The hair is naturally moisturized by the body through the sebaceous or oil glands in your scalp, which release sebum. This makes its way from the scalp to lubricate the rest of your hair strands. However, this natural moisturizing system is sometimes ineffective, especially if you have underactive oil glands because of genetics or age. Aside from that, the type of your hair and its length can also disrupt sebum from reaching it in a timely manner. Too much styling, over washing, and other treatments can also lead to having dry hair.
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If you are tired of having to deal with your dry hair, then we are happy to help you. Today, we are giving you the best tips you can follow to keep your hair moisturized.
Causes of Dry Hair
When your hair gets dry, you might usually ask why. Well, there are many reasons as to why your hair does not get enough moisture. One of those is that your scalp does not produce enough natural oil to moisturize your hair. This can be hereditary, or it could happen as people age because the rate of oil production slows down naturally. This is also the reason why the skin gets drier as people age.
Aside from that, it is also possible that the condition or structure of your hair causes the moisture to escape, leading to dry hair. There are three parts that make up a strand of hair, which are the medulla or core at the center, the cortex, which surrounds the medulla, and the cuticle. The medulla is the supporting structure of the hair. The cortex is what gives your hair its elasticity, shape, curl, and resilience. And the cuticle is what makes the hair appear shiny, and it also keeps the moisture from escaping. Therefore, when the cuticles are loosened, the hair will appear dull and flyaway.
Other reasons for dry hair can be thermal abuse, such as using blow dryers, flat irons, curling irons, and hot rollers. They can make your hair look amazing, but they are damaging in the long run. Aside from those, your hair can also lose moisture due to under conditioning, over washing, too much exposure to the sun, wind, saltwater, chlorine, and dry air, using too many chemical treatments, and as well as using bad brushes.
How to Keep Your Hair Moisturized?
Here are some of the things you can follow to keep your hair moisturized:
Use thermal protection before applying heat
If you want to style your hair using a blow dryer or an iron, it’s important to apply a thermal protective formula first, like serums, on your hair. This can provide a barrier between the hair strand and the heat, which can help protect your hair from thermal tools that can make it dry.
Take a break from applying heat
If possible, try to take a break from using thermal tools on your hair that can remove moisture. You can instead experiment with hairstyles like buns and braids that don’t require heat. This will enable your hair to take a break from moisture-hating thermal tools.
Pick a shampoo that is designed for dry hair
When buying shampoo, choose those that are creamy rather than clear, as these might include ingredients like apricot kernel oil and aloe vera that are good for dry hair. These ingredients will definitely give moisture to your hair and retain it.
Skip the daily shampoo
If you are used to shampooing your hair every day, and you’re noticing that it’s getting dry, then maybe it’s best to take a day or two off between shampoos. This way, your scalp’s natural oil will have a chance to replenish your dry hair. If your hair gets too oily, you can simply apply dry shampoo on your roots to refresh your hair and absorb excess oil.
Choose ammonia-free hair color
If you are into coloring your hair, then it’s better to opt for those that are ammonia-free. Tell your hairstylist that you like hair colors that are ammonia-free permanent and those that have semi-permanent formulas. It’s because they are gentler on the hair and will not make your hair dry.
Do not brush your hair when it’s wet
Remember that hair is delicate when it’s wet, and it can be easily torn or broken with the bristles of a hairbrush. When detangling hair strands, use a wide-tooth comb. And when choosing a brush, boar bristle is great because it will gently distribute the natural oils of your hair as you brush.
Moisturizing Curly Hair
If your hair is curly, it is more susceptible to dryness. It’s because the sebum in your scalp takes longer to make its way to the rest of your hair due to the curls. And when you over style and over wash your hair, it can only make the dryness worse.
What we can advise is to treat your hair with deep moisturizing shampoos and conditioners. Some of the ingredients you can look for are almond, olive, coconut, avocado, monoi, and argan. All of these can help seal in moisture. Aside from that, these ingredients can also be used on their own as a weekly hair mask to make your hair moisturized.
Moisturizing Thick and Coarse Hair
If you have thick hair that has gone from dry to coarse, then a deep moisturizing treatment is perfect for you. One of the best you can opt for is shea butter. It is known to work well for extremely dry hair due to its high fatty acid content and antioxidants. Aside from that, you can also use a hair mask once every week to restore the moisture of your hair.
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Moisturizing Fine Hair
Fine hair is less vulnerable to natural moisture reduction because sebum has a better chance of working its way through the strands. However, if you use hair dye, thermal tools, and wash your hair too often, then you may still find your hair dry. To moisturize it and retain its moisture, use a shampoo and conditioner that is lightweight and designed for fine hair. You can also moisturize the ends of your hair only because applying moisturizer on an oily scalp can just weigh your hair down. Lavender oils and jojoba are also great for fine hair.
Moisturizing Mature Hair
Gray or mature hair is usually drier because the natural aging process slows down the sebaceous gland activity. Using a deep moisturizing shampoo and conditioner together with a leave-in moisturizing spray can help replenish this loss. You can also reduce the number of times you wash your hair in a week to help prevent excess dryness. Also be sure to check out scandinavianbiolabs.com as well for hair loss challenges.
How to Apply Moisturizers in Your Hair
When using hair moisturizers like conditioners and masks, the product should be applied in the ends of your hair first. Unless your scalp is extremely dry, you don’t need to apply moisturizer to it.
When applying moisturizers, your hair should be wet, so that your strands will properly absorb the product. You can use some leave-in and daily conditioners but stick to using deeper ones, once every week. For best results, leave a hair mask or oil on your hair for up to 20 minutes. After that, rinse out with cool or lukewarm water. Never wash your hair in hot water because that can cause more damage and dryness.
If you are looking for the best hair moisturizers you can use, here are some of the best ones we can recommend:
Hair Masks
- Maui Moisture Heal & Hydrate + Shea Butter Hair Mask
- OGX Extra Strength Argan Oil of Morocco Hair Mask
- Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask Moisturizer
- Nature’s Potent Organic Argan Oil Hair Mask
Hair Conditioners
- Biolage Ultra Hydrasource Conditioning Balm
- R+Co Atlantis Moisturizing B5 Conditioner
- Pureology Hydrate Sheer Moisturizing Conditioner
- L’Oréal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Oil Nourishing Conditioner
- Pure Nature Lux Spa Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner
Leave-In Conditioners
- Renpure Coconut Whipped Cream Leave-In Conditioner
- Biotera Ulta Moisturizing Leave-In Conditioner
- Garnier Hair Care Curl Moisture Leave-In Conditioner
- CHI Keratin Leave-In Conditioner
Taking care of your hair by avoiding the use of harmful tools and chemicals is the best way to keep your hair moisturized. We hope the tips and recommendations we shared will help you in maintaining your smooth and hydrated hair, or in treating your dry hair.