How To Treat Fried Hair: 10 Effective Solutions
Restore your heat-damaged hair with home remedies and in-salon treatments.

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Fried hair is a common issue for people who love coloring their hair. Chemicals used for coloring, repeated coloring, other heat styling treatments can lead to dry, rough, and frizzy hair. Heat styling your hair without using heat protectant can lead to fried hair too. Extra care is required if you love coloring your hair to protect it from damage. There are many at-home and salon treatments to help you out. This post discusses all the causes of fried hair, how to restore your hair health, and a few other tips for beautiful, thick, strong, and shiny hair. Scroll down to get all the information!
In This Article
What Causes Fried Hair?
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Fried hair can be caused by:
- Excessive use of chemical-based hair care products that strip the natural oils from the hair and scalp.
- Frequent bleaching and coloring.
- Blow-drying your hair every time you wash it.
- Excessive use of flat irons or curling irons.
- Environmental factors such as variations in temperatures and humidity.
- Hitting the swimming pool with dry hair.
Don’t worry, you can repair and restore your fried blonde or brown hair with some easy solutions. Check them out in the following section.
Home Remedies For Fried Hair
Krysta Biancone, a hair stylist, says, “There are a few ways to restore health to fried hair without having to cut it. The first step is to cleanse your hair with a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner, as sulfates can strip away oils that your hair needs for nourishment. Next, apply a deep conditioning treatment made specifically for damaged hair. Leave the product in for at least 10 minutes, then rinse it out and style as usual.”
She adds, “Coconut oil can also be used as an intensive treatment before shampooing, but be sure not to leave it on too long, or it can cause buildup on the scalp. Additionally, use a wide-tooth comb instead of a brush when detangling and styling your hair. Avoid using high-heat tools, such as flat irons or curling wands, and only use them on the lowest setting if absolutely necessary.”
Let’s now explore the home remedies to try if you have fried hair.
1. Hair Masks With Moisturizing Ingredients
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The first and foremost thing that should come to your mind when you are thinking about home remedies for fried hair is hair masks. Fried hair has no moisture in it and looks very dry. So, choose a hair mask with moisturizing ingredients like egg and honey. These ingredients deeply condition and moisturize dry locks. Egg yolk has water-soluble peptides that condition and stimulate hair growth (1). Honey is rich in amino acids and vitamins, and it has antimicrobial and hair-conditioning properties (2).
Tip: Hair masks for fried hair are recommended to be used once a week. If you have severely fried or damaged hair, apply a hair mask twice a week.
Ingredients To Prepare Hair Mask
- Egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Steps
- Whisk the egg yolk and olive oil together until smooth.
- Mix the honey into this mixture.
- Apply this mixture to your washed and towel-dried hair from roots to ends.
- Cover your hair with a shower cap to help the ingredients penetrate deep into the cuticlei XThe hair shaft's outer part, which is made of layers of dead cells that strengthen and shield the hair. .
- Leave it on for about 30 minutes.
- Wash it off with cold water and a mild sulfate-free shampoo.
- Let your hair air-dry.
2. Cut Down The Frequency Of Shampooing
The chemicals in shampoos can strip away the natural oil from the scalp (3). Washing your hair frequently removes moisture from it and makes it even drier. Shampoos with argan oil, glycerin, and shea butter have conditioning properties that help to restore moisture. Argan oil is a common ingredient in many hair care products as it is rich in antioxidants, polyphenolsi XCompounds derived from plants that function as potent antioxidants and prevent hair follicle damage. , and skin-protective components (4). Shea butter has great moisturizing properties that help hydrate fried hair (5).
Also, avoid using shampoos with petrolatum and mineral oil as they can damage your hair even more.
Tip: Wash your hair with a mild sulfate-free shampoo every 2-3 days to keep your hair hydrated.

3. Start Using Leave-in Conditioner
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Leave-in conditioners help protect your already fried hair from the damage caused by styling, straightening, and blow-drying. Leave-in conditioners with moisturizing ingredients like glycerin, hydrolyzed proteinsi XProtein molecules broken into further smaller molecules to help them get absorbed into the hair easily for deep nourishment. , keratini XA type of protein that constitutes and maintains the structure of hair, nail, and skin. , and natural oils are recommended for this condition. They do not form rigid bonds and enhance interfiber force to provide a detangling effect for easy combing (4). These conditioners keep your mane moisturized and nourished and act as barriers against environmental aggressors. They help tame frizz and make your hair more manageable.
Tip: Limit the usage of these products as excessive usage can lead to greasy hair.
4. Air-Dry Your Tresses
Start air-drying your hair to avoid damage from the heat caused by blowdryers. The heat from these hot hair-styling tools strips away the moisture that leads to fried hair. Be kind to your tresses and try to limit the usage of those heat or thermal styling tools like flat irons that can damage your hair. If you want to use them, apply a heat protectant product to your hair before doing so. These heat protectants are available in lotion and spray forms.
5. Use The Best Hair Oil For Your Fried Hair
Hair oil adds a protective layer to the hair shafts, replenishes hair follicles, and improves the strength of the hair from roots. Olive, Moroccan argan, and avocado oils are the best ones in providing essential hydration to your mane (4). These oils moisturize the hair and prevent breakage.

Many of us still want professional hands to take care of our hair. The following are some of the best in-salon treatments and products that we have hand-picked for your hair.
Salon Treatments For Fried Hair
1. Cut Down Those Damaged Ends
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The most damaging part of fried hair is the ends. If you trim these extremely damaged ends, your hair will look great. Hit the salon and ask your hairstylist to cut off those damaged hair ends by half an inch. Also, getting regular trims can help your dyed or bleached fried hair look fresher. Try to trim your mane at least every six to eight weeks to prevent further damage.
2. Get A Hot-Oil Massage From A Professional
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Hot oil treatments at a salon are one of the best ways to fix your damaged and fried hair. Hot hair oil repairs the damaged and over-processed hair shafts and locks in the moisture that was stripped away from the shafts. This results in fuller and more manageable hair that is free from damage.
Though hot oil hair treatments are best done at a salon, you can give it a try at home too:
- Hair oils such as coconut, almond, and argan oils can be used for this fried hair treatment. They provide good nourishment to your hair.
- Heat up the container of oil in a pot of hot water.
- The amount of oil you apply depends on the amount of damage, length, and thickness of your hair.
- Start by using just one or two drops or your hair may wind up looking greasy.
- Place a shower cap or plastic wrap over your head, and allow the oil to sit on your locks for at least 30 minutes.
- Wash with cold water and a mild sulfate-free shampoo.
- Let your hair air-dry.
3. Hair Plumping Treatment
This professional hair treatment usually lasts up to 6 to 8 hair washes and is great for color-treated hair. The hyaluronic acid and ceramides used in it hydrate, reconstruct, and strengthen the hair follicles. It re-plumps and seamlessly builds the hair structure, giving it a new life and an incredible hold. After this treatment, your hair will look fuller and ultra-shiny.
4. Olaplex Treatment For Fried Hair
Olaplex is a patented hair treatment that repairs extremely damaged hair. This in-salon hair treatment is free from sulfates, siliconesi XAn ingredient used in shampoos and conditioners for locking in moisture and reducing frizz. , andphthalatesi XA group of chemicals used as gelling agents in hair products for lubrication and lasting fragrance. . Our hair contains millions of disulfide bonds that offer strength and stability to it. This Olaplex treatment reconnects the broken disulfide bonds in the hair which, in turn, results in the improved structure of your damaged and fried hair. It provides immediate results for all hair types and is a game-changer for hair color junkies with fried hair.
5. Kerastase Fusio-Dose Treatment
You can experience an instant hair transformation with Kerastase Fusio-Dose treatment. This custom-designed salon hair treatment repairs your fried hair and offers extra shine and volume to it. This mixture is created with four powerful active ingredients and boosters focused on providing nourishment, strength, density, and radiance. Also, it addresses other hair concerns like frizz, damage, and shine.
Infographic: Best Solutions To Fix And Restore Fried Hair
In a rat race to achieve gorgeous, “flawless” hair, we eventually use heat styling tools. As a result, most of us have lifeless and damaged hair. If you’ve reached this phase, you might have fried hair. What can be done to restore fried hair? Check out the infographic to learn more! Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team
Fried hair can be caused by excessive use of chemicals, coloring, and heating styling products and tools, environmental conditions, and swimming with dry hair. But there are remedies to treat and repair fried hair, such as moisturizing hair masks and using leave-in conditioners. You can head over to a hair salon to try their hair care treatments for fried hair, like Olaplex or hair plumping treatments. By following these steps and treatments, you can transform your damaged and dry locks, making them healthy and beautiful again!
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does fried hair take to heal?
Hair experts claim that fried hair can take anywhere between 6 months to a year to heal.
What are the signs of damaged hair?
Breakage, dullness, brittleness, roughness, excessive tangles, etc., are all signs of damaged hair.
Key Takeaways
- Multiple factors, such as chemical processes and hair products, may damage your hair and leave it fried.
- You can replenish fried hair by making a few changes, like using hair masks and oiling your hair.
- Like trimming off damaged ends or hot oil massages, some salon services can restore hair health.
Sources
- Naturally Occurring Hair Growth Peptide: Water-Soluble Chicken Egg Yolk Peptides Stimulate Hair Growth Through Induction of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Production.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29583066/ - Honey in dermatology and skin care: a review.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24305429/ - Shampoo and conditioners: What a dermatologist should know?.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4458934/ - Hair cosmetics: an overview.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4387693/ - Effects of topical and dietary use of shea butter on animals.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Oluwaseyi_Malachi/publication/277021242_Effects_of_topical_and_dietary_use_of_shea_butter_on_animals/links/555f900508ae9963a118b426/Effects-of-topical-and-dietary-use-of-shea-butter-on-animals.pdf