Home remedies for dry hair

Your hair can completely affect the way you look!  No matter how well you are dressed or how well you have done your makeup, dry and frizzy hair is sure to destroy all other efforts by seeking to divert all the attention towards itself.

Ever wondered why does hair become so dry and frizzy? Some knowledge behind it will help you devise your own ways to keep away the frizz and keep your hair moisturized.

Keratin and your hair

Each hair strand is made up of three layers- cuticle, medulla, and cortex. The presence of medulla is optional. The innermost layer called cortex is made up of a strong protein called Keratin. The outermost layer is the hair cuticle that protects the keratin layer from wear and tear and movement of water to the inner layer of hair. Despite closely knit structure, hair strands are permeable. At times naturally, some other times due to damage induced by weather, the sun, chemical treatments, heat styling and several others. Surprisingly, the more damaged and unhealthy your hair is the more water it absorbs. And not only water, it absorbs water vapor too. That’s why hair is more unmanageable in humid weather.
When our hair doesn’t receive enough moisture from scalp it dries out and becomes brittle. Dry hair is extremely brittle. So having dry hair isn’t just problem in itself but also a start of other problems like breakage, split ends, hair thinning.

Pointers to keep your hair smooth

Now that you know why your hair is dry, let us dig into the easy solutions to make your dry locks gorgeous naturally. But before curing a problem it is essential to realize that prevention is better than cure. So here are certain points you need to keep in mind to ensure that your hair doesn’t dry out any further.

• Avoid heat styling your hair. Heat damages the outer most layer of hair thereby allowing moisture to penetrate and cause frizz and brittleness.
• Don’t wash your hair often. Shampoo strips your hair of natural oil which dries it further. Allow natural oil to penetrate your hair and moisturize them. Wash your hair as seldom as possible.
• Don’t rub towel against your hair. The friction damages hair, breaks it and causes frizz.
• Don’t remain in sun for longer periods of time. Though sun drying hair makes them appear shiny and smooth, UV rays actually damage the hair cuticle and alter the nature of Keratin of hair gradually. Keep your hair covered while under the sun as much a possible.
• Never use hot water to wash your hair as it dries your hair out. Plus, it also gradually makes hair more brittle.

Home remedies to infuse life in dry and brittle hair.

Brushing properly
Combing and brushing is an everyday chore. But when wet, hair must not be combed or brushed. Natural bristles are always a better option as compared to brushes with artificial bristles.
Drying hair the right way
Always dry your hair naturally, but not under harsh sunshine. Blow drying isn’t a good option for regular use. Use t-shirt instead of a towel to dry hair. Instead only soak the excess water rather than rubbing hair while drying.
Oiling

Oiling is one habit that you must include in your hair care regime, no matter how healthy your hair is. Coconut hair oil is the best of all hair oils for any hair type. It penetrates the deepest into hair and scalp as compared to any other hair oil. However, olive oil is another good option for very dry hair. Oiling should be done preferably overnight and washed off the next morning.
Using the right amount of shampoo
Let’s get this very clear, shampooing does clean your hair and scalp but it isn’t a good thing to be done every day. It rips your hair off its natural oil and is definitely damaging in the long run. Using a lesser quantity of shampoo as possible is a very good way to minimize dryness. Mix shampoo with water to reduce the quantity. Lather the shampoo well to make the most out of the quantity you are using. When you oil your hair, don’t apply excess oil. You will need more shampoo to wash it off which will eventually dry out your hair. Prefer sulphate free shampoo while buying one.
Conditioning is must
Shampoo must be followed by a conditioner to moisturize your hair. Some great homemade conditioners are:

1. One spoon olive oil, apple cider vinegar and three egg whites whisked and applied to hair after freshly shampooed hair moisturizes hair amazingly. Wash it off after 20 minutes.
2. Aloe Vera gel mixed with olive oil moisturizes and hydrates your hair well.
3. Using Apple Cider vinegar as rinse also works as a great conditioner. Few spoons of the vinegar into a mug of water and then washing hair post shampoo with this works wonders for hair.

Managing dry hair is tough, but you have to handle it carefully. It is worth the time you are going to invest in it.