Let’s just speak the truth: it is not easy to get damaged or thinning hair back to normal. When I was a freshman in college, there was a rumor going around that the showers in the dorm I lived in turned blonde hair green. I heard this rumor circulating but thought “no that isn’t true” and “if it is, it won’t happen to me.” Well fast forward to October of my freshman year. I was sitting outside studying with my friend and the sun was hitting my hair. She looked at me and said “Casey, you have a green streak in your hair.” My face went to pure shock. She took a picture of it and sure enough I had a green tinted streak. I started to freak out and quickly texted my mom. She texted my hair dresser who told me to use an apple cider vinegar mixture. I started doing this but it didn’t help much. I tried purifying shampoos and other products but nothing was getting the green out. When I went home for winter break, I got my hair colored and cut thinking it would get rid of the green. Well, not so much.
It was now second semester and I went back to showering in the water that was turning my hair a tint of green. When I say tint of green, my hair was still blonde, but you could see this green tint shining off of my hair. I tried using the clarifying shampoo everyday to keep the green off. Then, I went back to my hair dresser in March to get my hair highlighted (because I go about every three months). When she was doing my hair, she told me that it was coming out..a lot. She was very worried as she thought there might be an underlying health problem. I quickly made a doctor’s appointment and got my blood drawn. Everything came out telling me that I was perfectly healthy.
So why was my hair thinning? Well, I got to the bottom of it. Number one, what was causing my hair to turn a tint of green was the copper piping in the shower. Number two, my hair was thinning because of the film the shower was leaving on my hair and my hair dresser. I had been going to my hair dresser for years and never had an issue. But I think she might have switched to cheaper products and with the film on my hair those two things completely damaged my hair. My once long, thick, and shiny blonde hair was gone. It was thin, tinted green, and just not healthy looking. So here are some immediate things I did:
- Stopped going to my hair dresser: I decided I wasn’t going to get my hair colored for a long time. When the time came where I wanted to get my hair done again, I was going to choose a new place to go to. So if you are dealing with damaged hair, don’t get it colored! Your hair just needs time to get healthy again. Trust me I know how hard it can be to not go, especially as a blonde. It got to the point where people complemented my “balayage” hair because my blonde was so grown out. I didn’t know if I told them I didn’t get balayage or if I just took the complement lol.
- I used bottled water to wash my hair the rest of the semester: Yes, I really did that. It was not easy to do, but I did not want my hair to get any worse.
Those are the two things I decided to do right away. I had made a long-term plan to get my hair completely back to normal. So here are the other things I did:
- Biotin: I read a lot of reviews about different ones and whether or not it worked. I had read some reviews that it made some people’s face break out, but I decided to try it anyways. I had very positive results with it. It definitely helped my hair grow at a faster rate. I also think that it made my complexion more clear too. I took biotin for about 10 months. You can find the one I used here.
- Regular Haircuts: I found a hairdresser in the town where I go to school. My friend had gone to her and had nothing but good things to say about her. She told me that I should get my hair cut every 6 weeks and get a conditioner treatment. So I did exactly that. She started off by just giving my hair a good trim. Eventually I had her cut a good bit off to get rid of the rest of the thin part of my hair. She cut it to about shoulder length. The haircuts really helped so much! I would HIGHLY recommend getting them. I miss my long hair so much, but it is so much worth it to have shorter hair. It is now getting a lot longer!
- No heat: I used the very minimal heat on my hair possible. When I did use heat, I blow dried my hair because my hairdresser told me that it is better for your hair then straightening it. When I do use heat, I make sure to apply a heat protectant. I love this one!
- Castor Oil: I had heard good things about Castor Oil and how it can help with hair growth. Let me tell you this stuff was very thick and kind of sticky. I would put it on when I wasn’t going anywhere and let it sit for about an hour then rinse it off. I saw a big difference after I rinsed it off. My hair looked shiny and healthier! I used this one. Pro tip: You can also use it to grow your eyelashes!
- At home deep conditioner: I now only wash my hair twice a week and alternate between two hair masks. The first one I use is by Oribe. This stuff is SO good and I still use it about once a week. My hair is so soft and shiny after I use it. You can find it here! I also use this hair mask to tone my hair. In my opinion, it is so much better than using a purple shampoo/conditioner that will dry out your hair. Lastly, I also use this hair mask which can be used in towel dried hair. This has proteins in it which helps strengthen your hair strand.
- Hair oil: Healthy hair starts at the scalp which is why I started using Divi. I have been using Divi for about a month now. So far I have noticed a toooon of baby hairs! I will defintely continue to use it. Divi helps keep your scalp healthy and prevents your hair follicles from getting clogged with all of the dry shampoo and hair spray that you use on a daily basis.
- Other Products: I have linked other products below that I believe help too: silk hair ties (that don’t tug on your hair), microfiber towel (again, these don’t tug on your hair like regular towels), scalp massager (I use this when shampooing), wet brush and detangler (your hair is at its most fragile stage when wet, so super important to care for it properly), water filter for your shower (water can be so damaging to our hair), and lastly hair oil for the end of your strands (keeps your ends from getting so dry).
I did these things for about 10 months. After that, I felt like my hair was healthy enough to start coloring again. I now go to Christina White Salon in St. Louis, MO. My hair stylist is Rachel Pistorius and she is AMAZING. They use Goldwell products and my hair is literally the softest ever after I get my hair done there. It is so worth it to go somewhere that uses the best products (definitely worth spending more!)
So what you might be waiting for..what is the secret to getting your hair to grow back healthy again? PATIENCE. I cannot stress this enough. I know how hard it can be..trust me. I had to wait almost a year for my hair to start getting thick again. While it has gotten a lot longer, it is still not near the length it once was. I am still getting new growth. I hope this post helps someone who is struggling with damaged hair. I hope you can still be confident with who you are and know that no matter what you are beautiful! The journey is frustrating, but your hair will get better and you will be so thankful when it does. You just have to give it time!
Cheers,
-Casey
