How to Restore Hair Elasticity
If your hair is hard to curl or breaks easily when brushing, combing or styling, you might have poor hair elasticity 2. Hair with proper elasticity is strong with a healthy cortex, allowing it to stretch without breaking and easily spring back to its original shape 2. Elasticity can be lost due to age, heat damage from curling irons, blow dryers and the sun or chemical damage caused by relaxers, dyes, highlights and perms. Reduce damage and build strength to help turn weak, brittle strands into a mane of bouncy, shiny locks.
Shampoo hair as directed. Thoroughly rinse to avoid residue.
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Apply a keratin or vegetable protein reconstructor to the hair to help build hair strength 3. Leave the reconstructor on the hair as directed. Time limits can vary from 2 minutes to 1 hour based upon the strength of the reconstructor. Rinse the reconstructor out of the hair 3.
Apply a moisturizing conditioner to your hair, leaving on as directed. If the hair is severely damaged or a strong reconstructor was used, a deep conditioning treatment may be needed. This involves leaving a deep conditioner on the hair for thirty minutes to one hour. Rinse the conditioner out after the appropriate amount of time has elapsed.
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Blow dry hair or allow it to air dry. Let hair air dry as often as possible as blow drying can cause further damage and loss of elasticity.
Style your hair as usual. After treatment, you should notice that your hair has regained some elasticity and looks softer and more supple 2.
Warnings
It is important to follow the instructions on the bottle of the reconstructor that you use, as they all differ in strength and conditioning methods.
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References
- Super Hair: Hair Headlines- A Long Stretch From Tradition
- Hair Finder: How To Get Your Hair's Elasticity Back
- Aphogee: Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor
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- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Hair loss and your cancer treatment.
- American Society of Clinical Oncology. Hair loss or alopecia. Updated August 2018.
- American Society of Clinical Oncology. Hair loss of alopecia. Updated August, 2018.
- Saed S, Ibrahim O, Bergfeld WF. Hair camouflage: A comprehensive review. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2017;3(1 Suppl):S75–S80. Published 2017 Feb 16. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2017.02.016
- Dua P, Heiland MF, Kracen AC, Deshields TL. Cancer-related hair loss: a selective review of the alopecia research literature. Psychooncology. 2017;26(4):438-443. doi:10.1002/pon.4039
- National Cancer Institute. Hair loss (alopecia) and cancer treatment. Updated January 15, 2020.
Writer Bio
Melanie Jones has been writing professionally since 2010. She is currently completing a master's program to become a physician assistant. She has previously worked as a neurosurgical physician assistant extender. She obtained her bachelor's degree from Louisiana State University.