Anticipating the consequences is cheaper than repairing the damages. This statement applies to the health of your hair. One of the most frequent concerns of people is to keep their hair silky. This article covers everything you need to know on how to treat dry hair.
For that you must change some actions that damage your hair like frequent hair washing, brushing your hair too often, frequent use of the hair straightener or hot curling irons, excessive exposure of your hair to sun, wind, chlorine (swimming pools) or dry air, and application of chemical treatments, such as dyes, permanent, and smoothed.
If your hair is already dry, dull, and with brittle tips, it is time to act. Use shampoos and moisturizing conditioners for dry hair, use a mask for dry hair, limit the use of irons and hair dryers, and avoid dyeing your hair.
Table of Contents
Why You Have Dry Hair
The scalp is formed by soft tissues that cover the skull, it is a continuous, elastic, and resistant outer layer. It has the same anatomical structure as the skin with 3 layers. It fulfils several functions:
- Physical barrier
- Immunological protection
- Thermal insulation
The process of cell renewal in the scalp normally lasts 2 weeks. Dead scalp cells detach in the form of tiny, invisible scales. However, in the case of inflammation or excessive desquamation, dead cells accumulate in groups and become visible. This phenomenon is known as dandruff.
Each day, hair follicles produce a million new keratinocytes. These cells synthesize keratin, a fibrous structural protein that is the main component of hair, and that makes it extremely resistant and impermeable. With each hair follicle, there is a sebaceous gland, which produces sebum, a substance that allows the hair to be permanently lubricated.
One of the most frequent concerns of people is to keep their hair silky. To achieve this, the first thing you should do is understand why your hair is dry.
There are two main reasons to have dry hair. Your hair may dry out because your scalp does not have enough oil to moisturize the hair or hair lets moisture out. Here is how it works:
Your scalp does not have enough moisture: The hair has no natural lubrication, which is produced from the sebaceous glands described above. As you get older, your hair produces less oil (sebum) naturally. Since the roots are under the skin, the dry scalp goes hand in hand with dry hair.
The moisture in the hair is leaking: Each strand of healthy hair has a protective layer called cuticle. In a healthy cuticle, the layers are close together and maintain moisture. When the layers of a cuticle separate their ability to retain moisture is compromised because there are some oil leaks.
In addition to aging, hormonal disorders (for example, thyroid), malnutrition, and inflammatory processes of the scalp, there are several common practices that can damage your hair causing dryness:
- Very frequent hair washing. During washing, the use of shampoo can remove the natural oils from your hair.
- Brush your hair too often, especially if you use alcohol-based hair products.
- Frequent use of the hair straightener or hot curling irons.
- Excessive exposure of your hair to sun, wind, chlorine (swimming pools) or dry air
- Application of chemical treatments, such as dyes, permanent, and smoothed.
An inadequate diet, without needing to reach the degree of malnutrition also produces the appearance of dry hair. The deficiency in the diet of some proteins and/or minerals essential for the production and lubrication of hair that your body is unable to produce must be administered through food. Vitamins (A, B. and C), iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, are some examples.
Hormonal changes not caused by diseases, especially in women, also produce greater or lesser hydration of the hair.
For example, during pregnancy, the excessive amount of progesterone in the body helps keep your hair silky, but in postpartum and especially menopause estrogenic levels decline and therefore the skin and hair begin to lack moisture and become dry.
How to Treat Dry Hair
Prevention is the best treatment for any disease or physiological change in your body. Anticipating the consequences is cheaper than repairing the damages. This statement applies to the health of your hair.
Hair, like your body and skin, needs to be well hydrated to look good. Therefore, not maintaining a healthy diet will cause the whole body to become dehydrated, and consequently your hair too. To avoid this, there is no other solution than to consume foods rich in vitamin A, B, and C, proteins, and essential fatty acids. And please, do not forget to consume enough water.
Other important steps you should take are:
- Wash your hair less frequently.
- Use hair products that do not contain alcohol.
- After shampoo use a moisturizing conditioner.
- Use a soft shampoo made specifically to help hydrate dry hair.
There are several products on the market that can help you treat dry hair such as Trichoceutical Mousse and Trichoceutical Hair Spray. These products are specially created to help keep your hair hydrated and healthy and are the result of more than 20 years of research.
These products have 3 fundamental effects on your hair:
1. Strengthening
This is the key to having healthy hair. To help strengthen your hair, it has the following ingredients: Serenoa Repens and Thioctic acid.
2. Revitalization
Caring for the hair follicle is another key to keeping your hair healthy. That’s why ingredients like mentha oil, aloe vera gel, and green tea were included.
3. Nourishment
Your hair must have good nutrition. This can be achieved with a balanced diet but also with locally applied products. For this, the manufacturer incorporated nutritious essential oils such as macadamia nut and evening primrose into the formula.
Here is an overview of the ingredients used in these two products and how these ingredients help treat dry hair:
- Serenoa Repens (Saw Palmetto) Oil: It prevents the conversion of testosterone into DHT naturally and without side effects, after blocking the formation of DHT and its arrival in the cell nucleus. It also provides a direct inhibitory effect on androgen receptors, as well as its anti-inflammatory properties.
- Thioctic Acid: It is a powerful antioxidant. It can neutralize a wide variety of different free radicals which damage cells. Thioctic acid in conjunction with vitamin E and ascorbic acid is the most recognized antioxidants.
- Mentha Oil: Moisturizes the hair decreasing the dryness of the scalp. In addition, it helps keep hair healthy and free from the main hair problems that may be related to microbial agents, since it is antibacterial and antifungal.
- Aloe Vera: It is one of the best-known plants in the world for its nutritional value and its many benefits both in the field of beauty and personal care. Its high content of water, antioxidants, and minerals makes it one of the main natural products used to care for your hair.
- Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract: It has many benefits and among its properties is that of being antioxidant, purifying, and rejuvenating. It is a very effective natural ingredient to keep the scalp in good condition. It brings strength and shine to the hair, and it can help relieve dandruff, psoriasis or other scalp irritations.
- Macadamia Seed Nut Oil: It contains palmitoleic acid, vitamin E, and sterols. It has ideal soothing and softening properties to protect your hair fibres from external agents. In addition, it is the fruit with the highest amount of omega 7, which is found naturally in the sebum produced by the hair follicles.
- Evening Primrose: This plant is rich in amino acids and essential fatty acids such as omega 6. Essential fatty acids magnetize oxygen producing small electrical currents.
No side effects are known to these products since they are made with natural ingredients that have years of scientific research. The Trichoceutical Mousse and Trichoceutical Hair Spray are for external use only.
How to Fix Dry Hair
Once you have detected that your hair is dry, dull or with damaged ends, it is time to act. If you really want that dry hair to disappear and look strong and shiny again, you must follow these steps:
- Wash your hair well choosing a moisturizing shampoo. Then rinse it with warm water.
- Apply a conditioner, also for dry and damaged hair and let it act for at least a couple of minutes.
- Dry it well with a towel. Now is the time to apply the mask for dry hair. A product that can greatly benefit you is Eco Masters Hair-Plus Mask. Leave the mask for twenty minutes.
- After the recommended time, rinse your hair and check that your hair is softer and brighter. As you apply the mask every week, your hair will recover all its splendour.
- The last step, and not least, is to know what procedures you should avoid. You should limit the use of hairdryers and irons, as I described above, they tend to weaken your hair. Avoid any dyeing procedure of your hair, as well as discolorations and permanent.
Let us see how the mask helps you with Eco Masters Hair-Plus Mask. The manufacturer describes that its formula based on natural products has been studied for decades to act on 3 fundamental aspects in your hair:
- Strengthen Your Hair: The product strengthens your hair by the action of hydrolysed wheat protein, olive leaf extract, and mastic gum present in the formula.
- Hydrate Your Hair: Hydrating hair is essential to have healthy hair. Jojoba and olive fruit oil are highly known ingredients to fulfil this function.
- Revitalize Your Hair: Removing impurities is essential to give your hair a revitalized appearance. Willow bark and its astringent and exfoliating properties and chamomilla are two ingredients of the formula that will accomplish that task.
Let’s see how each of these ingredients help your hair:
- Hydrolysed Wheat Protein: It has long been used to help prevent and treat aesthetic problems. It is a source of essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and high-quality proteins. It keeps your hair healthy and nourished.
- Olive Leaf Extract: It enhances the action of olive oil also present in the formula. Its content in triglycerides and fatty acids favour the preservation of the level of hydration of the skin and hair. Thanks to the antioxidant substances it contains, such as vitamin E, oleic acid, and polyphenols help slow the aging of the scalp and hair.
- Mastic Gum: Since ancient times it has been famous for its medicinal and pharmaceutical characteristics. It is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
- Jojoba: It has been used since ancient times for its benefits on the skin. Among its benefits in the hair is that it cleans the scalp deeply. Regulates the pH so they avoid excess sebum in the hair. Thanks to its antibacterial and antifungal properties it prevents dandruff.
- Willow Bark: It has astringent and exfoliating properties thanks to its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and toning effects on the scalp.
- Chamomilla: Its ability to clarify hair tone and produce natural highlights, in addition to moisturizing and nourishing make this ingredient a great secret in the formula.
Eco Masters Hair-Plus Mask is made with natural ingredients so it has fewer side effects, however, if you are going to use it for the first time you should know its ingredients to avoid allergic reactions if you are sensitive to any of them.
Conclusion
Both men and women want to have a silky and shiny mane. If your hair is dry, dull, and brittle, it’s time to take action. Wash your hair less frequently and use moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. Avoid using irons and hair dryers. You do not dye your hair. Maintain a balanced and nutritious diet. Do not forget to drink enough fluids.
To help keep your hair shiny and silky there are many products, with natural ingredients, in the market. Trichoceutical Mousse, Trichoceutical Hair Spray, and Eco Masters Hair-Plus Mask are 3 examples of products, which thanks to its active ingredients will help you keep your hair attractive.