Tips for Taking Care of Dry Hair
Dry hair has many causes. Some textures of hair are naturally dry. Chemical treatments and heated appliances can also cause hair to be dry. Certain types of hair products can also cause dry hair. If you have dry hair here are some tips on how to moisturize it.
1. Get it Right: Be sure to use the right hair products. To reduce hair dryness, it is important that you use moisturizing hair products. How can you tell if a product is moisturizing or not? Begin by reading the ingredients. Avoid shampoos made with sulfates (specifically sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate). Sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate are two of the most commonly used cleansers in shampoos, but they are also very harsh and strip the hair of its natural oils. Soap also can cause hair dryness. Also avoid grain alcohol, which you will see on labels as ethyl alcohol or SD-40, SD-39, or SD-30 (SD stands for specially denatured). Grain alcohol is a solvent, which means it dissolves oils, and that is the opposite of what you want in a hair product if your hair is dry. Be sure to always wash and condition with a moisturizing shampoo and follow up with a moisturizing conditioner.
2. Turn Down the Heat: If you use heated styling appliances, use them in moderation. Flat irons, curling irons and blow dryers have their place, but if they are used too much (like every day), or at too high a level of heat, they will contribute to hair dryness. Hair naturally contains some moisture, but if too much heat is used, the natural moisture that exists in hair will evaporate, leaving you with dry, frizzy, brittle hair. If you use heated appliances, be sure to use a thermal protectant to protect your hair from the heat.
3. Change it Up: If you color, perm or relax your hair, be aware that your hair care methods will have to change in order for you to maintain a healthy head of hair. Chemical treatments can contribute to hair dryness, so you might have to use different hair products that you are used to, or you might have to use moisturizing hair products much more frequently that you might be used to, in order to retain a decent level of moisture in your hair. Try giving yourself a hot oil treatment on a regular basis for an extra moisturizing treatment.
Taking care of dry hair can be a challenge, but if you pay close attention to how you maintain it, and use techniques and products that help it to stay moisturized, you can have a healthy and beautiful head of hair.
Ololade Franklin is the owner of Northwest Scents natural hair care products. Northwest Scents products are designed to moisturize and condition Black, African, dry, and textured hair types. For more information visit http://www.nwscents.com.©The Franklin and Franklin Company.
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