Dry, brittle hair... It can sometimes affect your mood and self-confidence. It's often difficult to have good length when your hair is dry because it quickly becomes brittle, or visually less attractive. So let's try to understand together what causes dry hair and discover 5 good habits to adopt to remedy dry hair! Ready to have beautiful, healthy hair? Let's go!
Protect your hair from heat
You've probably heard it over and over again, but it's important! One of the biggest causes of hair breakage is exposure to heat. Heat damages the cuticle, the thin protective layer that surrounds the hair, making it look dry and brittle.
The best way to protect your hair from heat is to avoid using heating appliances such as straighteners, curling irons or hair dryers. A 2011 study (1) on hair showed that using a hair dryer causes more damage to the hair surface than air drying. Therefore, it is best to dry your hair gently with a bamboo fiber towel , without too much friction, then let it air dry.
If you use heated appliances, protect your hair beforehand with a heat protectant spray.
Many people with curly, frizzy, or coily hair feel the need to straighten their hair every day or several times a week, either out of personal desire or a lack of knowledge about styling techniques specific to their hair type. Rather than fighting against your curls and damaging your hair, you can discover the great tips from @lesbouclettesdeceline on Instagram! They will help you enhance and love your curls naturally!
Use a suitable shampoo
Another common cause of dry hair can be explained by the presence of sulfates in shampoos. Sulfates are used to make shampoo lather in many cases, however, they are known to be detergents, and can therefore weaken the hair fiber and damage the scalp.
If your scalp is dry, itchy, and your hair is dry or brittle after using a shampoo with sulfates, it's a sign that you need to change it! In this case, you can use a gentle , sulfate-free shampoo and see if this improves the condition of your hair and scalp.
The ideal when you have dry hair and/or a dry scalp is to use a nourishing shampoo , containing oil, which will coat and condition the hair.
LAO Nourishing Cleansing Care contains hemp seed oil, known for its nourishing properties thanks to its richness in omega 3 and 6. Hemp seed oil improves hair elasticity, restores volume and adds shine! ✨
Protect your hair from UV rays
UV rays are known to damage hair (2) and are also dangerous for the skin, and therefore for the scalp at the same time! To reduce hair damage linked to the sun's rays, it is therefore important to protect your hair!
LAO has created a unique and patented formula based on hemp seed protein. After several tests and research, hemp seed protein has proven to be anti-UVA and therefore helps protect hair from the sun's rays. ☀️
Strengthen the hair
Dry hair is hair that needs conditioning. You can use a conditioner or hair mask after shampooing to condition and strengthen your hair.
Quick tip: You can apply a few drops of oil to your hair before shampooing to protect and condition it. Oils smooth the hair fiber, making it waterproof and more resistant to friction and external aggressions that the hair can be subjected to.
The hair does not need to be too coated at the roots, it will be necessary to avoid applying oils and masks to the scalp, which already produces an oily liquid, called sebum!
Avoid applying your shampoo to the lengths
Why is it not recommended to systematically apply shampoo to your lengths? Quite simply because certain surfactants present in shampoos can electrify your lengths and dry out your hair.
The best practice is to apply the shampoo to the scalp and massage it to stimulate blood circulation. For your lengths, use a conditioner or mask after shampooing. This will make brushing easier and reduce hair breakage!
For more tips on dry hair, head over to Instagram @lao.care : we share hair tips every week and answer your questions! 🤗
Sources
(1) Lee Y, Kim YD, Hyun HJ, Pi LQ, Jin X, Lee WS. Hair shaft damage from heat and drying time of hair dryer. Ann Dermatol . 2011;23(4):455-462. doi:10.5021/ad.2011.23.4.455
(2) Dario MF, Baby AR, Velasco MV. Effects of solar radiation on hair and photoprotection. J Photochem Photobiol B. 2015 Dec;153:240-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2015.09.025. Epub 2015 Oct 8. PMID: 26454659.
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