Hair Care Tips for Dry Hair
Causes of Dry Hair
Once you know the structure of your hair, you can logically derive the cause for the
problem you are facing and can even predict the tips or products that you need to cure
your dry hair. For example, now you know that the natural oil (sebum) secreted by the
sebaceous glands keeps the hair healthy and shiny. If the sebum is produced excessively,
the hair will beome greasy whereas if it’s removed or present in less amount, the hair
will become dry, frizzy, or full of split ends. In this case, all the dry hair tips would be
about somehow promoting the secretion of sebum, preventing the removal of of moisture
from hair, and moisturizing your hair. There! I have said that in a nutshell. Now let me
elaborate on the causes of removal of Sebum or moisture from hair and then give the
tips for prevention and cure of dry hair:
1. Diet related.
2. The most common external cause is ofcourse excessive shampooing. Yes shampoos are
needed to cleanse your hair of sweat, dirt, and excess oil. But a shampoos are also
detergents which washe away all the natural hair oil from our hair. And shampooing
without using a conditioner harms the hair further.
3. Using a blow dryer or curling iron too often is the second common cause for dry hair.
Well, unless you know great tips for blowdrying or curling your hair, I have only one
word for you- DON’T.
4. Using chemical hair dyes or perming your hair
5. High exposure to the sun and wind.
6. Chlorine and other chemicals in swimming pools
Now let’s see the tips for treating dry hair. Some would be external tips- aiming at
keeping your hair moisturized and some would be internal tips- promoting hair growth
and secretion of oil for shiny smooth hair.
Tips/ Cure for Dry Hair
External
1. The best thing to do would be to shampoo less often, or use a mild shampoo with
nourishing/ moisturizing conditioner. Also, do have a look at the conditioner if it’s for
‘dry hair’, ‘frizzy hair’ etc. Remember not to use the conditioner on hair near your scalp
as this part is naturally oiled by sebaceosu glands. Towel dry your hair whenever
possible.
2. If you have split ends, you can use a leave-in conditioner but remember that it
would not remove your split ends. The best solution would be to trim your hair before
the split becomes longer and spreads through your hair shaft.
3. Many blogs report that shampoos containing alcohol are drying for hair. These tips
may or may not be true and depend on the type of alcohol present. For example, fatty
alcohols such as cetearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol or stearyl alcohol actually moisturize
the hair and make them soft. So when you are looking at the ingredient list in a
shampoo you better be aware of the type of alcohol that is present.
4. Avoid Silicones-based Shampoos/ Conditioners: To find out if a shampoo and
conditioner contains silicone or not look at the ingredients on the label. If the
ingredients on the label says Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone or silicone, avoid using
the products. Remember that Dimethicone and Cyclomethicone are silicone derived
emollients. Silicones coat your hair making it look shiny in the short term. However,
they slowly start coating hair completely, creating a buildup and effectively sealing
off moisture from reaching the cuticle. If you are using silicones shampoo/ conditioner
however, be sure to use a clarifying shampoo periodically. (I recently found out that my
beloved ‘head and shoulder’ shampoo contains dimethicone :-( )
5. Use one or two drops of Olive oil in your hair if they look too dry. Don’t use in excess.
Internal (through diet)
6. Take regular dosage of B vitamins, Biotin, Inositol, Folic acid, and minerals
(magnesium, sulfur and zinc). B vitamins are important for the health and growth of
the hair. B vitamins are found in beans, peas, carrots, cauliflower, soy beans, nutritional
yeast, bran, nuts and eggs. A regular dose of vitamin B-complex can be supplemented
with the following additional B-vitamins for best results.
Vitamin B3 (niacin) – 50 mg 3 times daily.
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) -100 mg 3 times daily.
Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) -50 mg 3 times daily.
Biotin is very important for hair health. It is needed for healthy hair and skin. Eat plenty
of foods high in biotin and/ or take it in supplemental form. Biotin is present in brewer’s
yeast, brown rice, bulgur, green peas, lentils, oats, soybeans, sunflower seeds, and
walnuts. You can also use hair care products containing biotin.
Inositol, Folic acid and minerals are also vital for hair growth.
For all of the above ask your doctor for the regular dosage amount. Remember that it
will take three to four months before the effect of these nutirents starts to show.
7. Healthy fatty acids from fish like salmon and tuna are also important to improve hair
texture and prevent dry, brittle hair.
8. Other nutrients that you can take for healthy hair:
Coenzyme Q10- Improves scalp circulation. Increases tissue oxygenation. It is also very
important for heart health. Take 60 mg daily.
L-Cysteine and L-methionine: Two amino acids belived to improve quality, texture, and
growth of hair. They help prevent hair from falling out.
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