What you Need to Know About Dry Hair
Growth & Moisture are two areas women struggle with the most in their healthy hair journey.
When hair is dry, it leads to breakage, slow growth, less manageability and brittle hair. Most times we think we're moisturizing our hair but notice it's actually still dry and brittle.
One thing I hear often is "I oil my scalp everyday but my hair is still dry.”
Putting oil on your hair & scalp without properly moisturizing first only leads to oily hair and clogged pores.
You must remember that water is the only true form of moisture, if there is no water, then there is no moisture. Water penetrates the hair shaft going deep into the hair cuticle.
Any oils that you use act as sealants not a moisturizer. I repeat...Oils do not add moisture to hair, they only seal in moisture.
4 CAUSES OF DRY HAIR
- DRY SCALP: It relies on oils made in its roots to keep it moisturized. Since the roots are under your skin, dry scalp goes along with dry hair. Dry scalp peels and sheds, leading to dandruff flakes on your shoulders.
- AGE: As you get older, your hormones change (especially after menopause) and your hair makes less oil which can also lead to dry hair. (Check out this blog post on "3 Ways Your Hair Changes with Age")
- ENVIORNMENT: If you live in an area where its typically dry, extremely hot or very windy, if you live near salt water or if you swim a lot in chlorinated or salty water this can cause dryness.
- NOT PROTECTING YOUR HAIR: Each strand of hair has a protective layer called the cuticle. (Think of them as shingles on a roof.) The cuticle protects your hair from heat and sun damage. In a healthy cuticle, the layers lie tightly together and keep moisture in. When a cuticle’s layers separate and peel away from hair, it can’t hold moisture and some oil escapes.
Pro tip: If you have dry hair and you slather butters or oils on top of it, you now have dry hair that’s coated with butters & oils.
This can actually block moisture from getting in.
PICK HOW TO MOISTURIZE YOUR HAIR/CURLS:
So when it comes to moisturizing your hair, there are a number of things you should do first: (this is actually the hydrating part)
1. Hop in the shower
3. Wet your hair with warm water
4. Make deep conditioning part of your wash day
5. Add moisturizing ingredients to your conditioner
6. Find a Leave-in conditioner or water based hydrator
7 EASY WAYS TO PREVENT DRY HAIR
1. Moisturize your hair more often. Moisturizing once or twice a week is not going to do the trick if your hair is constantly dry. Curly or more textured hair tends to be drier than others. The natural sebum that your scalp produces has to work harder to get from our root to the ends of our hair due to all the curves along the strand. Try using a water based moisturizer in the morning and mist your hair with water at night. For an extra boost of moisture, use a refresher spray/spray like our Spray & Go Leave In Conditioning Mist. Step your moisturizing routine up to daily or even multiple times a day if needed.
2. Use a mild shampoo. Products made specifically to help dry hair will have fewer drying detergents like sulfates. Sulfates are only necessary when you have a significant amount of buildup or if you don't shampoo often and you really need a deeper clean. They SHOULD NOT be used frequently as then can strip your hair of natural moisture.
3. Use a moisturizing conditioner. For a deeper condition sit under a dryer on low heat or use a heat cap for 30 minutes to 1 hour. You may need to deep condition more often. When your hair is extremely dry and breaking you should consider a weekly deep conditioning regimen. Our Conditioner is very moisturizing and can be used to deep condition as well which will help boost moisture and reduce shedding.
4. Avoid products that contain alcohol. It dries out your hair, so choose hair products without it. (Learn How to read Product Labels)
5. Moisturize for your Hair Type. Sealing with a cream, oil or conditioner is pointless if they don't work for your texture. Every curl type and texture is different. What works for one woman might not work for you. My 4b hair texture really likes gels, jelly based products or water/aloe vera based sprays rather than heavy butters or creams. Too much thick & creamy products usually make my hair dry/hard. Your hair might need something light or heavy depending on the texture.
6. Eat foods that nourish your follicles. Vegetables like carrots, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and broccoli are rich in Beta-Carotene, which keeps the hair cells healthy. You should also make sure you are not deficient in Iron, vitamin D, folate, vitamin B12 as these can help keep your hair healthy.
7. Drink more water. Yes, we say this all the time, but it's still never enough...healthy hair starts from the inside. If your body is dehydrated, then so is your hair. Drinking water can help with keeping your scalp and body hydrated overall. Your daily water intake is half your body weight. So if you weigh 160 lbs, you would drink 80 ounces, or about 4-5 bottles of water per day.
Remember that without water, your hair cannot get the moisture that it needs.
Whatever you do, water is the first step. Without water, your hair can’t even begin to receive the moisture that it needs.
If you add oils directly to your hair without adding water or a water-based moisturizer it will sit on the hair follicles with little penetration and only add shine.
To properly seal in moisture you must add water or a water-based moisturizer to your hair first, then apply your oils as a sealant.
Are you struggling with dry hair? Let us know in the comments.
Check out our moisturizing products: One80 Moisture
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