How To Tell If Your Dry, Frizzy Hair Is Actually Just Over-Processed
Heating tools, chemical treatments, frequent box dyeing, and bleaching—all of these can put a lot of stress on your strands, and if you're not mindful of how often you use them, you run the risk of your hair becoming over-processed.
Meet the experts: Marisa Garshick, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist. Becca Raziuddin is a hair stylist and celebrity hair consultant. Tiffany Young is a certified trichologist and founder of ThinHairThick. Davontae Washington is a licensed celebrity hairstylist based in Los Angeles.
What does the term 'over-processed hair' mean? Per board-certified dermatologist Marisa Garshick, MD, over-processed hair is hair that's been stripped of its natural oils, which "can increase the chance of breakage, dryness, dullness, and reduced shine," thus, removing the luster and overall health from your hair.
While there's no overnight fix or miracle hair mask that can instantly fix your damaged or fried tresses—no matter what the product itself may advertise—the good news is there are at-home, in-office, and salon-based treatments available for reversing and repairing damage, but these all require consistency and patience.
Read on to learn everything there is to know about over-processed hair including how to tell if you have it, what causes it, and when it's time to see a professional.
What causes over-processed hair?
Excessive heat
Chemical treatments like perms and relaxers
Color treatments and bleach
"The word, 'over-processed,' basically means that you're doing a lot of different processes on your hair," says hairstylist and celebrity hair consultant Becca Raziuddin. "A lot of the times when you're going blonde or coloring your hair, it can become over-processed because of the processes that have to happen to make the hair that color."
When altering the appearance of your hair via "processes"—like bleaching, coloring, chemical straightening, or heat styling—you have to break the disulfide bonds that are located deep in the cortex of your strands and keep each individual hair intact. With color specifically, you hair's cuticle has to open for it to take. Too much of this can lead to damage that causes dryness, breakage, dullness, and more.
What are the characteristics of over-processed hair?
Frizz: For starters, if you have over-processed hair, you may notice more frizz. Heat damage, specifically, changes the characteristic of the hair's ability to retain moisture, says trichologist Tiffany Young. "The hair cuticle is no longer tightly sealed," she explains. "Instead, it's splayed out creating a dry, frizzy appearance."
Breakage and dryness: Additionally, if you color your hair, you may notice more breakage or that you're hair's more brittle, sometimes immediately after getting your hair done, says Raziuddin. "It's really dull. It's brittle, breaking off with lots of split ends and it's very, very dry," she adds.
Damaged curls: If your naturally curly hair is over-processed, you may notice that the overall texture and pattern of your hair is different, adds celebrity hairstylist Davontae Washington. Excessive heat styling and chemicals can cause your curls to go from bouncy and springy to dull and flat, and it may be harder for your hair to naturally curl, regardless of if it's wet or what products you put in it.
How to fix over-processed hair
The kind of damage you have will determine what can be done at home versus the salon or doctor's office. Here's a full breakdown of your options, according to the pros.
At-home solutions
Reevaluating how you're taking care of your hair at home can be a great first step in the right direction. Washington recommends switching over to a gentle shampoo and regularly incorporating deep conditioning treatments into your regimen.
As far as styling goes, try to stay away from heat. "You can minimize using tools like straighteners, curling irons, and blow dryers," says Washington. If heat-styling is a must, he recommends using a heat protectant. "I love a heat protectant that doesn't weigh the hair way too much, but still adds moisture to it," he says.
To add strength, consider using protein treatments, says Raziuddin. She also suggests swapping out potentially drying styling products like hairsprays, gels, and mousses for conditioners, creams and oils. "Products with shea butter, keratin, argan oil, and coconut oil are really great at repairing the hair," she says.
Salon solutions
Let's be honest, if growing out your hair is high on your list of priorities, odds are you don't want to cut it. Unfortunately, depending on how serious the damage is, that might be the best option, or at the very least, going in for regular trims. "The most immediate solution is to trim the over-processed area," says Young "If that isn't possible, then look into hair bond rebuilders." Your stylist can also do a protein or moisturizing treatment on your hair and can even recommend products if you need guidance.
In-office treatments
If your scalp becomes red, flaky, dry, or sensitive due to over-processing, a dermatologist might suggest a "topical steroid solution or liquid that can calm inflammation impacting the scalp as opposed to the hair specifically," says Dr. Garshick.
Those with thinning hair or hair loss may opt in for PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections, which Dr. Garshick says this can sometimes help improve hair density and add strength.
Dr. Garshick flags that some symptoms associated with over-processed hair can actually stem from other medical conditions that haven't been diagnosed or addressed (like thyroid issues or hormonal changes). In this case, your doctor may request bloodwork.
When to see a professional
Everyone's hair responds differently to being over-processed, but here are a few red flags that indicate a trip to see a professional is needed, according to Raziuddin:
Your hair has lost its shine.
Your hair is breaking off easily.
You notice sections with uneven density towards the bottom of your hair.
Your hair isn't growing the way it used to.
Additionally, if you're following the proper steps to healing your over-processed hair and there's no change in it's condition, you should also contact a professional, says Washington.
How to prevent over-processing your hair
Many of the recommended treatments for over-processed hair are also some of the best ways to prevent it in the first place. Using a heat protectant before styling, staying away from heating tools, deep conditioning or protein treatments, and regular trims are all practices that can keep your hair healthy in the long run. Young adds that covering your hair from the sun and avoiding chemicals like perms and bleach can also be helpful.
If coloring or highlighting your hair is a must, check in with your stylist to have them add in a conditioning treatment, says Raziuddin.
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