How to Choose the Best Shampoo for Damaged Hair

Damaged hair needs a shampoo that's gentle, creamy and deeply nourishing, but you also want it to clean effectively. After all, certain impurities can make damage even worse. So, how do you choose a shampoo that removes all of the 'bad' stuff without stripping away protective oils? Here, we're breaking down how to choose the best shampoo for damaged hair, so you can wash with confidence...

First, How Do I Know if My Hair is Damaged?

• Dryness and dullness: One of the first signs of hair damage is dryness. When the natural oils are stripped away from the hair shaft, brittleness and dullness follow, leading to a straw-like, lackluster look and feel.
• Split ends and breakage: Without natural oils to protect the cuticle, hair becomes more vulnerable to snapping, breakage through the lengths and split ends.
• Frizz and flyaways: Damaged hair is often tricky to tame, with frizz and flyaways caused by a lack of moisture and nourishment. Flyaways may also be a side effect of split ends.
• Brassy tones: Often caused by excess heat styling or UV exposure, brassy hair tinged with hints of yellow or orange signifies the need for a colour-friendly haircare routine. This sign of damage can be fixed in your nearest Wella salon by an expert colourist, but you'll need to upgrade your shampoo and conditioner to ensure brassiness doesn't keep coming back.
• Loss of curl or wave definition: When strands are severely damaged, your hair texture can start to change. Coils lose their zags, curls lack healthy bounce, and waves appear frizzy and dry.

What to Look for in a Shampoo for Damaged Hair

1. Mild Yet Effective Cleansing

First of all, you need a shampoo that's going to rinse away damaging impurities. You may not be able to see them, but even microscopic dust particles can cause friction and, in turn, breakage. But here's the crucial part: you don't want a shampoo so purifying that it actually strips your strands. It's important that the natural oils that protect your hair are kept intact throughout washing. So, your key characteristic of shampoo for damaged hair is gentle yet effective cleansing. Look for a formula with mild surfactants, like the rich and creamy ULTIMATE REPAIR Shampoo.

2. Bond-Building Technology

New shampoo technology works deeper than ever before. It doesn't just wash the hair surface, but it also uses bond technology to target the inner cortex. So, to get more from your hair wash, look for a shampoo that penetrates the deepest layers of damaged hair. ULTIMATE REPAIR Shampoo does this with AHA, a regenerative acid so small, it goes straight to the internal bonds. This intensive repair is needed for any kind of hair damage, and, combined with ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue, it's the answer to achieving 99% less breakage¹ from one wash to the next.

3. Restorative Lipids

Lipids are naturally occurring compounds that keep your hair healthy and strong, acting as the 'glue' that binds keratin proteins to provide structural support. When your hair is damaged, these natural compounds start to break down – as does the health of your hair – which is why it can be helpful to use hair care that's packed with lipids.

One way to do this is with fatty acids, such as Omega-9, a hard-working, bio-identical lipid found only in the most nourishing shampoo formulas. Case in point: ULTIMATE REPAIR Shampoo harnesses this powerful ingredient, which works to recreate the protective outer layer of your hair, known as the hair cuticle. Combined with the formula's bond technology, it delivers inside-out replenishment that leaves your hair 12x smoother². Team with ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue for a leave-in treatment that repairs hair damage in 90 seconds³.

4. Colour-Safe Ingredients

Not every damage-fighting shampoo is safe for colour-treated hair, which is why it’s important to read product labels carefully if you colour your hair. At Wella Professionals, all of our hair care formulas are created to be gentle on your dream shade. They're designed for the salon as well as your home, so they have to meet the high standards of professional care. That means, whether you’re using the luxuriously rich ULTIMATE REPAIR Shampoo, the deeply nourishing Fusion Shampoo or the shine-enhancing ULTIMATE SMOOTH Shampoo, your colour stays perfectly protected.

5. A Match for All Hair Types

As well as cleansing and caring, your shampoo should work in harmony with your hair type. You need a formula that lets your natural texture stand out, and doesn't weigh it down. So, look for a reparative shampoo that says it's suitable for all hair types. ULTIMATE REPAIR Shampoo and ULTIMATE SMOOTH Shampoo both have you covered, as they're formulated to work for everyone, from straight to wavy to curly to coily hair types. The formulas rinse completely clean so you're not left with any residue. Just beautifully cared-for hair that's cleansed and nourished from root to tip.

Now, Choose Your Ideal Shampoo for Damage

Best Overall Shampoo for Damaged Hair: ULTIMATE REPAIR Shampoo

ULTIMATE REPAIR Shampoo fits all the characteristics of a shampoo for damaged hair. It's gentle yet effective, colour-safe, and suitable for all hair types. Plus, its bond-building technology and inside-out repair make it ideal for even extremely damaged hair. Massage the rich, creamy lather into wet hair for an indulgent wash that feels truly luxurious.

Best Shampoo for Dry, Frizzy Hair: ULTIMATE SMOOTH Shampoo

If dryness and frizz are your biggest hair challenges (as they are for many people with damage), ULTIMATE SMOOTH Shampoo provides the intense nourishment your hair is crying out for. It teams Omega-9 – a hero hair healer – with a moisturizing oil called Squalane, so you get a thorough cleanse that cares, paving the way for silkier, smoother styling.

Best Shampoo for Breakage and Split Ends: Fusion Intense Repair Shampoo

This sumptuous shampoo was made for breakage-prone, splitting strands, giving your hair up to 95% more resilience against breakage⁴. It’s packed with our exclusive Silksteel Technology, an innovation inspired by nature’s strongest fiber, the spiderweb. So, if split ends are your main symptom of damage, Fusion is the hair care routine for you.

How Often Should I Wash Damaged Hair?

How often you should wash damaged hair varies from person to person. Rather than sticking to a "one size fits all" routine, pay attention to how your hair looks and feels on day two, day three, and beyond. Ideally, you want to avoid washing it every day, but you also don’t want it to feel dirty. The goal is to find the sweet spot where your hair still feels clean and fresh. For some, that might mean washing every other day; for others, it could be every three or four days before a wash is needed. Experiment to find your ideal schedule.

5 Tips for Gently Washing Damaged Hair

1. Detangle your hair before getting it wet. Use a wide-tooth comb to gently tease out knots – a simple step that will prevent matting when you begin washing your hair.
2. Massage shampoo into wet hair gently. Don't rub or scrub, as this extra friction can increase breakage.
3. If the lengths of your hair are very dry but the roots feel oily, focus your shampoo on the root area only. When you rinse, the foam will run through the lengths to give a gentler clean.
4. Before applying a conditioner or hair mask, squeeze out excess water. Your hair should be damp, not soaking, so the treatment's nourishing ingredients are better absorbed.
5. After washing, blot hair dry with a microfiber towel. It's gentler than a regular towel, and effectively absorbs moisture without the need for rubbing.

Looking for more hair care advice? Discover your bespoke routine with our virtual hair consultation tool. You're clicks away from discovering the perfect products for you.

¹ When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue. Instrumental test vs. non-conditioning Shampoo.

² Vs. non-conditioning Shampoo.

³ When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue.

⁴ Compared to a non-conditioning shampoo.