Hair care tips for dry hair

Do your bad hair days last for weeks?

Not everyone is lucky to be born with gorgeous, luscious locks that are shiny and smooth. When your hair becomes more like straw and is getting more and more difficult to handle, it’s time to take action.

Listen to this.

I’m going to hand you the keys to unlock beautiful, soft hair. From what is causing it in the first place, to my top hair care tips for dry hair that will take your hair from rags to riches to get those luscious locks.

If you’re worried you don’t have the funds to spend loads of dollars on products or don’t know where to start I’ve got you. You don’t need a bunch of expensive stuff, with the right technique and my other tips and tricks, you can get soft, nourished hair right now.

Here’s a tip- Having gorgeous locks requires dedication, so beware of products that promise “instant” results. Whichever tips you follow, make sure you are consistent as results take time.

Got your notebook ready?

Here’s a tip- For more intense hydration, use a hair cap and wrap a towel over your head to generate heat while the mask is in your hair.

How to tell if your hair is dry

So many people out there have dry, damaged hair and don’t even realize it. There are a few tell tale signs however that your hair is ready for a makeover and is screaming for some moisture. Have you got any of these?

Brittle texture– when you touch your hair, is soft, or does it feel rough and course? For curly hair this might include frizz instead of bouncy curls.

Split ends– When your hair is dry it breaks off easily, causing split ends. If you can see you have lots of stray strands when looking in the mirrors, those are probably split ends.

Itchy scalp and dandruff– Your scalp feels itchy, you often have white flakes and dandruff.

If you’re still not sure if this is you, take a strand of hair and pull it from both ends. It should have some elasticity or spring before it breaks. It is a dead snap right away, then yep- you have dry hair. If you have any of these, it’s a sign that you don’t have bad hair genes, your locks are simply dry! the good thing is, we can change that. First though. let’s tackle the root of the issue.

 

Common causes of dry hair

Dry hair can have many causes you may not even realize. It’s good to know where top the problem is coming from so you can treat it. We could go on forever about what causes dry hair, but here are just a few of the main ones.

Over styling/heat styling tools

It’s no secret that every time you pick up your straightener, your ends are getting fried. Whether you use a hairdryer, straightener, or curling wand, using these too often or at a higher temperature is drying out and damaging your hair.

Environment

Changes in the environment, or being exposed to hot temperatures, cold winds, low humidity and sun or chemicals such as the chlorine in pools can take a toll on your hair.

Health Problems

From hormonal to certain medications and diet can all impact your hair. Lack of certain vitamins such as biotin and keratin or collagen can mean your hair is getting damaged and thus is not able to retain moisture well. Seek medical advice if you have hair loss or

Hair “care” products

So many shampoos or conditioners on the market claim to moisturize hair, but the number of chemicals in there can cause more harm than good on your hair, coating your hair and preventing enough moisture from getting in even after you rinse.

Excessive hair washing

Washing your hair every day is a no-go, using harsh shampoos too often is stripping your hair of natural oils that would otherwise keep it moisturized.

Over-use of hair color dyes

The truth is, the last thing your hair needs is a new color every month. Even if you like to dye your hair, overdoing this with cheap, low-quality dyes is drying out your hair making it look straw-like.

This you? If so, don’t worry, dry hair isn’t the end of the world and there are many natural hair care tips for dry hair you can do to reverse the process and keep your hair looking moisturized and shiny.

 

How to care for dry hair

Whether you’re thinking about growing your hair waist-length, or simply want it to look healthy and shiny, or are experiencing hair loss, dry hair is only going to get in the way of your hair dreams. Not anymore, with the best hair care for dry hair, you’ll find yourself the envy of the town with gorgeous locks that are soft and nourished with hair care for dry damaged hair.

Read the Label

I’m talking about your shampoo and conditioner. Most of the products that claim to condition and moisturize your hair are actually preventing moisture from getting in. Before buying that tub of hair moisturizer, read the label. If your shampoo or conditioner contains silicones (anything ending in -cone) or mineral oil, this is a sign that it will cost your hair, making it look shiny but starving the hair shaft of moisture.

Check your shampoo for sulphates that can be very harsh to your hair, stripping natural oils that it needs to stay moisturized. Your conditioner should not have petrolatum or harmful chemicals that can further damage your hair. Go for natural products with water as a first ingredient, and natural ingredients that condition your hair such as coconut oil, shea butter, glycerin, olive oil ect that are rich in fatty acids. Natural curly hair products tend to have really great products regardless if you have curly hair or not.

Washing your hair

One of the main causes of dry hair is washing your hair every day when you shower. If you find your hair gets greasy if you don’t wash it daily, then it could be a sign that your hair is working overtime to produce the oils it is lacking.

To put your oil production levels back to normal, simply wash your hair less and less often, until you are only washing it once or twice a week max. When you train your hair like this, it will be greasy at first but in time your hair will balance out the oil production so you can have clean hair even if you haven’t washed it that day. Trust me, this is going to really make a difference to your dry hair!

Take Vitamins

Sometimes dry hair is actually damaged and lacks vitamins your body needs to repair and maintain a healthy hair follicle. Take multi vitamin for hair and nails, this will help to keep your hair healthy, meaning it won’t be losing moisture so easily.

Deep Condition

Refer back to reading the label, but if you choose a silicone-free and sulphate free hair mask, it’s a keeper. Deep conditioning your hair at least once a week is a must for moisturizing dry hair. Simply wash and condition your hair as normal, then while your hair is drenched with water, apply the hair mask throughout the strands, avoiding the roots.

You can leave hair masks for around 30mins, ideally in a cap and with your towel wrapped around your hair to generate heat. Heat is a great way to get more moisture into your hair when deep conditioning. Then simply rinse your hair with cold water to seal the hair cuticles with that lovely moisture.

Take care of your scalp

Sometimes hair is dry because of scalp issues. Your scalp is part of your skin, so you need hair care for dry scalp. Use a scalp cleanser before shampooing, or use shampoos that are good for sensitive scalp and treat scalp issues such as dandruff. Try washing your scalp less often, using products without alcohols or fragrances, and try taking probiotics or omega 3 to contribute to better scalp health. There are some natural diy hair masks that you can put on your scalp to moisturize and take care of it too.

Put the tools away

Heat styling tools can be getting in the way of nice hair by damaging it. Were talking about blow-drying, straightening, using heat styling tools, and all of that. Just reducing how often you use these and ensuring you are using a good heat protectant to protect your hair is going to be key in restoring your hair. Instead of blow drying your hair, let it air dry. Saying that, try avoiding styling products and chemical treatments or dyeing your hair as much as you can too.

Use oils

Oils are magical for keeping your hair healthy and moisturized. Part of home remedies, you can take pretty much any oil, my favorites being argan oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, and thicker oils such as castor oil, coconut oil etc. These are key to sealing in moisture. Try doing a coconut oil mask before showering by applying oils to your ends and even scalp on damp hair for 30 mins or all night if you can. A lightweight hair oil can be used as a styling product after you do your hair to keep frizz at bay too, as long as you avoid your scalp this is going to nourish your hair.

Shower

When you wash your hair, use a microfibre towel rather than a regular towel. Wrapping your damp hair in a towel can cause so much breakage and make your hair go dry. Dry your hair using microfibre and letting your hair dry naturally can be key to avoiding moisture loss. Don’t use hot water either, this can also be an issue with your hair!

Bedtime

Just as you may have a skincare routine for bedtime, your hair needs looking after too. To avoid breakage during the night, sleep with a satin or silk pillowcase and put your hair up loosely using a silk or satin scrunchie so it is not getting caught as you toss and turn.

Final Thoughts

No matter your hair type, looking after your hair’s health is super important if you want silky smooth hair. Get rid of damaged hair by following a few of these home remedies, using a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, avoiding hair color, and using natural oils such as coconut oil and argan oil as hair treatments.

If you don’t wash your hair every day and you follow these hair health tips and hair treatments, you’ll find yourself with gorgeous strands in no time.