Tell-tale signs your Hair's damaged and in need of treatment

Most of us suffer with some form of hair damage at some point in our lives, whether that's through colouring, heat styling, chemical treatments, or simply daily wear and tear during everyday life.

The damage that takes place inside your hair leaves the outside looking dull, dry or sometimes straw-like, and that's probably not the look you're going for. You may even feel guilty that you've unwittingly caused the damage, but don't know where to start when it comes to getting your hair back on the healthy track.

So, what can you do about it? First things first, you need to assess the kind of damage your hair has and then,, take matters into your own hands with a good haircare regime for damaged hair.

Without further ado, here's how to tell if your hair is damaged, what type of damage it has and what are the appropriate hair repair treatments you need to bring that healthy state back to your hair.

Is my hair damaged? 3 signs to look for

Split ends

You know those tell-tale white dots at the end of your hair, or hairs that have split in half completely at the ends? Those annoying split ends you’re sick of the sight of are caused by things like everyday wear and tear, heat styling, environmental factors – all gradually wearing away the hair’s cuticle. The outer layers weaken over time and break away from the core, leading to that all-too-easily recognisable splitting and peeling.

How to fix it: Regular trips to the hairdresser’s for a trim will help keep split ends out of sight, as will a deep treatment. Why not treat yourself to Pantene Repair & Protect Deep Repair Mask to tackle damage like split ends. In just a few minutes it’ll leave your hair feeling silky soft with smooth ends – and you can leave it on for longer if your hair needs an extra treat, while you soak in the bath or finish that episode. It not only gives your hair this healthy appearance but also help repair the damage from the inside.

Rough, coarse feeling hair

That rough-feeling texture you hate? A major damage red flag. Much of the damage caused to hair comes from change in its structure when styling, whether that’s through chemical straightening, perming or dyeing your hair. All of the above leave it much weaker and drier afterwards.

The same goes for heat styling with straightening and curling your hair. If you put a droplet of water onto your straighteners, it fizzes, frazzles and evaporates almost instantly – the same goes for your hair! All that frying results in your hair losing essential moisture.

How to fix it: Whenever your hair needs a health and shine boost, use a restoring treatment like the Pantene Pro-V Intense Rescue Shots every week to reset your hair. It intensely nourishes and softens your hair in only 1 minute to heal the visible signs of damage in overworked hair. Your hair will look healthier and boosted so you won’t feel that guilt after styling it.

Breakage

Hair that’s been weakened over time – whether because of heat, chemicals or missing your regular trims – is much more likely to break. The more damage caused to your hair, the more scales of your hair are lifted and later on lost, eventually resulting in breakage; in the most extreme cases hairs may even snap off completely. Not ideal.

How to fix it: A strengthening treatment like our Superfood 3 Minute Miracle, a great treatment to strengthen and nourish your hair that acts like a treatment but can be used as often as a conditioner; intense yet lightweight.

Dullness

When your hair’s damaged it sometimes results in dull, lifeless look. This is mainly because of the damaging routine or external stressors that lift the cuticles up. This stops the natural light from reflection on your hair and giving this shiny looking hair.

How to fix it: Moisture! It’s key to supporting elasticity in hair, preventing breakage and protecting hair from external factors like changes in weather, pollution and UV. A deeply nourishing collection, like our Defrizz and Illuminate Hair Biology series designed to protect hair from frizz-causing factors and lock in moisture.

How to fix the look of damaged hair

Now that you know how to spot damaged hair, you’ll be able to respond to the first signs of damage. Hair repair is essential if you want to reduce the visible signs of damage, so let’s discuss some of the ways you can do so in more depth.

Get your styling routine in check

Using products that minimise the effects of damage and strengthen your hair is a great way to keep the visible effects at bay. Repairing existing damage is one thing, but you also need to make sure that you’re preventing future damage too. The last thing you need is to undo all your hard work!

To reduce the appearance of existing damage and protect against future damage, use Pantene Pro-V Repair & Protect Dry Oil with Vitamin E whenever your hair is on the dry or dull side to help moisturize and seal those unsightly split ends. It absorbs quickly for no greasy look or feel (great for finer hair), and can be used on damp or dry hair, so carry in your bag for on-the-go moisture top-ups.

To minimise the damage your hair is exposed to, always use heat protection spray before styling, like our Gold Series Thermal Heat Protector, and try turning the heat down on your blow dryer and heat styling tools. If you’re not pushed for time, you could even try air drying your hair, which will drastically reduce the damage caused to your hair.

Remember to always ensure your hair is completely dry before using any heat-styling tools, as not doing so will eventually fry your hair and highly increase the damage over time!

Treat tresses on a weekly basis

We’ve already mentioned that visibly damaged hair looks and feels dry and rough in texture. Your antidote? Nourishing and protecting conditioning agents found in masks, treatments and conditioners to streamline the surface of your hair for a perfectly polished style.

Deep conditioner or hair masques are an excellent damaged hair treatment option, used in place of your regular conditioner. Try the Pantene Protect and Repair Deep Repair Mask – in 2 minutes it gives intense moisture to over-worked and stressed out hair for a smooth and shiny finish.

If you’re looking for how to repair damaged hair fast, though, a powerful hair repair treatment like Pantene Intense Rescue Shots are a great place to start. In just 60 seconds, an ampoule gives a health boost to your hair and reverses 3 months’ worth of damage in one use.

Get your hair cut regularly

If you’re craving long and lustrous hair, a cut feels like it should be the last thing on your mind – but keeping up your appointments with your hairdresser is a great way to ensure you maintain healthy-looking hair. You know that fresh-end feeling of a good trim, with not a fraying end in sight? That’s the goal. Every six or eight weeks is a good optimum to keep those split ends out of sight and going on again on good bases. Follow up on this regular cut with the appropriate nourishing and protecting routine we mentioned earlier to keep healthy hair in between haircuts and reduce those signs of damage appearing again.

And voila – you’re now armed with the knowledge you need to spot the signs of damage in your own hair. Memorise these all-important tips and tricks and you can keep those visible signs at bay. Goodbye, damaged-looking hair!