Preventing Dry Hair

Oil and moisture gives hair its sheen and soft texture. If your hair lacks oil and moisture, it is dull, brittle and has a straw-like texture. Most of us will get dry hair at one point or another due to the elements (external factors) we are exposed to – from sun, wind, heat to chlorinated swimming pools. Chronic dry hair may be due to underlying health problem (internal factor).

Factors that make your hair dry and how to prevent dry hair:

• Excessive washing and blow-drying. Washing hair too often with harsh shampoo can strip away hair’s moisture. Heat from blow-dryers, curling irons, and electric curlers can also contribute to dryness. It is common nowadays to shampoo hair everyday. Shampooing hair doesn’t only wash the dirt away but also washes away the hair’s protective oils. If your hair is dry, try washing it three times a week with a mild shampoo and quality conditioner

• Dry Environment. The type of environment you live may cause dry hair. Areas with lots of sun, dry heat, and little humidity will definitely make your hair dry. If you’re a type of an outdoorsy person who spends a lot of time in the sun, beach or pool, wear your hat, or wear your swim cap when swimming in the chlorinated pool.

• Anorexia. This is a condition in which people are self-starving to stay dangerously thin. People with this type of condition are denied of the nutrients needed for the body. This includes the nutrients necessary to maintain the luster, sheen and soft texture of the hair.

• Hypothyroidism. This is a condition in which the body produces a little amount of thyroid hormone. Early symptoms of hypothyroidism are weakness, fatigue, joint or muscle pain, depression, as well as dry, brittle and thin hair. If left untreated, it will develop to mental and physical sluggishness and other symptoms that can lead to the severity of the problem.

• Malnutrition. This is similar to anorexia in which the body doesn’t have the necessary nutrients to maintain healthy hair. Include in your diet omega-3 essential fatty acids which are found in oily fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, bluefish, herring and black cod.

• Hypoparathyroidism. This is a condition in which the body produces only a very little amount of parathyroid hormone. This indicates that the calcium level in blood is low and phosphorus is high. This leads to dry hair, cataracts, spasms, scaly skins, seizures and more. The cause of hypoparathyroidism is injury to the parathyroid glands during head and neck surgery.

Try to figure out which of these causes makes your hair dry. That is, if you have done all conditioning treatments and still your hair’s moisture level does not improve.