It should be obvious how dry hair looks and feels, but more often than not it’s usually my hairstylist who lets me know that my hair is dry. I seem to miss all the signs! After some experience, here’s how dry hair looks and feels.
Dry hair looks and feels like it lacks flexibility and has a brittle texture with split ends and stray hairs. If you have extremely dry hair, you may also experience an itchy scalp accompanied by dandruff. If left untreated, dry hair can lead to hair damage and breakage. To treat dry hair, practice haircare routines that restore moisture to hair.
My hairstylist and I have gone back and forth discussing the ways to identify if your hair is dry and how to effectively fix the issue. If you’re interested in learning how to test if your hair is dry, and the best solutions you can use to moisturize it, then make sure you keep reading.
How To Test If Your Hair Is Dry?
A great way to test whether your hair is dry or not is to do the stretching test. Dry hair is often dull and lacks flexibility so by doing the stretching test we can test if your hair needs more moisture.
To test if your hair is dry, pluck a strand of wet hair from your head and gently pull it at each end. If the hair stretches by a third and returns to its normal length, your hair is not dry; it’s perfectly healthy. If the hair strand stretches but does not return to its normal length, your hair is dry.
Now that you’ve determined that your hair is dry, keep reading to find out how to restore moisture to your hair.
5 Haircare Routines To Treat Dry Hair
The causes of dry hair will likely be different for us all, this is why I’ve listed five of the main causes so everyone can get the answers they need to repair their dry hair. Trust me, your dry hair problems will be a thing of the past with these tips and tricks!
The best way to fix dry hair is to wash your hair less often; shampoos are made to strip hair of oils and moisture; stick to washing your hair twice weekly and follow-up with a rinse-out conditioner to restore moisture to your hair. Also, apply warm olive oil or coconut oil to your hair’s ends and length 3 times a week to add moisture to your hair.
1. Get Rid Of Heat Styling
Avoid using heat to style your hair every day. The heat from hairdryers, curling irons, and hair straighteners actually get rid of all the natural moisture and oils in your hair. So no matter how often you condition or moisturize, if you keep using excessive heat on your hair, your hair will always be dry.
Even if you use your heat styling tool sparingly, the heat setting you set them to when you use them could also be drying and even harming your hair. Although a lot of these heat styling tools can be set to a temperature as high as 450 degrees. The temperature you pick should be controlled by your hair type.
If you have thin or fine hair, you should keep the temperature under 360 degrees, whilst if you have medium and coarse hair you should keep the temperature under 380 degrees and 410 degrees, respectively.
If you’re looking for a hairdryer that won’t damage your hair by overheating it then I suggest you get yourself the T3 Cura Dryer. This hair dryer is perfect for hair that has been damaged by heat styling. It’s designed to distribute the exact warmth you set it to and it does its job so well that you won’t need to go over your hair with a hair straightener. It also reduces frizz and leaves your hair looking shiny and healthy.
2. Change Your Shampoo And Conditioner
When you have dry hair it is crucial to use moisturizing products on your hair. Your shampoo and conditioner should specifically target dryness and have ingredients such as shea butter, coconut oil, biotin, panthenol, and other such products with moisturizing qualities. Avoid products with alcohol and sulfates in them.
A lot of women skip the conditioning step when washing their hair. Conditioning your hair is the most important step! This is what restores moisture back to your hair. Shampoos are formulated to strip your hair of oils and product buildup in an effort to clean your hair. Conditioners are formulated to restore some of that moisture back into your hair. They were created to work together so don’t forget to condition your hair!
A shampoo and conditioner set that I love is the WOW apple cider shampoo and conditioner set. Not only does it get rid of all the impurities in my hair thanks to the apple cider vinegar, but it also has keratin in it which is a protein that nourishes hair and promotes healthy hair.
3. Moisturise Using Hair Oils
Botanical and essential oils not only have benefits for our body’s health but they also have amazing benefits for our hair’s health! Here’s how they can help:
| Oil Type: | Benefits: |
| Almond Oil | Moisturises and seals existing moisture. Protects hair from damage and shedding. Promotes healthy hair growth. |
| Argan Oil | Protects hair from UV rays and heat damage. Smoothes and moisturizes hair giving it a lustrous finish. |
| Coconut Oil | Repairs broken and damaged hair. Protects from heat damage, helps retain moisture, prevents hair loss whilst promoting hair growth. |
| Grapeseed Oil | Conditions and moisturizes hair. Treats split ends and frizziness. It makes your hair strong and healthy. Has dandruff fighting properties. Prevents hair loss. |
| Jojoba Oil | Prevents dry scalp and dandruff. Moisturizes hair. |
| Lavender Oil | Balances sebum production whilst moisturizing the scalp. Promotes hair growth and makes hair thicker and fuller. |
| Lemongrass Oil | Has antiviral and antifungal properties that relieve dandruff and dry scalp conditions. Prevents hair loss. |
| Olive Oil | Moisturizes dry hair. Protects from heat damage and improves the appearance of damaged hair. |
4. Don’t Over-Wash Your Hair
As we’ve already discussed, shampoos are formulated to strip your hair of its oils. So if you wash your hair every day then all you’re doing is drying your hair out. Dermatologists recommend that we should only be washing our hair 2 to 3 times a week.
When washing and conditioning your hair make sure that you wash your hair with lukewarm water. Lukewarm water allows your hair’s cuticles to open so that the moisture from the conditioner can seep in and deeply penetrate your hair. You can follow this up with a cold rinse to make sure that your cuticles close so that the moisture will be locked in.
5. Stop Bleaching Your Hair
Bleach is a harsh chemical that actually breaks apart the proteins in your hair in order to remove color. When the bleach washes out, your hair is left lighter but also incredibly weaker. This is what causes your hair to dry out and become brittle after bleaching.
When your hair is bleached it also becomes vulnerable to further damage caused by exposure to UV rays and heat. This is why you should wear a hat or sunscreen for your hair when you go out into the sun after getting your hair bleached. A popular sunscreen for hair is the SunBum 3-in-1 leave-in conditioner, not only is it going to protect your bleach-damaged hair but it will also detangle and get rid of frizziness.
There are also homemade hair masks that you can make to restore moisture into your hair if it’s been dried out by bleaches. My personal favorite is the rice water rinse. If you want to read about the benefits and get step-by-step instructions on how to make it, simply click on this link to get access to that and much more!