BBJ reader Lix writes:

“Dear Beauty Blogging Junkie-
I went for a color “correction” and the inexperienced stylist put peroxide
in my hair and left me for 50 minutes. It’s a miracle that any of my formerly 18″ long, luscious, red locks survived at all. I am now left with a greenish/yellow burnt, sad, ragged little mop that vaguely resembles a super short (and on me, ugly) bob.

After my hair started to grow in, I went to a different stylist and asked her to apply a glaze, as I had been advised that this would help decrease breakage.
I also asked her NOT to apply the glaze to my new growth. She applied the
glaze to my new growth anyway (she turned me away from the mirror). Now, my
little mop AND my formerly new roots feel waterproof, like they have a plastic coating on them. How can I remove this glaze? It is going to take three years to grow my hair back to its former state.
What suggestions can you provide?”

Lix, OIY. Like Chaka Khan says, “I feel for you”.

There is nothing worse than a hair disaster and you are going THROUGH it, honey. I’d suggest taking the following 4 steps:

1. Lay off the heat tools.
Seriously. I had to at one point and it made ALL the difference in restoring my hair back to some semblance of non-haystack locks. If you’d like a velco rollers recommendash, I adore Maxius Adjust A Curl Velcro Rollers. They are self-holding and adjustable to make any size roller. They also store flat, making them travel friendly. Ser. They adjust from 1.5″-4″. Perf for drying your hair semi straight whilst lifting roots. Another gem from Maxius that is saving my LIFESTYLE this summer is their serum, adorably entitled The End. I plan on devoting an entire post to this prod as it has allowed the Fabulista to rock stick straight locks in this miserable, sauna of a June we’re enduring. I’m ready to toss out all of my other serums. Apply a bit of this to your ends before rolling them on up in the velcro rollers.

2. Condition the heck out of your hair
Start using products intended for damaged or even relaxed hair. In fact, I’d invest in Kerastase Oleo Relax EVERYTHING. Or at the very least, the Smoothing Hair Masque and the shampoo. It’s expensive, but it’s the best of restoring damaged hair back to health. I’d also recommend Back to Basics Raspberry Almond Reparative Shampoo and Conditioner. It’s less expensive and is the product equivalent of a defibrillator for your strands.

3. To remove the glaze, use a clarifying shampoo.
Glazes aren’t permanent, so it will fade and be even nonexistent within 3 weeks or so, but if you plum can’t wait that long, I suggest you try Bumble and bumble Sunday Shampoo. Or, if you’re on a budget, try Neutrogena Anti-Residue Formula Shampoo once or twice a week.

4. I would recommend you take a pre-natal vitamin daily (not more than that if you don’t want to add constipation to your list of problems) to speed up hair growth. I usually buy the generic brand at Target, it works like a charm!

Friends, feel free to provide additional advice for my gal Lix in the comments section!

Lix, best wishes for swift hair growth! Do let us know what happens.