Okay, but here’s the thing: No matter how much you can treat your locks with masks, leave-ins, and serums, you can’t completely heal damaged hair.

“Hair is not like skin; it doesn’t heal,” says Warren. “When the skin is injured, the body starts a natural healing process. Damaged cells are replaced by new cells, and the wound gradually closes. The healing process may take some time, but over time the skin can recover and return to its previous state. .”

On the other hand, your hair cells are already dead—they are unable to regenerate or repair themselves once they grow out of your head. So, while you may see products that claim to treat damaged hair, they actually improve it appearance hair without removing the damage.

So if you really want to save your brittle, damaged locks, the best thing you can do is cut off the ends and start over. “If the hair is damaged, it needs to be replaced with new hair,” adds Warren. “This process can take time, and damaged hair will remain damaged until it is cut or shed.” All that can be said: time to trim!