A devastating epidemic is sweeping the nation. Its victims walk among us. You may even be one of them. In fact, if you’re a woman who colors and/or heat-styles her hair, you probably are one of them.

It’s an epidemic of fried, frazzled, overprocessed, overtreated hair.

All over the country, women are bleaching, highlighting, blow-drying, chemically straightening, and flat-ironing their hair until it’s as dull and brittle as straw and breaks off in clumps that end up clogging millions of bathtub drains from New York to San Diego. So. Not. Pretty. Or sexy. Who wants to run his fingers through a head of straw?

Bleaching your hair damages it. The darker your natural hair color and the lighter your desired results, the more damage you inflict every time you color.

Highlighting your hair damages it.

Blow-drying your hair damages it.

Chemically straightening your hair damages it.

Flat-ironing your hair really, really, really damages it. Most of the worst-damaged hair I’ve seen has been the result of excessive flat-ironing. Even if you use a fancy-schmancy ceramic straightener. Believe me, if your hair comes in contact with anything that’s more than 400º Fahrenheit, it will get damaged, whether the heated surface is metal, ceramic, or freakin’ humanely mined magical crystals from the land of Faerie. Hot=bad. Sorry.

But what can you do? You want the hair you want, you’ll do whatever you can to get it, and I’m definitely not one to tell you to go natural. I’d be a hypocrite, with my saline boobs and $50-a-tube lip-inflating glosses. But I work with hair, and I know a thing or two about protecting your hair’s softness and shine from your daily styling routine. So here goes.

Step 1: Basic Nourishment
Chemically processing and heat-styling your hair dries it out, so your hair needs a lot more nourishment than most regular shampoos and conditioners provide. Be sure your daily routine is appropriate for the damage you’re preparing your hair to endure.

After a lot of trial and error (mostly error: Clairol Herbal Essences is justifiably popular for those luscious fragrances, but even the moisturizing formulas left my hair parched, and don’t even get me started on their new Dangerously Straight and Hello Hydration lines–clever marketing, clever packaging, horrid results), I’ve decided that Pantene and Nexxus give the most softness and shine.

If you can afford the price, Nexxus Therappe shampoo and Nexxus Emergencée conditioner work wonders. If not, go with Pantene. Their new Pro-V Restoratives collections are amazing. For hair that’s only moderately damaged, try the Pantene Pro-V Restoratives Breakage Defense Collection to repair damage and prevent future breakage. If your hair’s already severely damaged and in need of emergency help, go for the Pantene Pro-V Restoratives Time Renewal Collection, particularly the Replenishing Mask.

For extremely damaged hair, go the extra mile and buy a big bottle of vitamin E gel capsules. (They have to be gel. You’ll understand why in a second.) Before you shampoo, break open a few of the capsules, squeeze out the gel, and massage it into your ends, the delicate hairs right around your face, and any other fried areas. The gel will feel sticky and smell weird. Ignore that. You’re just going to shampoo it out anyway. The vitamin E gel will help to seal breaking hair closed and infuse it with extra moisture and protection against whatever torture you’re going to inflict on it after your shower. Shampoo and condition as usual.

Step 2: The Right Hairstyling Tools
I’m not going to dwell for too long on what tools to use. Again, no matter how fancy your blow dryer or straightening iron is, you’re going to damage your hair. I will say, however, that it’s true that ceramic straightening irons damage your hair less than other kinds, so keep that in mind if you’re considering investing in one. Just make sure it’s 100% ceramic or solid ceramic.

Dry your hair with a microfiber hair towel, not a regular towel. Microfiber absorbs water with much less rubbing and much more effectively, requiring less blow-drying afterwards. I have an Aquis microfiber hair towel, and I always use it. Also, never brush your hair when it’s wet, unless you want to end up with extra breakage and hairballs in your brush. Hair is very delicate when wet. It stretches and breaks easily. Finger-comb it, or use a wide-toothed comb if you must.

Step 3: Styling Protection
You can further reduce styling damage to your hair by protecting it with specially designed products before you style it. I like to use Nexxus Heat Protexx heat protection styling spray or Corioliss Heat Protection spray before blow-drying or flat-ironing and, for very damaged hair, a tiny bit of Pantene Ultimate Finish Perfecting Créme afterwards.

Step 4: Grow Healthier Hair
The best way to prevent dry, brittle, frizzy, dull, easily damaged hair is to grow healthier hair to begin with. Plenty of products exist to deal with the hair you’ve already got, but as far as I know, no topical product exists to improve the quality of newly grown hair. Only your diet can improve your hair from within. Make sure to eat lots of protein for stronger, healthier hair and nails, keep yourself well hydrated, and take a fish oil supplement (look for formulas with Omega-3 fatty acids) with every meal. If you eat healthy, you’ll look better, and that extends to your hair, too.

Also, give your hair a rest every once in a while, and happy styling!

Header image from NickyCita. Inset images from DieAna, eyeofsamara, and Circleview. All images are from PhotoCase.
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This post brought to you by Jude. Jude works with hair for a living. Damaged hair makes Jude sad. Jude doesn’t like being sad.

Disclosure: I don’t work for, and am not in any way affiliated with, Pantene or Nexxus. I do sell Corioliss products, but the only factor my job played in recommending a Corioliss product was in exposing me to it in the first place.