hair

 Welcome to our hair care advice page, where you’ll find a selection of posts that we’ve curated to help you and whatever hair questions you might have...

Suffering from frizz and flyaways? Find out if the quality of your hair is due to split ends, dryness or damage. Have you noticed your hair thinning recently? There are several reasons this could happen, not just the ageing process. Scalp issues? Flaky and oily scalp concerns are more common that you’d think. The answers to these frequent questions, and more, are just a click away!

Have you heard about a new kind of hair product, but unsure if you should include it in your haircare or styling routine? This is also the place where you’ll find concise explanations: from on-trend products such as hair oils and serums, to colour-related haircare like silver shampoo.

Not only do our advice posts offer explanations as to why your hair could be suffering from a specific concern, but we also suggest ways that you can treat the issue, as well as expert hair styling tips and the best products to help you get beautiful, healthy-looking hair.

What is damaged hair?

Hair 101: dry or damaged?

A common mistake made when it comes to hair concerns is confusing dry and damaged hair, which should actually be treated differently.

First you need to understand about the structure of the hair itself. At the heart of the fibre is the hair's cortex, which contains the hair colour (melanin). This core is protected by overlapping scales called cuticles which, on normal healthy hair, lie flat against one-another to strengthen the hair and give it a uniform, shiny appearance. When these cuticles are damaged or weakened, the core is exposed and vulnerable to snapping. When hair snaps off or breaks into split ends, the hair looks frizzy and dull.

They may have similar symptoms (dullness, frizz, coarse texture) but dry and damaged hair are not the same. Dry hair is due to a lack (or the removal of) natural oils that act as lubricants all along the hair fibre. Too much, and the hair looks oily, but too little and the hair dries out. A professional hair stylist will be able to diagnose your hair's condition in more detail, but in general, damaged hair breaks easily when pulled and has visible split ends (due to fragile bonds), while dry hair is often accompanied by white flakes of skin and a coarse, rough texture.

How can hair become damaged?

Hair can become damaged for multiple reasons. Everyday environmental phenomena are a common cause: the wind can tangle hair around itself and cause the cuticles to scrape off; the sun's UV rays can burn the fibre; heated tools can weaken the bonds that make up the structure of the hair; pollution can build up on the fibre and cause it to snap; and over-colouring (or incorrect colouring) can leave the cuticles permanently open.

Different levels of damaged hair

Level 1: With this level of damage, hair scales/cuticles are jagged, with some of them lifted or broken; but the hair's internal cortex is not yet fully exposed. The hair is slightly dry with less shine, duller colour and thinner ends.

Level 2: hair damage sees cuticle abrasion, which means that the external layer is scraped off and the internal cortex could be unprotected and vulnerable to damage in some areas of the hair fibre. At this hair damage level the number of cuticle layers decreases, with a large number of scales jagged and lifted and possibly an exposed cortex. Hair will have a rough texture, with a dull appearance, an uneven colour balance and the development of split ends.

Level 3: This is the highest level of hair damage. The cuticle is very damaged, with parts of it withered away completely. The cortex is exposed and can be weakened. At this level the hair's surface texture is very coarse and deconstructed with no shine, faded colour and split ends.

How does hair colouring work?

When colouring your hair permanently, particularly if taking it to a lighter shade, there are two main processes at work. First, a lightener is used to raise the pH level of your hair. This is so as to lift the cuticles – the protective layers of the hair shaft. The lightening agent also decolours your hair through oxidation, which acts on the natural melanin in your hair.

The next step is to give it a new colour. This is where your hairdresser chooses a personalised combination of pigments to create a unique combination. Different colour “recipes” can be applied on different sections of the hair to create a multi-tonal effect (balayage, for example). With the cuticles open and the hair lightened, the new colour penetrates the hair and sits along the cortex.

Why can hair get damaged from colour treatment?

Doesn’t sound very damaging so far, right? In fact, it isn’t if you get your hair coloured by a professional, and don’t overdo it. Chemically damaged hair is often the result of home-dying (because lightening agents need professional expertise to prevent damage and colour mishaps) or over-colouring.

Brittle hair can be caused by repeatedly lightening your hair (or leaving the chemicals on too long), which weakens the cuticles over time. They become more porous, letting out both the new colour and moisture. Quick-fading colour means you can be tempted to lighten more regularly, which in turn damages the hair even more and causes it to fade more quickly. It can be a vicious circle.

What are the symptoms of damaged hair?

Colouring and over-styling (using heated tools) are the two main causes of hair damage. As you’ll see below, dry and damaged hair have similar symptoms, but they aren’t the same. Damaged hair from colouring is brittle, meaning it snaps easily. For blondes especially, this can cause the hair to look and feel coarse and straw-like. A tell-tale symptom of coloured damaged hair is a hint of brassiness soon after colouring: a sign that you hair isn’t able to hold its new colour, and is letting the original darker hair tone show through.

Where damaged hair snaps, dry hair fibres can’t hold their natural shape. Take a strand of hair, hold at both ends and pull gently. If it snaps, it’s most likely damaged, but if you release it and it doesn’t bounce back to its original shape, this is a sign of dryness. The cuticles might not be damaged, but the hair is lacking moisture to maintain its elasticity.

Hair care tips: how to repair damaged hair

Firstly, if your hair has been permanently damaged by colouring or heat, you need to give it a break. Cuticles can be smoothed, but internal damage of the hair structure is only resolved by letting new healthy hair grow and having regular cuts. While you let your hair recover, however, there are ways you can minimise the visible signs of damage, so you don’t have to put up with frizzy, brittle hair until it grows out.

Luckily, there is hair restoring treatment available to care for both damaged and dry hair concerns. For coloured damaged hair in particular, its important to have an everyday haircare routine that provides support to the hair fibre. The Absolut Repair Molecular routine is perfect for damaged to very damaged hair as it repairs hair down to the molecular level. The Absolut Repair Molecular shampoo, rinse off serum, and leave-in mask are specifically designed to treat damaged hair.

For hair that is brittle, dry and frizzy, we recommend using absolut repair 10-in-1 oil to help soothe even the most damaged hair types.

How to protect coloured hair when styling

Protecting your coloured hair doesn’t mean you can’t ever use styling tools. They’re often the best way to achieve gorgeous blonde waves, ravishing red curls or stunning sleek brunette locks, for example. You won’t have to banish your straighteners or curling tongs just because you have coloured hair that you care about... How? By start using heat protectant!
Heat protection, like that seen in the Metal Detox concentrated Oil, or the SteamPod Smoothing treatment

Hair care tips for drying coloured hair

Last but not least: remember to avoid brushing wet hair and rubbing with a rough towel, especially on coloured hair, as this can cause more damage. Instead, we recommend using a wide-toothed comb, and gently squeezing out excess moisture with a soft cotton t-shirt before drying on a low temperature.

Dry scalp vs. dandruff: what's the difference?

When it comes to dandruff vs. dry scalp, there are some key differences that will help you in your dandruff/dry flakey scalp treatment. Read on to find out what causes these two flakey scalp concerns.

A dry scalp is literally when the skin on your head is dry, and does not produce (or retain) enough natural oils to keep it moisturised, whereas dandruff (described medically as pityriasis capitis or pityriasis sicca) is usually linked to an imbalance in scalp conditions, leading to an overactive production of skin cells. They can be difficult to differentiate because both result in visible flakes on the scalp, but a dry scalp and dandruff require separate treatments.

Dry scalp vs. dandruff: similar symptoms, different causes

Dandruff is not necessarily due to your skin type, and usually looks different to the small white flakes that are caused by a naturally dry flakey scalp. While dry skin accompanies dry-looking hair, dandruff isn't related to your skin type – so you can have either greasy hair or dry hair with a flakey scalp. This is an important distinction, because dandruff is not treated in the same way as a dry flakey scalp.

What is dry scalp?

Skin types are usually divided into oily, sensitive, combination, normal and dry. The latter, dry skin, is caused by the skin's incapacity to produce enough sebum and natural oils to keep itself moisturised. As a result, the top layer of the skin dries out, cracks and sheds as fine flakes, which could be the reason why you notice small white flakes of skin on your scalp and in the hair. This condition can be diagnosed through a dry itchy flakey scalp, while dandruff does not often cause irritation.

Causes of a dry scalp

A naturally dry skin type can be behind a dry scalp, as well as some hormonal conditions and can be the side effect of certain medications (eg. oral acne treatments). A dry scalp can feel (like a dry complexion) tight and uncomfortable, and often results in frizzy and dull-looking hair, as the scalp isn't producing enough oil to lubricate it. This is where it differs from dandruff-related conditions, where the hair can appear oily yet flakey at the same time.

How to treat dry flakey scalp causes:

Restoring the natural moisture levels of your scalp isn't like moisturising your skin. You can't simply apply an emollient over the head, as this will leave the hair greasy and limp. The solution is in haircare designed specifically for sensitive scalps, like the Scalp Advanced Anti-Discomfort Dermo-Regulator Shampoo, followed by the Intense Soother Treatment. Apply shampoo and obtain a rich lather, then rinse and follow with the treatment for optimum results.

What is dandruff?

Humans and animals both shed (skin, hair, fur, feathers) in a natural process known as "dander", which is possibly where dandruff gets its name. While everybody naturally sheds skin, usually these tiny cells remain invisible and are whisked off into the air to become dust. Dandruff, however, is when these dead skin cells build up on the surface of the skin and cluster in large, visible white flakes. They then break off from the skin and settle along the hair fiber and on your shoulders.

Causes of dandruff

Dandruff is not simply dry skin build-up, but is linked to many factors, including the presence of a naturally occurring fungus on the scalp surface. A scalp suffering from a skin condition is typically extra sensitive to haircare products, and can often feel tight and itchy, and in more severe cases can show patches of redness.

All skin naturally sheds continuously as part of the regeneration process, but for someone suffering from dandruff, these cells can cluster and produce those tell-tale white flakes of dandruff, regardless of how often you wash your hair.

How to manage dandruff:

To remove flakes of dandruff without irritating the skin, use a gentle clarifying product like the Scalp Advanced Anti-Dandruff Dermo-Clarifier Shampoo for flakey scalp concerns. Regular use will help balance the skin's moisture levels and help prevent visible flakes from forming.

Other causes for an itchy flakey scalp

How to treat an itchy scalp: If your itchy flakey scalp is due to sensitivity, it is important to soothe the scalp while also removing the excess flakes by using the best shampoo for flakey scalp conditions. Try Scalp Advanced Anti-Discomfort Dermo-regulator Shampoo, and our Intense Soother Treatment, both specifically formulated for sensitive skin prone to dandruff.