The 11 Best Shampoos for Damaged Hair for 2023

There are many things that can cause damaged hair, like your diet, stress, heat damage, etc. In addition, excessive bleaching, dyeing, heat styling, and prolonged sun exposure can also contribute to dry, damaged hair. 

Whatever the reason, damaged hair needs to be repaired. So if you’re looking for the best shampoo for damaged hair, you’re at the right place.

What makes a good shampoo that nourishes your hair? First and foremost, you have to ensure that it’s paraben and sulfate-free. 

Some key ingredients to look for in shampoo are herbal extracts, aloe vera, amino acids, and collagen. If you can see coconut oil, argan oil, jojoba oil, biotin, and shea butter in the ingredient list, that’s also a good sign. 

However, you shouldn’t have to do all that hunting to find one good shampoo. 

That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the 11 best shampoos for damaged hair. 

Read on to find out what shampoo you need to step up your hair game. 

Signs of Damaged Hair

The first step to starting your hair care journey is recognizing the state of your hair. Here are a few signs of damaged hair that you should look out for:

• Breakage

When your hair starts to lose elasticity, even the slightest of tugs will result in breakage.

• Tangled hair

If you can’t seem to get rid of the knots and tangles, your hair is losing the necessary moisture. 

• Dullness

Lack of moisture can also result in a dull and dry texture. 

• Slow growth

Dandruff, weak follicles, and split ends can slow down the growth of your hair. Measure the growth of your hair by inches per month on your hair care journey.

• Dry ends

The fraying of the hair shaft can result in dry ends due to heat damage or exposure to chemicals. 

Causes of Hair Damage 

The second step is to determine what is causing this damage. From bad hair products to excessive heat, there are many reasons your hair might be damaged. Here are a few common causes of hair damage to stray from:

• Diet

They say you are what you eat, and that couldn’t be more true. Lack of zinc, iron and folic acid can result in hair damage.

• Stress

Excessive stress can make your hair follicles go dormant, resulting in hair loss and breakage. 

• Heat damage

Heat styling or blow-drying your hair too often can dry it out severely. 

• Bleaching and dyeing

Exposing your hair to harsh chemicals like bleach and hair dye can break down your hair cuticles. 

• Dryness

If your hair doesn’t receive enough moisture (oils, hair masks, conditioners, etc.), it can dry out severely. 

How to Make Your Hair Healthy Again? 

To make your hair healthy again, you need to eliminate all the habits that were damaging your hair in the first place. 

Whether it was delayed trims, excessive use of heat styling tools, or using the wrong products, you need to fix the root cause to bring your back into a healthy condition. 

11 Best Shampoos for Dry hair Hair 

Your shampoo is one of the main hair care products that can nourish or damage your hair. Therefore, using a good shampoo and conditioner is very important to keep your hair healthy. 

If you have damaged hair, then you need to try out these high-quality shampoos to reverse the damage: 

High-End Damage Repair 

KEVIN.MURPHY Repair Me Wash

Kevin Murphy is known for its extensive haircare collections that deeply nourish your hair, giving them a silk-like appearance. 

The Kevin Murphy Repair Me Wash is a paraben-free and sulfate-free shampoo designed to deeply repair the hair’s roots, shaft, and tips. It is great for people with dry, brittle, and over-processed hair. 

If your hair is damaged because of constant use of heating tools, dehydration, or other chemical treatments, this shampoo may help you recover the damage. Since this shampoo is sulfate-free, it will not lather on in your hair like traditional shampoos. 

Massage the shampoo gently in your hair and scrub your scalp for 5 minutes and rinse it off. With just a few uses, you will see a noticeable difference in your hair. 

Intensive Damage Repair

Wella Sp Repair Shampoo

Having dry hair and an oily scalp is never a good combination. It makes it hard for people to choose the right product that will provide ample moisture to their hair without weighing them down. 

Wella SP Repair Shampoo will provide you with all these qualities in one bottle. This shampoo effectively moisturizes your hair without clogging your scalp with extra moisture. 

It is a perfect hydrating solution for people with damaged hair due to color treatments and excessive product use. Not only does it deeply nourish your hair, but it also makes combing a lot easier after a shower. 

Wella Sp Repair Shampoo will leave your hair feeling soft, healthy, and bouncy. It is the best shampoo for color-treated hair as its gentle formula will make your hair color look even more vibrant and healthy. 

Repair, Protect, and Transform

Iles Formula Haute Performance Shampoo 

Created by celebrity hairstylist Wendy Iles, this shampoo is the new superstar of the hair care industry. The Iles Formula Haute Performance Shampoo is free from any sulfates, parabens, and phthalates. 

To mimic the foamy texture that you find in most traditional sulfate shampoos, Iles has used a vegetable root that foams up while scrubbing. It cleanses your hair without damaging the hair color or stripping your locks off their natural oils. 

The lightweight formula of this shampoo helps you get rid of all the dirt and sebum from your hair while nourishing them using silk proteins and vitamin B5. 

The soft scent of white flowers will help your hair feel fresh throughout the day. Right after a few rinses, you will feel a visible difference in your hair condition. 

Recover and Renew 

Kérastase Resistance Bain Thérapiste Balm-In-Shampoo 

For weak, brittle, and over-processed hair, Kérastase Resistance Bain Thérapiste Balm-In-Shampoo can be a lifesaver. This award-winning shampoo is nothing less than a salon treatment at home for damaged hair. 

The shampoo is infused with gluco-peptide that absorbs into the deepest layers of your hair to promote cell regeneration and growth. It also contains Wheat Protein Derivatives to bring back the elasticity of dry, brittle hair and native plant cells to provide deep hydration for healthier roots. 

The lightweight formula leaves your hair shiny and bouncy without weighing your roots down. In addition, it comes with the benefit of a beautiful fragrance that lingers around without feeling overpowering. 

If you think the damage done to hair is irreversible, you need to try this shampoo out to prove yourself wrong. 

Deep Recovery Solution

VIRTUE Recovery Shampoo 

If your hair is dry with a coarse texture, you need to try out the VIRTUE Recovery Shampoo. With each use of this shampoo, you will feel your hair getting repaired and getting its luminous shine back. 

It efficiently dissolves everyday dirt and oil build-up from your scalp to allow your skin to breathe and promote hair growth. This shampoo is paraben-free, gluten-free, color-safe, and vegan. 

The formula is loaded with antioxidants and moisturizing agents that help fill in the cracks in your hair and smoothen out its texture. 

It is one of the few products that use Alpha Keratin 60ku®, a human keratin protein, to effectively fill in the cracks in your hair shaft. The best part about this shampoo is that it will not feel heavy on your hair and won’t clog your pores.  

Gently Reconstruct and Repair 

Aveda Damage Remedy Restructuring Shampoo

Formulated with the goodness of quinoa protein, Aveda Damage Remedy Restructuring Shampoo gently repairs and reconstructs your hair. It is packed full of Vitamin E, thanks to quinoa protein which helps soothe and strengthen your hair with just a few washes. 

It is a deeply moisturizing shampoo that will help your hair quench its thirst without weighing it down. This shampoo also has coconut and babassu in its formula, which not only provides strength to weak hair but also gives you that silky smooth feel. 

To get the most out of this hydrating shampoo, gently scrub it on your scalp and wrap your head with a warm towel. Next, rinse your hair thoroughly and let it air dry. 

Your hair will feel deeply moisturized, smooth, and smell deliciously coconut-y. 

Strength and Regeneration 

Sachajuan Hair Repair 

Sachajuan Hair Repair is known as the best shampoo for frizzy, damaged hair. The minimalist appearance of the product is a representation of its simple yet effective formula. 

It effectively repairs damage using its advanced Ocean Silk technology that helps smooth the locks out by deeply hydrating them. 

This shampoo aids cell generation and allows your hair to grow faster and healthier. It is ideal for people with curly hair who experience dryness and frizz after every wash. 

Apply this shampoo like a mask on your hair for 15 to 20 m minutes and rinse it out thoroughly for smooth, soft, and bouncy hair. Not only will your hair feel extra hydrated, but it will also feel fuller and thicker because of its paraben-free and vegan formula. 

Anti-Breakage and Repair 

Redken Extreme Hair Strengthening Shampoo

Weak hair is more prone to breakage and split-ends. The Redken Extreme Hair Strengthening Shampoo is known as the best strengthening shampoo for people with brittle hair. 

It effectively restores the smoothness of your hair shaft and deeply cleanses your scalp. It helps reduce breakage and prevent split ends. 

This shampoo is made up of Redken’s strength complex, containing Amino Acids and Arginine to provide the nourishment required for weak hair. It also contains citric acid that conditions your hair and adds a luminous shine. 

Gently massage the product onto your scalp and hair length, wait for 5 minutes and rinse it off. With this new addition to your hair care routine, you will notice a visible difference in your hair condition within a few days. 

Luxury Reset and Rejuvenate 

Shu Uemura Ultimate Reset Shampoo

Shu Umera hair care products are synonymous with luxury. They undoubtedly offer the best hair products for all hair types. 

The Shu Uemura Ultimate Reset Shampoo is the best hair treatment for damaged hair. It contains Japanese sourced rice extracts that are extremely rich in antioxidants, Vitamin E, and B. They nourish the hair to look beautiful, hydrated, and strong without weighing them down. 

This shampoo is ideal for people who have damaged their hair with constant heat styling, color treatments, and sun exposure. It effectively rinses off all the accumulated grease and dirt from your hair to deeply nourish your scalp and hair shafts. 

It is also the best shampoo for damaged, colored hair as it allows the dye to stay in your hair for longer without drying them out. 

Nourish and Repair 

Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo with ProteinFusion

Packed with the goodness of proteins and keratin, the Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo is the best shampoo for damaged hair and split ends. It has a fusing of protein and keratin that help smooth out your hair, bringing back its luminosity. 

Not only that, it is infused with black rice, which is a natural source of Glutamic Acid. These ingredients combined work as a magical potion to bring life back to dead and damaged hair. 

The formula is also quite lightweight, which makes it the best shampoo for fine, damaged hair. It will restore and rejuvenate your hair and without clogging your scalp and causing any irritation. 

In short, this shampoo brings the salon-quality experience at home to make your hair beautiful again.

Budget-friendly Damage Restoration

L’Oreal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Restoring Shampoo

If you are looking for a high-quality shampoo for dry hair but don’t want to spend a lot of money on a product, then L’Oreal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Restoring Shampoo is what you need. 

L’Oreal has the best shampoo and conditioner for dry hair within a few dollars, so you don’t have to burn a hole in your wallet to get quality treatment for your hair. 

This shampoo is enriched with keratin, castor oil, and vitamins to help your hair get the nourishment it needs. It helps prevent breakage and split ends while adding a luminous shine to your hair strands. 

The lightweight formula leaves your hair feeling clean, silky smooth, and bouncy. For the best results, wash your hair with cold water while using this shampoo. 

FAQs 

Which shampoo is good for fine, damaged hair?

If you have thin, damaged hair, then not every hair shampoo is for you. Instead, look for ingredients like histidine for UV protection and copper absorption, and Niacin for better blood circulation. 

Other than that, Biotin also helps with fullness and less breakage. Minoxidil and essential oils are also beneficial for the regrowth of your hair.

How can I recover severely damaged hair?

Avoid washing your hair regularly and refrain from brushing them while they’re still wet. Use products that are chlorine-free and apply sunscreen before stepping into the sun. 

Also, don’t forget to massage your hair gently with oil for added nourishment. Lastly, get a hair trim once every two months to get rid of dead ends. 

Can a shampoo fix damaged hair?

How to fix damaged hair with shampoo is a question often asked. Shampoos alone are not enough to repair damaged hair. But with damage control shampoos, suitable products, and techniques, you can retrieve your hair health. 

In addition, it’s important to have a healthy diet that helps with damage repair of hair follicles and scalp.

What can I do to repair my damaged hair at home?

Home remedies can prove to be exceptionally useful and affordable to fix damaged hair. The first step is to know which shampoo suits your hair type. 

Next, look for natural ingredients to add moisture and volume to your hair. For example, yogurt, eggs, henna, and natural oil helps heal your hair and prevent future damage. Use these ingredients twice a week in your hair, and you can see astonishing results within a few days.

How to not damage my hair further? 

If your hair is already damaged, you have to show extra love and care for them to repair and replenish. It would be best if you put hair treatments like coloring and bleaching at a pause for a while to let your hair breathe and repair. 

Avoid direct exposure to the sunlight and stop using heating tools until your hair is healthy to withstand the heat.

Conclusion

Many hair product companies advertise their shampoos as “nourishing” when they’re actually the opposite. Parabens, artificial fragrances, and sulfates are some red flags you can find in the ingredient list. 

Now that you’ve read our list of the best shampoos, you don’t have to do any extra work. All you have to do is pick the one that suits your hair type best. 

So, what are you waiting for? Throw away your old shampoo, bring in your new one, and begin your journey towards better, nourished hair!