Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Dry Hair: 11 Tips for Taming It

1. Don't overdo the shampoo. Over shampooing is one of the most common causes of dry hair. "Too often, people think they have to shampoo their hair every day with harsh shampoos". But gentle shampooing stimulates the oil glands.

2. Be kind to your hair. Learn to shampoo your hair very gently. Try not to to pull the hair or put any tension on the hair shafts. When lathering avoid scrubbing with your fingernails, which can not only break the hair but can irritate your scalp. Work up a lather using your fingertips, instead.

3. Use a gentle shampoo. Dry hair needs a gentle, acidic cleanser. "Use shampoo with a pH of between 4.5 and 6.7 for dry hair. Use a gentle cleanser you wouldn't be afraid to put on your face". Some recommend baby shampoos.

4. Pour on the conditioner. Dry hair needs conditioner, says Nelson Lee M.D. Find a conditioner that has as little alcohol as possible in it, because alcohol is drying. For really dry hair, try an overnight conditioner that you put on and wear a shower cap over and rinse off the next day. For severely dry, damaged hair, Novick M.D. recommends using Moisturel, a body lotion that contains petroleum and glycerin, instead of a conditioner. Apply the moisturizer to damp hair, and leave it on overnight beneath a shower cap. Rinse it out thoroughly in the morning.

5. Pour the hot oil. "Hot oil treatments are excellent for restoring dry hair", says Dygart. She recommends using over-the-counter hot o il products that you heat and place on the hair for 5 to 20 minutes. Wear a plastic bag or shower cap over your hair while the hot oil is on. Then, wash the hair thoroughly with a gentle shampoo.

6. Slather on the mayo. Mayonnaise is another excellent moisturizing treatment for dry hair. Use old-fashioned mayonnaise, not diet or low-cholesterol types. First, shampoo your hair, then apply about a tablespoon of mayonnaise. Wrap the hair in a plastic bag for 20 to 30 minutes. Then shampoo and rinse thoroughly.

7. Nix the 100 strokes. Brush your hair gently and never brush the hair when it is wet. The type of hairbrush you use is important. Boar-bristle brushes or "vent" brushes, ones with rubberized tips, that don't pull the hair excessively.

8. Give yourself a scalp massage. One way to stimulate the oil glands on the scalp is to gently massage the scalp during shampoos. "Use the tips of your fingers to very gently massage all over your scalp. It not only stimulates oil glands, it also feels great.

9. Be an egghead. Beating an egg in a cup and with, tepid water, lathering the egg into the hair then rinsing it out with tepid water. There's no need to shampoo afterward. The egg not only cleans the hair but gives it a lovely shine (Dygart)

10. Pace your hair treatments. If you perm on Tuesday, dye your hair on Thursday, and put it in hot rollers on Saturday, your hair is destined to be dry and damaged. Think about your hair like a sweater. How many times can you dye it repeatedly before it begins to look terrible? People with dry hair don't necessarily have to abandon styling practices like dyes, permanent waves, or hair straightening, but he says it's important to space those treatments out.

11. Hold the heat. Using hot combs, hot rollers, and blow dryers is asking for dry hair trouble. Hot rollers are that worst because they stretch hair while the heat shrinks it. Hot combs also tend to stretch the hair and expose hair to heat for long periods of time.

No comments: