Overview
Dry hair often feels coarse and parched and can be difficult to style or manage. It lacks the oil and moisture necessary to nourish hair strands, particularly at the ends where dry hair is often most noticeable. It may be consistently dry or just sporadically, but no matter how often you experience dry hair, it can be a frustrating problem. Careful hair care can often remedy dry hair and make it soft and manageable.
Causes
You may have been born with naturally dry hair, or have found that your hair becomes dry as a result of damage from excessive use of heated appliances or chemical treatments. According to Medline Plus, cleansing your hair too much or using shampoos with harsh ingredients can make your hair dry. Extreme weather conditions, such as low humidity and dry heat, can make your hair parched. Dry hair may also be the result of a medical condition such as malnutrition or a thyroid problem.
Regular Maintenance
A regular trim prevents ends from splitting. When hair ends split, the split travels up the hair shaft and makes your hair coarse, frizzy and unmanageable because nourishing oils are not able to penetrate the hair strands completely. “Marie Claire” magazine recommends getting a trim every six weeks. One or two inches off the ends will keep split ends away. This amount of regular trimming will allow for healthy hair growth as well.
Hair Care
Gentle hair care is important to remedy dry hair. Vigorously and frequently brushing your hair will make it more likely to break; tight hairstyles also cause breakage. Brush your hair sparingly with a soft bristled brush and avoid styles such as tight ponytails. Avoid harsh hair treatments as much as possible, such as chemical treatments, bleaching and coloring. Excessive exposure to heated appliances such as dryers and flat irons dry out hair and make it difficult to manage. If you must use heated appliances, use the coolest possible setting. You can also wash your hair in cold water instead of hot. Hot water makes hair dry, while cold water seals the hair cuticle.
Home Remedies
In addition to using conditioner regularly, you can also use natural items found at home to nourish your hair and reduce dryness. “Fitness Magazine” suggests mashing one banana and half of an avocado and combing the mixture through your hair. Cover your head with a plastic shower cap for 10 minutes before rinsing it with cool water. The potassium and essential fatty acids found in this mask soften and tame hair. You can also comb or spritz olive oil into your hair when it is dry or coarse.
Other Treatments
If dry hair is the result of a medical condition, practicing proper hair care and using moisturizing home remedies may not solve the problem. The condition causing dry hair should be treated directly. See a doctor if at-home hair care is not helping to soften dry hair. For example, if dry hair is caused by malnutrition that is a result of an eating disorder, the disorder may need to be treated with therapy. Thyroid problems are often treated with hormonal therapy, which can correct dry hair.
