Oh to have that hair; beautiful, strong, soft to the touch.

But the genes said no.

Many people struggle with hair that is dry and brittle, especially those of us who have decided to embark on the journey towards natural hair. It could be due to genetics or it could be due to diet, handling or a number of other factors. Why does it look this way? What to do with it? Why, after doing a treatment, does my hair go back to looking like the weeds by the side of the road?

Why:

Your hair may be lacking in moisture!

A lack of moisture or hydration causes dryness which leads to other hair issues like brittleness, an increase in breakage, split ends, etc.

All of a sudden your hair feels lighter and thinner and less.

Those causes of dryness and breakage could be:

• Washing your hair too often. This could stop your natural hair oils from replenishing in time before your next wash which can cause dryness and that could cause your hair cuticles to crack and break. 
• Using products that strip moisture from your hair or using these too often.
• Diet! What goes in must come out in some way and in this case your hair may not be getting enough nutrients out of your diet to ensure that it is strong and can withstand everyday wear. Don’t be thirsty. Drink some water.
• Wearing or using abrasive or absorbent materials on your hair, such as cotton, causes breakage and pulls moisture from your hair.
• Styling your hair like you did yesterday. And the day before that and the day before that. Styling your hair constantly like this causes damage to your hair because you’re over-handling it and using high-heat tools. Consider using hairstyling tools that have ceramic plates as these distribute heat evenly over the plates which means that you won’t have to go over your hair repeatedly.
• What about all those things you do at the hairdresser? Or at home if you’re feeling brave. Colouring, perming, permanently straightening. These are changes in your hair brought about chemically. These chemicals could prove too strong, despite using protective products. Watch your hair cuticles flake off into the wind.
• Let’s go back to over handling. Also called mechanical breakage. Sounds complicated, but in fact, it is just you running your hands through your hair, fluffing it out, tying it up, loosening it, styling it this way, changing your mind, styling it that way. All this handling is abrasive to your hair and will cause some areas to weaken and already weak strands to break.
• The environment. If you live in a place with low humidity or if the season happens to be dry, your environment will act like a leech and draw moisture from your hair and skin, drying it out and causing your hair to become brittle and break. Excessive sun exposure will also cause dryness.
• Lastly, genes. Perhaps you’re genetically prone to dry skin (this means less sebum is produced on your skin and scalp and therefore you have less of those naturally occurring oils to protect your hair and lock in the moisture). Maybe you’ve inherited that curly/coily hair that runs in the family. These hair types are prone to dryness because the hair oils have a tough time travelling down the entire strand. Think greasy scalps and dry ends.

We’re not saying don’t engage in these habits. We’re just saying give your hair a break every now and then.

Also,

Having a good moisturising routine will add moisture to your hair which will treat the dryness and damage that leads to breakage and hair loss.

What to do with it:

And what should that moisturising routine entail?

• Use products that have water (aqua) as the first ingredient.
• Add water to your hair
• And lock that moisture in with oils and butters.
• Wear a hat or scarf on sunny days.

Listen, this doesn’t need to get expensive. Figure out which products work for your hair (actually, this part might be expensive) and then stick to those. You don’t need a co-wash, a serum, a mask and a moisturiser. As long as your products work well together, you could go the simple route and use a shampoo and conditioner and a grease/moisturiser of your choice.

Don’t just use products. Add moisture retaining tools to your daily life. These could be items like pillowcases, bonnets, and headscarves, in materials that don’t absorb the moisture from your hair, such as satin or silk.

Weeds:

Be careful. Don’t overdo it or, like actual weeds, those straw-like strands will come back. Moisture overload happens, but more on that in the next blog or maybe the blog after that.

Above all, remember that one treatment won’t be enough to reduce the damage and so a good moisturising routine should be just that – a consistent habit to achieve healthy hair.

Confide in us about your dry-ass hair in the comments below.

• The H Word