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Dry, brittle hair is something that nobody wants; it looks dull, feels fragile and is often unmanageable. Thankfully, it can be rectified with a little bit of love and some simple changes to your hair care routine.
Ultimately, dry hair results from a lack of sebum which can be caused by several factors including long periods of time in the sun, the ageing process, hard water, harsh hair products, and even poor diet.
The good news is we’ve got 10 easy and natural ways that will revive your dry and damaged locks in an instant!
Natural Remedies for Dry Hair
1. Use Hair Oils
Introducing an oil to your post-wash routine will have a swift impact on your hair hydration levels. Rich in essential vitamins and nutrients, hair oils create a barrier around strands to prevent moisture from escaping.
Look for oils that contain ingredients such as jojoba, argan, coconut, or black seed oil as not only do they inject moisture, but they will also keep frizz at bay, promote growth and protect your hair, too. Regular use of moisturizing oil treatments can even help to repair severely chemically-damaged hair.
2. Switch to Natural Hair Care
Clear out shampoos containing sulphates and swap them for naturally-derived alternatives that will gently cleanse your tresses without stripping them of moisture. Look for products that contain ingredients such as argan oil, shea butter or baobab to restore dried-out hair.
Baobab, in particular, is known for being one of the best treatments for dry, damaged hair as it restores moisture, strengthens hair strands and reduces breakages. We love the Equi Botanics dry damaged hair products set, as it contains Baobab with added aloe vera, as well as a black seed oil serum. It will soften and condition your dry locks whilst cleansing them at the same time!
3. Avocado Hair Mask
Not only great on toast, but a nutritious treat for your locks, too, restore moisture by mashing up avocado with an egg to create a natural, at-home hair mask. Apply and leave for 20 minutes, washing thoroughly. Rich in minerals proven to seal cuticle cells, applying avocado to the hair will lock in moisture and prevent breakages, too.
4. Nutritional Changes
If you aren’t consuming nutritionally-balanced foods, then your hair can suffer as a result, becoming dry and straw-like. Look for foods that are rich in omega-3, protein and iron as well as vitamins A, B, C and E to increase sebum production and support hair hydration. Some great foods for hair health include spinach, oily fish and nuts.
5. Take Supplements
Further support your vitamin and nutrient intake with a supplement. You can often find specific tablets formulated to support hair health but whatever you choose, you will want to make sure that it contains the following:
- Vitamin A: essential for cell growth, it helps skin glands to create sebum to moisturize the scalp and hydrate hair.
- Biotin: helps to produce keratin to rehydrate tresses and enhance hair texture.
- Vitamin C: regulates the body’s production of sebum and natural oils to keep locks better moisturized.
- Iron: if your iron levels are low then it can alter the texture, leaving it with a dry and brittle feeling. Increasing your iron intake can boost your levels to restore a healthy hair texture.
6. Honey Mask
Mix half a cup of plain yogurt with three teaspoons of honey and two tablespoons of olive oil. Apply to the scalp and hair, leave for half an hour, then wash out. This is an ultra-nourishing hair mask that works to replace moisture and strengthen your hair.
7. Preventative Measures
Further methods on how to repair damage and prevent it from recurring include taking steps such as: reducing the use of heat stylers, fitting a water softener to your shower, sleeping on a silk pillowcase, and using a hair SPF to protect against dehydration.
8. Rinse With Apple Cider Vinegar
Finish your hair wash routine with an apple cider vinegar rinse. This helps to reduce build up by unclogging hair follicles which, if blocked, could be preventing natural oils from traveling down the hair shaft, and thus causing dryness.
9. Banana Hair Mask
Mash up a ripe banana with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil until it’s lump-free, apply over the hair and cover with a shower cap, leaving for 20 minutes, then rinse. Rich in potassium and natural oils, these hair masks are a super-nourishing hair treat for when your hair’s feeling thirsty!
10. Essential Oils
Adding a few drops of essential oils (such as rosemary, lavender or tea tee) to your shampoo is a great way to restore moisture to parched locks and can even help to strengthen follicles, support scalp health, and encourage hair growth, too.
Not only could you add these to your shampoo, but you could also boost a hair oil by adding several drops of essential oils in to create an incredibly hydrating treatment.
Summary
So, if you were wondering how to fix dry hair, we’ve given you some great, affordable steps to get you started. And best of all? They’re all natural!
Using regular hair treatments for damaged hair will help to reverse the effects of dehydration which can see locks become dry and brittle. So, make some changes; introduce an oil, use a regular hair mask, swap out sulphate shampoos, and eat a nutritious diet to restore shine, softness and hydration.