keeping your tresses healthy
Heal your hair in your sleep with this new botanical treatment
Kris Carpenter | Sanctuary Spa & Salon
Hair – and its care – isn’t as straightforward as it may seem at first glance and understanding the science of hair can help you take better care of your tresses.
All people have about one million hair follicles on their head. The living part of hair is at the base of the follicle in the papilla, which provides growing hair with a blood supply to nourish the hair cells. On average, hair grows about six inches a year, and it’s constantly shedding.
The hair structure is made of three layers of a hard protein called keratin. The inner layer is the medulla. The second layer is the cortex, and the outer layer is the cuticle. The medulla and cortex contain the hairs’ color. The cortex is the thickest layer, and the cuticle is made up of overlapping shingle-like scales.
The cuticle can be damaged by heat, styling and color treatments, which cause the scales to peel back or be stripped from the cortex. This is often referred to as split ends. The best way to avoid split ends is prevention.
Hair is most vulnerable to damage when it’s wet. Instead of rubbing your hair with a towel, blot and squeeze the hair, and use a wide-toothed comb to detangle your hair before drying. Heat is a known contributor to spit ends, so if you can, let your hair air dry as much as possible. If you use a hair dryer, use a low-heat setting. If you use a curling iron or flat iron to style your hair, experiment to find the lowest heat setting that will achieve the results you’re looking for. Avoid excessive brushing which can also cause damage, especially when your hair is tangled. Regular trims also help keep split ends at bay.
Because the hair is not a living part of the body it has long been believed that there’s nothing that can be done to reverse the damage once split ends have started. However, Aveda has a new product that is producing surprising results.
Aveda has developed an overnight hair serum – a mask for your hair – that delivers eight hours of intensive hair repair while you sleep. The serum is offered in several formulas, including a lightweight fast-absorbing formula and a richer, creamier formula. The ingredients essentially bond the cuticle back onto to the cortex. The revolutionary product reduces the appearance of split ends by 84 percent in just one night.
Like all Aveda products, the Botanical Repair overnight serum is vegan, cruelty-free and 94 percent naturally derived. It’s free from silicone, parabens, mineral oil, and synthetic fragrances Its primary ingredient is super-hydrating Nangai oil, which bonds the split ends back together.
Split ends don’t have to be an ongoing problem. Good prevention efforts followed by Aveda’s Botanical Repair should keep your hair looking healthy and frizz-free.
Sanctuary Spa and Salon is now stocking the Botanical Repair serum. To learn more, drop by the salon and one of their technicians will be happy to answer your questions.
