Dealing with damaged hair.

A few weeks ago I decided to go redhead and as I've been dying my hair black for a while now I needed to get it bleached first. I went to a hair salon, and it took two bleaching treatments to get my hair light enough to then dye it red, all in a space of 3 hours. I was quite satisfied with how it turned out, however needless to say my hair was rather damaged and needed some serious loving. I've discovered a couple of new products in the process, and decided to share how I got my hair soft and healthy again. Just keep in mind that my hair is extremely fine and many products tend to leave my hair looking greasy and weighed down, therefore all the products I used are great for fine hair.

Pre-wash.

For the first week I used a pre-wash treatment every single day, every other day during week two, and now once or twice a week. The treatment I went for was a natural coconut oil one, using Lottieee's method. Coconut oil is a very cheap yet effective solution for many skin and hair issues, and has a bunch of health benefits, therefore I always have a jar lying around. 

In the shower.

As my hair is very fine and gets greasy very fast, I wash it every single day. I know many people are against it, however I feel uncomfortable if I skip a day and it works for me. I usually opt for lightweight shampoos, however as my hair needed that little bit extra I went for Lush's Rehab shampoo in the smallest (100ml) size. To my surprise, although it is very nourishing and damage-fixing, it is also really lightweight and does not weigh my hair down at all. 

I would usually follow up with a conditioner, and I went for the Lush Retread Conditioner, which is definitely the most incredible conditioner for damaged hair ever. When I first used it, I applied a very generous amount onto my hair and left it for a couple of minutes, while getting on with other showery things, and when I began washing it off it felt like there was nothing there to rinse off, but my hair felt incredibly soft and smooth. And continued to be incredibly soft and smooth after I got out and dried my hair. There are also other great hair conditioners which I would recommend, including the Dove Intensive Repair Conditioner and the L'Oreal Elvive Colour Protect Intensive Conditioner. Quick tip for coloured hair: if your hair colour is prone to fading, get a tub of temporary dye in the same colour as your hair. Mix in a bit of it with your conditioner, either every time you wash your hair or every other time, and it will keep your colour vibrant! I use a conditioner on most days, the only exception being once or twice a week when I use a rinse-off treatment.

So, moving onto rinse-off treatments. My favourite hair mask is the Botanics 3 Minute Deep Conditioning Hair Mask. Very cheap, very effective, a tub lasts for a very long time, however I could not find it on the Boots website, so I'm worried it might be discontinued. If you do get your hands on it, definitely try it out! If not, however, there are various other hair treatments which I find work quite well, the cheaper ones including; Aussie 3 Minute Miracle, Aussie 3 Minute Miracle for coloured hair, VO5 Treat Me Right Deep Conditioning Treatment, Dove Intensive Repair Mask, TRESemmé Deep Conditioning Treatment, as well as some pricier ones like the Macadamia Oil Deep Repair Masque, the Lee Stafford Argan Oil Deep Conditioning Treatment and the Phyto Phytojoba Intense Hydrating Brilliance Mask.

Post-wash.

After getting out of the shower, I dislike keeping my hair wrapped in a towel for very long. I usually just keep it on while dealing with my skincare and then gently squeeze my hair dry with the towel. The very first thing I do is use a detangling spray, my favourite being the Body Shop Rainforest Radiance Detangling Spray, which is ideal for coloured hair and also doesn't leave my hair feeling greasy at all. I then use a detangling comb, as I am a good girl and don't brush my hair when it is wet. 

I find that hair oil is the most effective leave-in and styling product, as it keeps my hair silky smooth and frizz-free, however finding an oil that works on fine hair is very difficult. The one that works best for me is the L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil. Bonus: it's great for coloured hair! I usually use two-three pumps of it and mix it in with a pump or half a pump of a the Dove Intensive Therapy Overnight Treatment. I couldn't find it on the Boots or Superdrug websites, however it should be available in most places. If not, I think any leave-in cream conditioner will do, the key is to not use too much and to mix it with the hair oil. You can try the Macadamia Oil Nourishing Leave-In Cream. I do enjoy using the Dove Overnight Treatment as an actual overnight treatment as well, once a week, and it can also be replaced with a pricier alternative; the Charles Worthington Salon at Home Secrets Collection Moisture Seal Overnight Ultimate Hair Healer (that was a mouthful!).

Finally, I use a heat protectant spray, as I tend to blow dry and straighten my hair almost every day. I don't have a favourite, I'm just using up the Lee Stafford one, however I wouldn't repurchase it. The one's I'm eyeing up to try when I run out are the Dove Heat Defence Mist, the TRESemmé Heat Defence Styling Spray and the L'Oreal Elnett Heat Protect Spray. After drying and straightening my hair I will usually rub half a pump of the hair oil all over my hands and run my fingers through my hair. This just keeps my hair sleek and frizz-free all day!