{SCA}Dry hair is due to a lack of moisture and more importantly humectants and lipids (essential fatty acids). Signs of dried-out hair are dullness, dry or rough feeling, split ends, frizziness, and it is difficult to comb or brush.
Dry Hair Causes:
• Environmental damage – sun, heat, outside chemicals.
• Mechanical damage – blow drying, curling irons, hot rollers.
• Chemical damage – perms, color, bleach.
• Some people have hair that is naturally dry; there is no natural wet.
In each case lipids are lost from the hair. These lipids are humectants which attract and hold moisture into the hair. They must be replaced.
The key is to increase the hair’s ability to attract and retain moisture.
Dry Hair Solutions:
- Dry hair is very fragile and needs special care. Be gentle when lathering and avoid any pulling or yanking. Don’t scrub with your fingernails – this will not only irritate your scalp but can cause hair breakage. Brush your lock gently and never when it’s wet.
- Allow your hair to air dry wherever possible. When you must use your hairdryer, blow drying hair should be done correctly – use it on a cooler temperature and aim it down the hair shaft.
- Be careful not to over wash your locks. It’s very easy to strip away the natural oils if you wash it too often. Once or twice a week is enough.
- Rinse with water alone on off days.
- Use a moisturizing and nourishing shampoo. Use only a mild, acidic shampoo that is labeled “for dry or damaged hair.” A good shampoo should have a pH of between 4.5 and 6.7. Look for ingredients like zinc pyrithione, sulfide, or coal-tar.
- Condition after every shampoo. Condition your hair on a regular basis (once a week is suggested) with an intensive, deep conditioning treatment. Use products that contain no alcohol, which can dry out hair even more. In general, conditioners with fragrance have alcohol, so avoid them. If your hair is very dry, use an overnight conditioner. Mayonnaise is a great natural conditioner. Leave it in your tresses for anywhere from 15-20 minutes before washing it out.
- If you can afford, use a salon-grade shampoo and conditioner; these products contain less “filler” ingredients.
- Apply over-the-counter hot-oil treatment to repair dry, damaged hair. Wear a shower cap over your hair while the hot oil is on; rinse after 5 to 20 minutes.
- Reduce your use of hairspray, mousse, hair gels and styling creams that contain chemical ingredients. With excessive use, they can easily irritate your scalp and damage your hair.
- While, shampooing, do a scalp massage to stimulate oil glands in the skin.
- Do not use mousse on brittle, dry hair, use a thickening lotion instead.
- Every six weeks snip off frayed ends.
- Beer is a good setting lotion to give healthy, shiny look to dry hair. Spray it onto your locks using a pump bottle after shampooing but before you blow-dry.
- Treating dry hair also should include drinking plenty of water, eating a diet of good proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins A, C, E, and calcium.
- If you spend a lot of time in the strong sunlight, use a hair sunscreen or protect your hair with a headscarf or hat.
Home Remedies Treatment for Dry Hair:
Safflower oil
- Place a couple of drops of safflower oil in your palms and rub them together
- Take your dry hair and massage the small amount of oil to the ends first and work toward the scalp
- Leave this in your hair
Olive oil
- Warm up half a cup of olive oil
- Massage it through the hair
- Wrap your hair in plastic, and then in a warm towel
- Leave for 30 minutes
- Wash out using a shampoo suited for dry hair
Egg
- Here is another good home remedy
- Separate the white of an egg from the yolk, and beat the white thoroughly
- Add one tablespoon of water to the yolk and mix until the mixture is creamy
- Blend the white and yolk together
- Wet your hair and apply the mixture to the scalp using your fingertips
- Rinse hair well
If all these tips and home treatments aren’t working, visit a salon or spa for professional treatment of your dry hair and scalp.