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How Does a Repairing Shampoo Work on Damaged Hair?

Aging Hair Damaged Hair Hair Thickening Products Repairing Shampoo Sulfate-Free Shampoo
 by Better Not Younger
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If your hair is frizzy, dull, and unruly, it could be because it is damaged. Chemical treatments, high-heat styling, and the inevitable passage of time converge to weaken the structure of your strands. This leads to unsightly split ends and breaking along the hair shaft, which also thins your hair and makes it harder to manage. 


Although nothing can completely bind your strands' layers back together or permanently fix your split ends, repairing shampoos can go a long way toward helping. These hydrating products smooth your hair’s outer layer to improve shine and moisture retention. They also work to fortify your strand composition against future damage. 



What Does Damaged Hair Look Like?


Your hair shaft is made up of three separate cell layers of keratin protein connected by hydrogen bonds. Healthy hair fibers are flexible and strong, with robust molecular bonds working to hold the keratin together in each of these layers:


  • Medulla — The inner core is the softest and most fragile portion of strands. The medulla size will vary depending on how coarse or fine your hair is, but it could comprise up to one-third of the shaft. 
  • Cortex — The middle layer contains the cells that give your hair its color, elasticity, and strength.
  • Cuticle — The outer layer comprises overlapping cells that open and close in response to changing temperature, humidity, and pH level. When they are closed, your hair is smooth and shiny, and the inner layers are protected.

    • If the inner layer's hydrogen bonds are damaged, your strand will weaken and potentially break along the hair shaft. It could also separate at the tip, causing a split end and progressive structural weakness that travels up the strand. 


    When the outer cuticle layer is damaged, its cells may not be able to close correctly. Your locks will look frizzy and dull, and worse — your hair cuticles will no longer be able to protect the inner layers, leaving them vulnerable to additional damage.



    What Causes Age-Related Hair Damage?


    As you get older, you may have noticed your hair has become increasingly easy to damage. This is common and is typically triggered by hormone fluctuations that accompany menopause. Your hair can be weakened by age-related issues, including:


  • Dryness — Sebum oil is a natural moisturizer manufactured by your scalp's sebaceous glands. It becomes scarcer after menopause. With less sebum oil, you might experience drier and more brittle hair.
  • Narrower hair shaft — Shrinking follicles produce progressively narrower hair shafts over time, and finer hair is more vulnerable to heat damage and breakage along the strand. If you fail to turn down your styling tools' heat settings and brush more carefully, you could see a lot more breakage.
  • Loss of elasticity — Elasticity makes your hair pliable and resilient. It can stretch when wet or bend when styled, and it will still bounce back to its original state. Menopause reduces elasticity leaving it more easily damaged by brushing and styling.


    • How Long Does it Take to Repair Damaged Hair?


    Your hair grows from the protein-rich root in the bottom of your follicle. It is nourished by your scalp's blood. This generates cells, leading to hair growth.


    When your hair cells continuously layer on top of each other, they push the strand toward the surface, making it grow gradually longer. By the time your hair is long enough to poke through the skin, its cells are dead. 


    Dead cells lack the regenerative properties of living cells; therefore, they can't repair themselves when the cell links are broken. 


    Unfortunately, there is no way to reestablish the hydrogen bonds that make up your locks. To achieve healthy hair after the damage has occurred, the best option is to cut off the damaged ends and strengthen the shafts.


    How Repairing Shampoo Works to Strengthen Your Hair


    Weakened hair can be easily damaged by:


    • Vigorous brushing
    • Wearing a tight ponytail or braid
    • Exposure to high-heat flat irons and blow dryers
    • Chemical applications like hair dye or keratin treatments 

    Repairing shampoo is typically formulated to strengthen your hair, allowing it to better withstand damage-inducing stressors. Here’s how it works:


  • Moisturizing — Shampoo cleans by washing away dirt and excess oil. Harsher shampoos can strip off too much of your protective oil, leaving it dry and brittle. Repairing shampoo provides more of the hydration and moisture retention your hair needs for strength and flexibility.
  • Nourishing — Repairing shampoos also nourish your scalp, leaving new hair more robust and resilient. Some of their nutrient-rich ingredients can also help your hair strands, adding greater structural integrity.
  • Higher acidic pH level — Certain shampoos have a relatively high (alkaline) pH, which leaves your cuticles open and vulnerable to damage. Repairing shampoos, especially those that are also color-safe and sulfate-free, have a more acidic pH to smooth your cuticle layer. This leaves your hair healthier and less prone to future breakage.


    • What Shampoo Is Best for Repairing Hair?


    Second Chance Repairing Shampoo for Dry or Damaged Hair is full of vitamins and other nourishing ingredients to fortify and pamper your aging hair and scalp. 


    Plus, our new formula is richer and more hydrating than ever. It was created specifically to address the needs of our aging hair. This sulfate-free and color-safe shampoo contains:


  • Rice bran oil — Rice bran oil adds moisture, body, and strength thanks to a composition rich in proteins and amino acids. It nourishes your hair, allowing it to better tolerate stress without breaking.
  • Betula alba (birch) bark extract — Certain vitamin deficiencies can exacerbate hair loss and brittleness. Birch bark promotes metabolic activities and contains vitamins A, B1, B2, C, and E.
  • Argania spinosa (argan) oil — Argan oil promotes scalp and hair follicle health by encouraging a healthy moisture balance. 
  • Passiflora incarnata (passionflower) fruit extract — Passionflower fruit extract works as an antioxidant, limiting free radical damage when applied to the hair and scalp. Additionally, it provides nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, and omega-6 fatty acids, and it can restore a healthy sheen to damaged hair. 


    • Turn to Better Not Younger for the Best Hair Repair Treatment


    Are you looking for a solution to your distressed and damaged hair? Trim away the signs of damage, style with care, and use a shampoo specially designed with your hair’s challenges in mind. Then round out your hair care routine with high-quality products from Better Not Younger. 


    Visit our Shop page to explore our entire line of styling and cleansing solutions. They were all made to work together to encourage thick, healthy, vibrant hair.