How To Treat Fried Hair: 10 Effective Solutions

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 hair 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!

What Causes Fried Hair?

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 that leads to heat damaged hair.
• 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

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. A randomized controlled trial published in Journal of Medicinal Food investigated the potential of water-soluble peptides from chicken egg yolk as a natural hair growth stimulant. Researchers found that these peptides boost vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production, which plays a key role in stimulating hair follicle growth. The study showed that these peptides enhanced hair growth in mice and helped improve hair growth in female pattern hair loss (FPHL). The researchers named this bioactive compound “hair growth peptide (HGP)”, suggesting it may be a safer alternative to minoxidil, which can have side effects with long-term use (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

1. Whisk the egg yolk and olive oil together until smooth.
2. Mix the honey into this mixture.
3. Apply this mixture to your washed and towel-dried hair from roots to ends.
4. Cover your hair with a shower cap to help the ingredients penetrate deep into the cuticleⁱ  The hair shaft's outer part, which is made of layers of dead cells that strengthen and shield the hair. .
5. Leave it on for about 30 minutes.
6. Wash it off with cold water and a mild sulfate-free shampoo.
7. 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. Use shampoos with argan oil, glycerin, and shea butter for hair as they have conditioning properties that help to restore moisture. Argan oil is a common ingredient used in many hair care products as it is rich in antioxidants, polyphenolsⁱ  Compounds derived from plants that function as potent antioxidants and prevent hair follicle damage. , and skin-protective components needed for hair repair (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.

Quick Tip

Always use microfiber towels to squeeze excess moisture from hair and sleep on a silk pillowcase. This may help minimize frizz.

3. Start Using Leave-in Conditioner

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  Protein molecules broken into further smaller molecules to help them get absorbed into the hair easily for deep nourishment. , keratinⁱ  A 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, prevent split ends, 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 to prevent hair breakage. 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 hair breakage.

Quick Tip

Maintain a gap of 4-6 weeks between dyeing sessions and at least two weeks between bleaching sessions to avoid fried hair.

Salon Treatments For Fried Hair

1. Cut Down Those Damaged Ends

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 split ends and further damage.

Dana Poblete, a blogger, shared her experience with fried hair and how she currently deals with her hair health. She recalls one of her incidents, writing, “I did my best to cut off the fried ends into layers that somewhat blended into the rest of my hair (i).” She also recommends getting a haircut every now and then to get rid of the frizzy strands and keep fried hair in check.

2. Get A Hot-Oil Massage From A Professional

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  An ingredient used in shampoos and conditioners for locking in moisture and reducing frizz. , andphthalatesⁱ  A 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.

Adding to these remedies and treatments, it is also ideal to take measures to prevent fried hair in the first place. As we know, prevention is better than cure. So, reduce the frequency of chemical treatments or learn how to curl or flat iron natural hair safely, ensuring minimal damage.

While treatments like protein masks and deep-conditioning treatments can help restore moisture and strength to fried hair, they may not be suitable for everyone. Excessive protein use can lead to hair becoming stiff and brittle, increasing the risk of breakage. Some deep-conditioning treatments contain fragrances, silicones, or botanical extracts that may trigger allergic reactions or scalp irritation in individuals with sensitive skin. So, it’s essential to patch-test new products before full application and consult a dermatologist or hairstylist if you have any concerns about potential allergies or sensitivities.

While there are effective treatments for fried hair, it is always better to avoid the damage in the first place. Let us check out some preventive tips in the section below to help you stop the problem before it goes out of control!

Preventative Care For Fried Hair

Here are the top measures you can keep in mind to prevent fried hair.

• Avoid excessive use of heat-styling tools like flat irons and curling irons.
• Use heat protectant sprays prior if you have to use heat tools.
• Limit chemical treatments like bleaching and perming.
• Moisturize hair regularly with deep conditioning masks.
• Opt for sulfate-free, gentle shampoos and conditioners.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What products should be avoided to prevent damaged or fried hair?

Avoid products with harsh sulfates, alcohols, and silicones to prevent fried hair. These ingredients strip moisture, worsen damage, and make hair brittle. Opt for gentle, nourishing products to restore health.

Can fried hair be completely repaired?

While the appearance of fried hair can be improved to an extent with treatments, full repair is not possible. Trimming and deep conditioning are some of the top ways to repair fried hair and restore hair health.

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.

Can I still color or bleach my hair if it is fried?

Hair that is already damaged should not undergo any treatment. Bleaching or coloring requires the use of harsh chemicals that open up the cuticles and break down their structure, and this further damages the hair and causes split ends.

What kind of hairstyles can I wear with fried hair?

You can choose low-tension hairstyles that do not aggravate the damage and hide the damaged strands. Ponytail braids, braided buns, crown braids, french twists, and half-up twists are some hairstyles you can try on fried hair.

How often should I deep condition my fried hair?

You can deep condition your hair once a week with a specially formulated, chemical-free deep conditioner to repair hair breakage and split ends. You can also use a conditioning hair mask to enhance the effect of the treatment.

Discover the ultimate solution for repairing and restoring extremely dry, damaged, and chemically burned hair. Remove those stubborn split ends and embrace luscious locks once again.

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Reviewer Expert Author Editor Fact Checker

Dr. Shruti ChavanMBBS

     

Dr. Shruti Chavan is a consulting dermatologist at Dr.Sheth's Skin and Hair Clinic since 6 years. She is a co-committee member of CDSI (Cosmetic dermatologist Society of India). She is highly skilled in non-surgical facial skin rejuvenation and face lift by the use of injection treatments and lasers.

Read full bio of Dr. Shruti Chavan

• 
  Krysta BianconeHair Stylist Krysta Biancone is a hair stylist with over 13 years of experience in blonde highlights, hair extensions, and blonde coloring. She aims to make every client feel their absolute best.
  
  Krysta Biancone is a hair stylist with over 13 years of experience in blonde highlights, hair extensions, and blonde coloring. She aims to make every client feel their absolute best.

Arshiya SyedaCo-Editor-in-Chief

 

Arshiya Syeda is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of StyleCraze with 8 years of experience. Prior to that, she was a content writer who combined her writing and research skills to write over 200 high-performing articles on hairstyles, hair care, and skin care.

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Ramona SinhaEditor

Ramona is an editor at StyleCraze with 11 years of experience in writing and editing. She has authored over 200 articles on skin and hair care. She graduated from the University of Calcutta, West Bengal, and did her post-graduation from the University of Kalyani, West Bengal.

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Medha DebCommerce Editor

Medha Deb is a commerce editor with a master's degree in applied linguistics from the University of Hyderabad, which has allowed her to develop a deep understanding of language and its application in various contexts. She specializes in the areas of beauty, health, and wellness and is committed to ensuring that the content on the website is of the highest quality.

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