If your hair is in need of some extra care, these simple steps can be added to your routine to help restore strength, softness and shine.

Healthy hair never goes out of style. Maintaining that glossy, resilient finish, however, takes more than the occasional salon visit. Without a thoughtful routine, strands can quickly become brittle, dry and prone to breakage.

A key step is locking in moisture while choosing treatments that work beyond the surface. The aim is to create a routine that strengthens the hair from within, using formulas designed to reinforce the fiber and help repair weakened bonds. To help restore shine and resilience, here is a practical guide to rebuilding and reviving dry, damaged hair.

What Causes Hair Damage?

Hair damage usually falls into three categories: thermal, chemical and mechanical stress.

Heat damage is one of the most common causes. Regular use of straighteners, curling irons and blow dryers can weaken the hair’s protein structure, leading to dryness and split ends. Even washing hair with very hot water can strip away essential natural oils, leaving it fragile.

Chemical damage results from colouring, bleaching and other chemical treatments. Chlorine exposure from swimming pools can further disrupt the hair’s structure, leaving it dry and rough. UV rays also break down the outer keratin layer, making strands more vulnerable to breakage.

Mechanical damage stems from daily habits. Rough brushing, tight hairstyles, towel friction and general wear and tear can lift the cuticle over time, leading to frizz and snapped ends.

Dryness can also occur from overwashing or using harsh cleansing agents that remove too much of the scalp’s natural oil. Unlike skin, hair fibres cannot repair themselves once structurally compromised, making prevention and repair crucial.

How To Rebuild And Rehydrate Dry Hair

Start With a Pre-Shampoo Treatment

Applying a nourishing pre-treatment before washing helps shield the cuticle from moisture loss during cleansing. In areas where water is high in calcium, mineral deposits can accumulate on the hair shaft, causing dullness, rough texture and increased brittleness.

Kérastase Première Pre-Shampoo Decalcifiant Hair Treatment is formulated specifically to address this concern. It helps remove excess calcium buildup while supporting the repair of damaged strands, making it particularly useful for chemically treated or bleached hair exposed to hard water.

Use a Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner

Choose sulfate-free cleansers with hydrating ingredients to gently cleanse without stripping the scalp. This is especially important in warm climates such as the UAE, where heat and sun exposure already stress the hair.

Olaplex’s range of shampoos and conditioners is a strong option, as the formulas focus on reconnecting broken disulfide bonds often disrupted by coloring and heat styling. Olaplex Nº.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo is concentrated, color-safe and sulfate-free. For conditioning, Redken All Soft Conditioner contains its Moisture Complex combined with argan oil to soften brittle hair and improve manageability.

Incorporate Bond Repair and Leave-In Treatments

When strands are weakened by heat or chemical processing, bond-building products can help reinforce internal structure. Options such as Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Leave-In Conditioner, K18 Biomimetic Hairscience Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask and Living Proof Triple Bond Complex support elasticity and reduce breakage with continued use. A leave-in conditioner also adds a protective layer to guard against heat and environmental stress, which is particularly important for those living in the GCC.

Add a Weekly Mask

A deep conditioning treatment once a week restores hydration and supports scalp health, which directly impacts hair strength and shine.

The Gisou Honey Gloss Ceramide Therapy Hair Mask combines smoothing and strengthening benefits in one formula. With antioxidants to shield against environmental stress, honey and hyaluronic acid for hydration, and ceramides to reinforce the cuticle barrier, it helps combat dryness and frizz while improving overall resilience.

For those experiencing scalp dryness, the  Amino Acid Scalp-Restoring Treatment Mask from Kiel’s can help rebalance the scalp. Formulated with a blend of amino acids and coconut-derived ingredients, it delivers lasting moisture while soothing irritation.

With consistent use of these routines, your hair is well on track to regain lasting shine.