Girl, if you Google "how to repair hair," you'll find exactly 8,140,000 results. But here’s the bad news: once damaged, hair fibers cannot be repaired. To help you understand, let’s set the scene: each strand of hair is composed of the root (located beneath the epidermis) and the shaft (the visible part). The root is the living part of your hair, while the shaft is as dead as the love story between Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth. Sorry, but what isn’t alive cannot be repaired or regenerated.
What can be done?
All is not lost! You can rebuild the hair fiber from the inside and trim your ends (this is non-negotiable, darling). But wait... what’s the difference between repairing and rebuilding? Rebuilding refers to providing hair with proteins and amino acids from the innermost part of the hair fiber to replace the most damaged or fragile areas that have lost structure. On the other hand, "repairing" focuses on recovering the most exposed and damaged areas, aiming for a visibly improved appearance.
To rebuild the most damaged areas of the cortex, positively charged hydrolyzed proteins are typically used (we’ve previously explained that damaged hair is negatively charged). These include keratin, soy, wheat, silk, corn, or rice proteins. It’s also super helpful to add lipids using ceramides to reinforce the hair fiber and protect it from external aggressors.
In addition to rebuilding your hair from the inside, you can enhance the external layer by using highly nourishing products packed with hydrolyzed plant proteins. These create a hydrophobic surface on the cuticle, filling in gaps to give your hair a glossy, healthy, and frizz-free look. Ideal options include masks with coconut oil, avocado, cocoa butter, and shea butter, along with finishing oils or serums.
Conclusion:
- The visible part of your hair is dead, and therefore you cannot repair or regenerate something that isn’t alive.
- What you can do is rebuild the hair fiber, which involves replenishing the proteins, amino acids, and lipids that your hair has lost due to damage. The Sublime 10·31 treatment is amazing for improving your hair’s internal structure and filling gaps between the cuticle and cortex, giving it a super cute appearance. Keep in mind this treatment works internally. While it may leave your ends looking smoother, depending on your hair’s condition, you might need several sessions to notice a real change.
