It is not always possible to have beautiful hair. Bad hair days are more common these days. Most of us find figuring out how to condition our mane challenging. Among the people with different hair types. The ones with a dry scalp end up with more worries. For them, figuring out how to condition dry hair well is a constant struggle.
The problem is that dry hair ends up limp and disheveled soon after a shampoo. This is true even when you indulge in high-end shampoo brands. Unlike those with an oiled scalp, those with overactive sebaceous scalps at least enjoy 2-3 days of mane happiness after a shampoo.
But the ones with dry scalps are unaware of that fortunate scenario.
What are the Dry Hair Causes
I have an oily scalp, but I have grown up with women who complained of parched hair strands, including my mother and her mother.
Both these women found it difficult to maintain their hair after a wash. They had issues with flyaway hair, which, at a later stage, caused a headache. So, shampoo caused these women unmanageable hair and stress.
The basic root cause of the problem that I understand as of today was their dry scalp.
Anyone who experiences dry hair experiences a dry scalp. That means the oil glands on the scalp do not produce much oil.
This property of the scalp may sound like a boon to many. But at least for both my mother and grandmother, it is a big issue.
So, when your scalp does not produce much oil. Thus, the hair remains parched. This causes them to turn static. Women with curly manes experience frizz. This frizz gets worse in humid climates or during travel.
Who experiences dry hair
If you think that people predisposed to dry skin experience dry hair. Then, there is more than you need to know.
Dry hair is a common experience, even for people with normal/ oily skin/scalp. At times, people with an over-active sebaceous gland also struggle to figure out how to condition dry hair.
The harsh chemical laden hair cleansing products are the ones that cause this situation.
The strong cleaning agents in such products strip up the oils. This brings in a super dry scalp.
Though it may sound good to have a non-oiled up hair and scalp. But to tell you the truth. It is not good.
It is because this harsh cleaning confuses the sebaceous glands on the skin.
These shampoos meant for oily hair do a tremendous job of cleaning up the oil on hair. So, for 2-3 days after shampoo, your mane stays super nice. But then the sense of dryness sets in the sebaceous glands. This makes the oil-secreting glands to think that the oil is getting used up quick. This gives them a false signal to produce more oil. And so you begin to have a super oily scalp just days after a shampoo.
Then, this oversecretion of oil makes you shampoo more. And that is how this vicious cycle of dryness followed by oiliness begins.
Hence, the days of dry hair are familiar to people with oily hair as well.
If you wish to know some super simple dry hair home remedies. Then, read further.
How to condition dry hair
When we know that dryness of hair is common to all hair types. Then what is it that one can do to combat it.
There are few alternatives to the commercial conditioner. Read them below to know in simple steps.
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1. Don’t shampoo your hair often.
You can stick to shampoo once a week routine.
The best way to condition dry hair is to stop cleaning it so much.
Acts of over-shampoo and shampoo with strong cleaning ingredients cause extreme dryness.
Hence, if the frequency of shampoo reduces. Then, dryness also reduces as a consequence.
It is simple and logical.
Though apart from lessening shampoo schedules. One can also try a few other simple steps.
2. Use cold water to wash hair.
This remedy for conditioning dry hair sounds too simple to be true. But believe me, it is exactly what it sounds like —simple and true.
If you are stuck in the habit of using warm water for showers, then I am sure you experience dry hair after washing. That is why you need to use cold water as a last rinse after shampoo. You should never use too hot water on your scalp. Lukewarm to cold water is ideal for hair and skin.
Cold water seals the skin, keeping the pores closed to ooze out extra oil. When there is no excess oil, there is no shampoo and no over-dried hair.
3. Use an acidic rinse to replace your regular conditioner.
Low pH closes the pores on the scalp and aligns the hair shafts to give manageable hair strands. You can make an acidic rinse by diluting lemon juice with water.
You can also use apple cider vinegar in place of lime juice. Ratios of 1:3 of a natural acid to water works well.
Isn’t this the most straightforward homemade conditioner for dry hair?
4. Oil massage before you shampoo.
The fatty acids in oils condition the hair to provide a sheath from post-shampoo static. External oils also give the sebaceous glands a feeling of fullness. Hence, they remain calm and do not contribute to oiliness further.
You can use oils according to your hair care requirements. When in doubt, zero in on one oil. Go with coconut. It is light and gets absorbed easily.
5. Use a mild shampoo that lacks harsh cleaning agents like detergents.
I cannot stress this one enough: The less strong a shampoo, the less dryness it causes.
Natural soap derived from plants cleans without overdrying. Few organic, chemical-free shampoo and conditioner brands also provide the same effect.
They may lack an obvious lather. But do clean the hair well.
To Conclude
Dry static and flyaway hair is a pain to manage. They irritate, and their constant state of dryness leads to breakage as well.
To get rid of them, one needs to condition them with care. There are options beyond popping open a bottle of expensive hair conditioning products.
Even if a conditioner seems to work on dry hair, it might not continue to do so in the long run.
Commercial cosmetic products cease to perform their best after a certain number of uses. This is because they develop a chemical buildup, which is a by-product of their chemicals. These buildups block the pores on the scalp and also surface as white flakes on hair.
These contribute to the dryness. Thus follows the itchiness, irritation, and unkempt hair.
Hence, grabbing another hair care product is not a long-term solution.
Instead, one should grab the problem at its root.
That involves keeping the pores on the scalp closed, using mild hair-cleaning ingredients, keeping hair strands and the scalp moisturized with oil massages, and, of course, maintaining an ideal pH on the scalp.
Doing these steps will definitely reduce the dryness of your scalp. I hope that helps you with your worries about conditioning dry hair.
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