensed Cosmetologist
    Expert Answer
    • No, coconut oil cannot help repair damaged hair. It can make hair look and feel better, but it cannot heal damage.
    Thanks! 1 0
  • Question
    Can you grow damaged hair?
    Licensed Cosmetologist
    Expert Answer
    • Yes, but depending on the level of damage it may not be wise to. If hair is split or broken the damage may continue to spread like pantyhose with a run.
    Thanks! 0 0
  • Question
    How do you fix breakage in your hair?
    Licensed Cosmetologist
    Expert Answer
    • You can't fix it, but you can make it look and feel better by using a combination of moisturizers and protein.
    Thanks! 0 0
  • Question
    Can you repair damaged hair?
    Licensed Cosmetologist
    Expert Answer
    • Unfortunately, you can't. You can use oils and proteins to smooth and strengthen hair temporarily, but you can't reverse the damage that has been done.
    Thanks! 0 1
  • Question
    If my hair is damaged, will it still grow long and healthy?
    Ashleigh Wampler
    Community Answer
    • As long as you take care of it and try to avoid bleaching, dyeing, or using a hairdryer, straighteners, and curling irons too much. I recommend using coconut oil and trimming off split ends until it's healthy again.
    Thanks! 0 0
Ask a Question
200 characters left


  • Look for products that contain argan oil, coconut oil, or coconut milk.[28]
    0 Helpful?  1
  • Do not over-do any treatments or diets. Too much of a good thing can quickly become a bad thing!
    0 Helpful?  0
  • Understand that not all damage is reversible. Some treatments, such as deep conditioners, may make your hair feel softer, but they don't "heal" it.[29]
    0 Helpful?  0

About This Article

Licensed Cosmetologist
14 votes - 90%
Co-authors: 5
Updated: March 29, 2019
Views: 22,240

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