No straw: care for dry hair

Some people wash their hair every day, while others are afraid to touch their hair once again – they are so dry and fragile … But there are ways to bring them back to life, significantly improve their general condition. We talk about proper care for dry hair.

The main problems of dry hair

Dry hair, like dry skin, can be inherited. Some endocrine diseases also add problems: the curls fade, become brittle, and begin to fall out. Blow-drying, curling, coloring, perm, improper care and cleansing, as well as the habit of forgetting a hat at home (a hat in winter and a hat or baseball cap in summer) can lead to disastrous results:
  • hair becomes thinner;

  • become brittle, split;

  • cease to shine;

  • lose their smoothness, softness and elasticity;

  • begin to break along the entire length, become electrified;

  • become rough to the touch;

  • begin to get confused, do not hold styling well;

  • dry dandruff appears;

  • the scalp begins to itch;

  • there is a feeling of tightness.

It remains to understand what the mistake is, and choose products for dry and brittle hair. © Unsplash

Rules for home care for dry and brittle hair, an overview of the best products

Healthy hair is often said to be “alive”. But the hair does not walk, does not breathe, it does not have nerve endings and blood vessels. Curls look alive (that is, shiny and silky) when the scales that protect the hair shaft fit snugly together. Therefore, the task of care is to smooth these same scales, fill the voids between them with silk, keratin or other active ingredients and nourish the hair roots. This is where dry hair care products should help. We have selected the best, according to the editors.

the washing up

Caring for dry hair (like any other) begins with cleansing, and the advice here is trivial. Even problematic hair can be washed as often as desired. The main thing – no brute force! Choose softening, moisturizing, protective shampoos for dry hair. We only wash the scalp: the flowing foam is enough to clean the curls along the entire length. At the same time, we do not pour the shampoo on the head, but lather it in our hands and then gently and evenly apply it on the scalp with our fingertips.

Home care for dry hair should include products that contain any of these components, or even a cocktail of them:
  • ceramides;

  • vitamins;

  • nourishing oils (coconut, jojoba, licorice, etc.);

  • essential oils (cypress, tea tree, etc.);

  • hyaluronic acid;

  • collagen;

  • algae extracts;

  • extracts from plants (for example, from cornflower, white lotus, witch hazel, calendula, sage, etc.);

  • silk extract.

Important: the water should not be hot. The optimal temperature for washing dry hair is 30-35 degrees. You can use boiled, filtered, settled, melted or softened with special additives water. Tap water for dry hair is usually too hard.

Shampoo Elseve “Luxury 6 oils” nourishing, L’Oréal Paris

L’Oréal Paris knows how to properly care for dry hair. Shampoo “Luxury 6 oils” is ideal for these purposes! Light and nourishing, it is enriched with 6 oils of rare colors that give hair shine, smoothness, silkiness, make curls obedient and fill them with vitality.

Shampoo Elseve “Total repair of split ends”, L’Oréal Paris

The composition of the product, in addition to ceramides, includes the LAK1000 component – it is he who is responsible for the restoration of split ends. Thanks to a special formula, the shampoo “seals” the damaged areas of the ends of the hair, restores them from the outside along the entire length.

Intensively nourishing shampoo Botanic Therapy “Legendary Olive”, Garnier

The main “star” in the list of ingredients of this tool, as the name implies, is the olive. Specifically, olive oil. In addition to it, the shampoo contains salicylic acid, which helps to effectively cleanse the scalp, castor oil, which strengthens the hair, and safflower oil, which retains moisture in the hair and prevents its evaporation. The formula nourishes, hydrates and smoothes dry hair without weighing it down.

Strengthening shampoo for damaged and weakened hair Fructis “Triple Recovery”, Garnier

A product with three oils and triglyceride helps to get rid of dryness and brittle hair, restores softness and shine to curls. 3 types of vegetable oils – avocado, shea and olive – nourish, restore and soften damaged hair. A fruit concentrate and vitamins B3 and B6 make hair stronger and shinier.

Shampoo for moisturizing hair Fructis Superfood “Aloe”, Garnier

The product contains aloe vera, coconut oil, salicylic acid and vitamin E. And no parabens, silicones, synthetic dyes and ingredients of animal origin! The shampoo lathers easily, gently cleanses, nourishes and moisturizes hair without weighing it down.

Dercos Nutrients Nutri Protein Revitalizing Shampoo, Vichy

Gently cleanses, nourishes and restores hair, leaving behind a feeling of comfort. Prakaxi oil, which is part of the shampoo, helps to restore damaged cuticles, and quinoa bran, rich in antioxidants and amino acids, literally revives hair.

Soft physiological shampoo-gel Kerium, La Roche-Posay

Gently and gently cleanses while maintaining the physiological balance of the scalp. The shampoo contains long-proven “beauty fighters”, such as salicylic acid and glycerin. The shampoo is suitable for frequent use and rinses off easily, leaving hair smooth and shiny.

Rinsing

Dry hair care is impossible to imagine without balm and conditioner. They are applied along the entire length of the hair (they do not need to be used on the roots!) And aged for as long as indicated in the instructions. It is better to wash off the products with slightly warm or even cool water – of course, unless otherwise indicated on the package.

Elseve Complete Repair Split Ends Balm Conditioner, L’Oréal Paris

How to care for dry hair without a balm? No way – it’s just necessary. We especially recommend paying attention to this tool, aimed at restoring split ends. Lactic acid LAK1000 penetrates into 5-10 layers of the hair cuticle, restores them and helps to eliminate the causes of split ends.

Balm conditioner for moisturizing hair Fructis Superfood Aloe, Garnier

Due to the melting texture, the product is instantly absorbed into the hair, moisturizes it, makes it smooth and silky. 98% of the formula is made from ingredients of natural origin, including vegetable oils and aloe vera juice.

Balm conditioner for very dry hair Fructis Superfood Banana, Garnier

Banana and vegetable oils provide hair with intensive nutrition, hydration, antioxidant protection. Already from the first application, the curls become softer to the touch, look healthy and shiny. A nice bonus is a 100% recyclable vial.

Additional care

Dry hair needs enhanced nutrition, so pamper them with masks at least 2-3 times a week, and leave-in care is welcome more often. Will be useful:
  • nourishing masks;

  • moisturizing – saturate the hair with moisture;

  • reconstructive – thanks to vitamins, panthenol and keratins, they restore hair, make curls more lively, shiny and obedient;

  • masks for adding shine – in addition to vitamins and keratins, they contain derivatives of silicone or cyclodimethicone, which glue the split ends and close the hair scales, turning the disheveled, and therefore dull “herringbone” of the hair into a smooth, shiny “trunk”.

All masks are applied to damp hair, slightly dried with a towel, while the scalp is not affected.

Express mask that reconstructs the surface of the hair, Dercos Kera-Solutions, Vichy

Helps nourish and moisturize hair. Prokeratin fills damaged areas of the hair, and vitamin B5 protects curls from damage and restores their lively shine. They are less split and fluffy, become smoother and stronger.

Revitalizing mask Botanic Therapy “Ginger root and royal jelly”, Garnier

The mask restores hair, gives it vitality and makes it stronger. And all thanks to the active ingredients – royal jelly, sunflower oil, aloe juice, honey, soybean oil and ginger root extract. The result is noticeable after the first application.

Oil Elixir Fructis “Triple Recovery”, Garnier

Absorbs quickly and creates a protective film on the hair. A powerful nourishing cocktail (shea, coconut, sunflower, avocado and olive oil) restores hair from the inside, making it smooth and shiny.

Extraordinary oil for damaged hair, L’Oréal Paris

Oils of 6 rare colors intensively nourish the hair and gently protect it from the outside without weighing it down. The product will help repair split ends and protect hair from damage during styling.

Steam mask, intensive repair for long damaged hair, Elseve Dream Length, L’Oréal Paris

The set includes a revitalizing balm with keratin and castor oil and a warming cap mask, which, due to the thermal effect, enhances the effect of the balm. With this steam mask, the hair will become smooth and shiny, will not fall into tangles.

Drying, combing and styling

Conditioners, serums and elixirs that facilitate combing can be your faithful assistants. Dry hair is often very tangled, and at the same time it is very fragile and brittle, does not tolerate a sharp impact and the use of force. Therefore, you need to comb them carefully and carefully, starting from the tips and gradually rising up (before that, you should apply the right product). Best of all – a rare comb with blunt teeth at least 2 times a day, carefully sorting out tangled hair. Then you need to lightly massage the scalp with your fingertips for about 5-10 minutes. This procedure improves the blood supply to the head and strengthens the hair roots.

Never comb wet hair: wet, they are especially vulnerable, they are easy to break or pull out. If there is no time to wait for the curls to dry, use a comb with rare rounded teeth and an antistatic coating.

Are you taking good care of your hair? Our test will help you find out.

How to style dry hair if hot air from a hair dryer and curling iron is practically contraindicated for them? In case of emergency, use the same hair dryer and curling iron, but only pre-apply thermal protection to the curls. Conditioners and thermal sprays wrap around the hair and seal moisture inside it, preventing it from evaporating quickly and damaging the hair.

Express conditioner double elixir “Total recovery 5”, Elseve, L’Oréal Paris

Perfectly restores hair, restoring their softness, smoothness and shine. The conditioner formula protects curls from electrification, facilitates combing and styling.

Cream care “No scissors” leave-in, for long damaged hair, Elseve, L’Oréal Paris

Thanks to the nourishing formula with vegetable keratin, vitamin B5 and castor oil, it strengthens the hair along the entire length and protects it. Curls become more obedient, split less, it becomes easier to comb and style them.

Express Conditioner Elseve “Double Elixir Fibrology”, L’Oréal Paris

The spray perfectly smoothes the hair, makes it shiny, greatly facilitates combing and provides thermal protection during hot styling. After use, the curls are much less tangled.

Smoothing Oil-Infused Conditioner, Kiehl’s

The protagonists of this remedy are argan tree oils and babassu. The formula intensively moisturizes, smoothes, prevents tangles, easily copes with unruly and curly hair. How to use? After cleansing with shampoo, leave on hair for 1-5 minutes and rinse.

How to care for dry hair with salon treatments

We figured out how to care for dry hair at home. But if shampoo, balm and masks do not help or the result is not as noticeable as we would like, it makes sense to turn to salon procedures. For example, make hair lamination – the effect will be noticeable immediately! Or one of the types of lamination – shielding, glazing, etc. Their essence boils down to the fact that a special vitamin composition is applied to the hair, which envelops them and seals the cuticle, acting as a protective film (read more about these procedures here). Curls become smooth and obedient, less split and broken, easier to comb and style.

After salon procedures, hair will no longer resemble straw © Unsplash

Is it worth it to prepare masks for dry hair at home?

On the net you can find a lot of grandmother’s recipes for dry hair – masks that help make them more hydrated, smooth and shiny. Experiment if you are ready to fiddle first with cooking, and then with washing out miracle remedies from already dry hair.

Beer mask

Warm up 200 ml of beer to room temperature, apply to hair, wrap your head with a terry towel. After 20 minutes, rinse hair thoroughly with warm water. According to the authors, this mask perfectly nourishes the roots and adds shine to the hair.

Bread mask

Dried bread, cut into small cubes, pour boiling water and cover. When the bread mass has cooled slightly, apply it to your hair, wrap your head with a towel. Rinse hair with warm water after 20 minutes.

Burdock mask

Mix 1 tbsp. l. burdock oil, 5 tbsp. l. natural yogurt, mix in a raw egg. Rub the mask into the hair roots. Put on a plastic cap, wrap your head with a terry towel, and after 20-30 minutes wash off the mask with warm water.

We at the editorial office have tested these masks and have to admit: they work, but not as well as we would like. Ready-made factory products, which we wrote about above, seem to us much more convenient, pleasant to use and effective!

Helpful tips for dry hair care from the pros

Below are the dry hair care tips from our experts.

How to take care of dry hair ends?

If only the tips are dry, you can apply moisturizing and regenerating care exclusively to them. And – yes, once a month and a half you will have to cut them.

How to style dry hair?

It is better to use a hair dryer in the “cold airflow” mode, and heat the iron to a maximum of 180-200 degrees. Never straighten wet hair with a curling iron – only dry, and dried naturally and after applying thermal protection.

How to quickly moisturize your hair?

Masks and leave-in care products will help: due to the high concentration of active ingredients in these beauty products, the hair structure improves, they look more vibrant and hydrated in a few minutes.

How to dye dry hair?

Choose ammonia-free paints or even tint products – they act gently and cause less damage to your hair.

How to take care of dry scalp?

Unfortunately, only cosmetics will not help here. We will have to reconsider the diet, including unrefined oils rich in healthy fats, nuts, fatty fish and avocados. Follow the drinking regime (the norm is 1,5-2 liters of pure non-carbonated water per day). And eat less sweet and salty foods.

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