You'll probably have found that just by searching online, a lot of people suffer with dry and damaged hair. You're unfortunately not the only one.
When you are suffering with dry hair though, it's unfortunate that no matter what you seem to do to try and style it, it always just looks damaged, frizzy and out of control.
Dry hair isn't specific to just one hair type, it can happen to anybody, There can even be a wide variety of reasons that cause dry hair.
Here are a few pieces of what we feel are helpful information for people who suffer with dry hair.
What Causes Dry Hair?
Dry hair can be caused by a variety of factors, including over-washing the hair, excessive heat styling, harsh chemical treatments and even environmental factors that are our of our control. Environmental factors meaning things such as sun exposure, wind exposure or even rain. Genetics & even certain health conditions can also contribute to dry hair.
How Can I Tell If My Hair Is Dry?
If you're somebody that does suffer with dry hair, we probably won't have to explain this to you, It's more of a "If you know, You know" situation. Dry hair though often feels rough or brittle and can appear to be dull and or frizzy. You may even notice that your hair begins to tangle or you may notice split ends.
You may even begin to notice that your scalp is starting to feel tight or itchy, This screams dryness!
What Ingredients Should I Look For In Shampoo if I Have Dry Hair?
If you have dry hair, you want to start looking for shampoos that contain moisturizing and nourishing ingredients such as argan oil, coconut oil, shea butter, glycerine and aloe vera. These ingredients can help to hydrate and repair dry and damaged hair, Restoring its natural shine and softness in the process.
When using shampoo with what we'd call heavier ingredients in though, try not to overdo it as you don't want to cause the hair to become greasy either.
Is Sulphate Free Shampoo Good For Dry Hair?
Absolutely! Sulphate free shampoo is better for dry hair and dry scalps. Sulphate free shampoo is much less likely to strip away the natural oils that keep your hair and scalp moisturized.
Sulphates, While commonly used in hair products, they can be known to be a little too harsh and strip away more than we'd like them to. So opting for a sulphate free shampoo will help maintain your hair and scalps moisture balance.
How Often Should I wash My Hair?
Personally, We like to try to get our clients into washing their hair once a week which in most cases is easier said than done. We're not going to force you down that road yet.
Washing your hair 2 - 3 times a week though can often help prevent stripping your hair too much of its natural oils. Especially if you're using a gentle moisturizing shampoo followed up by a moisturizing conditioner. .
How Can I prevent Dry Hair?
Preventing dry hair isn't always straight forward, as mentioned above, it can be caused by factors that are outside of our control.
What we would say though is to be kind to your hair. You do not need to straighten your hair every single day on full heat, You also don't need the hair dryer on full heat.
We'd also highly recommend not washing your hair in hot water, Lukewarm water is fine to wash your hair in, If you can't take that in the shower, maybe just try to wash your hair over the side of the bath or the sink for a couple of weeks to see if you notice any improvement.
Don't do any chemical treatments on your hair if you're not sure what you're doing! We'd recommend staying away from any harsh chemical treatments in general but we'd especially recommend not doing any chemical treatments at home if you're not sure what you're doing. Over the last 10 years, we've had a lot of clients come in who have damaged their hair at home whether it be with colour stripper, perms or most commonly.... bleach.
