Unsure if your hair is dry, damaged or both? We asked Michael Lendon, Creative Director at the Aveda Lifestyle Salon & Spa Covent Garden, to help remove the guesswork so that you can create a routine that will really make a difference to the condition of your hair.

READ THE SIGNS
 

“Pretty much everything that can be negative about hair is caused by it being dry or damaged”, says Michael. “It can be confusing because the signs of dry and damaged hair are similar, if not the same most of the time. Undesirables to look out for include hair feeling rough, brittle or scratchy; it will look dull too. You may find that colour fades more quickly, that it’s hard to comb through and that you find it more difficult than usual to maintain a style – for example, the waves and bounce of your blow dry may disappear quite soon after leaving the salon.”

THE ELASTICITY TEST
 

“As it can be hard to determine whether your hair is dry and/or damaged just from appearance, do a simple elasticity test. Pull one strand of wet hair from your head and gently pull the loose strand at either end, if the hair stretches by about one third before returning to its original length then you know that your hair is healthy. If your strand of hair doesn't stretch or only stretches a small amount before breaking then you know that your hair is damaged and lacking protein. Should your hair stretch but not return it is likely to be more dry than damaged."

DAMAGED HAIR – WHAT NEXT
 

If your hair snaps easily, it’s probably damaged. Although different factors can contribute, Michael explains that a lot of damage he sees amongst guests is caused by chemicals – so bleach, dye or chemical treatments. Watch our Pro Team talk all things damage and how to care for it here.

DRY HAIR – THE CAUSES
 

“Dry hair can be caused in many ways – using heated appliances and environmental factors (think weather and central heating) are common causes. However, you may just have dry hair naturally. If you have curly hair, particularly if it’s coarse and coily, then your hair is more likely to be dry, especially at the ends – your hair’s natural oil may struggle to travel down the hair shaft to moisturise from roots to ends.”

DRY HAIR – WHAT NEXT
 

Dry hair needs hydration and moisture! Which is where new nutriplenish™ comes in. nutriplenish™ shampoo and conditioner is available in light and deep moisture, based on the level of hydration you need (refer to our curl pattern chart as a guide). nutriplenish™ hydrates hair with nourishing omega-5-rich pomegranate oil for smoother, healthier-feeling hair. Deep moisture has 50% more butters in than light moisture.