Overview
Just living takes a toll on your hair’s natural moisture. Most people know that they need to use extra conditioner to protect their hair during extreme weather and be careful not to go overboard with heat and products during styling sessions, but your hair also starts to lose moisture naturally as you get older. Moisturizing masks are one treatment for dehydrated hair.
The Facts
Hair masks are like intense conditioners–they’re designed to penetrate the hair shaft, where they can restore moisture and repair damage to your hair, improving its health. Cheri McMaster, principal scientist for Pantene, tells “O, The Oprah Magazine” that hair masks provide significantly more moisturizing power than your average conditioner.
Identification
It’s important to choose the right ingredients, whether you’re buying a mask or making one of your own. If you’re shopping for a hair mask, Teca Gillespie, a scientist for Pantene, says to look for one that contains fatty alcohols–which appear on ingredients labels as stearyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol and cetyl alcohol–or silicones, which go under the name dimethicone or cyclomethicone. If you’re making your own, choose vitamin- and protein-rich ingredients like avocado and egg.
Function
Hair masks work to restore hair moisture in a few ways. According to “More” magazine, conditioning masks contain ingredients that attach to your hair shaft or wrap around your hair’s cuticle, making your hair thicker and improving the barrier that holds moisture in. Dr. David Orentreich, assistant professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, says that masks for dry hair can strengthen your hair’s keratin structure, repairing some of the damage caused by dehydration.
Considerations
Though there are plenty of drugstore and department store hair masks available, Helen Ambrosen, product creator at Lush cosmetics, tells “Cosmopolitan” magazine that you can make your own mask with avocado. “Cosmopolitan” suggests blending a mashed avocado with a little olive oil, a raw egg and a small banana, and applying the mixture generously to your hair.
Expert Insight
For best results, David Evangelista, celebrity hair stylist and creative director of Cornelia Day Resort in New York City, recommends in “More” magazine using a hair mask twice a week and using a wide-toothed comb to work the mask through your hair. Evangelista also recommends using a mask the night before any hair color appointment to offer your hair extra protection.
