Best Treatment for Dry Hair Using Natural Home Remedies

What Causes Dry Hair?

The major reasons for dry hair are poor diet, over-shampooing and physical and chemical damage, and also the lack of natural oils in the hair.

Other causes are overexposure to sun and strong winds, damage caused by products used for styling or treating hair, and poor quality shampoo and conditioners.

Excessive washing of hair, such as once a day, can remove the natural oils in the hair and block the natural replenishment process.

Many people claim that the so called 'squeaky-clean' hair is healthy hair, and this is what they want when they wash their hair. To achieve this they wash their hair once or twice every day. The trouble is that, squeaky-clean often means that all the oil has been completely removed from the hair - super clean but super dry.

Also many shampoos contain harsh cleaning agents and chemicals that can strip away your hair's natural oils, which help retain moisture and reduce dryness. Using harsh blowers or hair dryers does the same thing. It can damage delicate hair, remove oil and cause dryness.

You can add highlights to your hair and moisten fry hair using natural home remedies that are gentle and do not damage the hair. Source: Public Domain

How Can You Prevent Dry Hair in the Longer Term?

There are many commercial products and treatments for treating dry hair, but many of these are too harsh, and may cause other problems with your hair. The best approach is to treat the dryness naturally. Try the following general recommendations for treating dry hair naturally at home:

Diet plays a very important role in how your hair looks and its dryness. You should eat foods that help nourish your hair such as pears, berries, water chestnuts and sesame seeds. Also increase your intake of natural food oils from foods such as oily fish, such as herring, mackerel, and salmon. Nuts, avocados and olive oil are also helpful.
Take the recommended dosage of vitamins A, D, and E, or consume foods that are rich in these vitamins, which are very important for good hair growth.
Natural biotin that is mostly found in beans, and Selenium and Zinc, that are found in root vegetables and mushrooms, also contribute to maintaining your hair in good condition and helps to reduce dryness.
Avoid all but minimal use of chemical products used to maintain hair, including dyes and perms.
Don' use your blow dryer more than about once a week. Only wash your hair every second day and don't use shampoos containing harsh chemicals and additives.
A gentle shampoo can actually stimulate the oil glands, so its unwise to shampoo your hair every two of three days with a high quality shampoos containing natural ingredients.
Ideally shampoos for dry hair should have a slightly acid pH, in the range between 4.5 and 6.7. It should be gentle and a good rule of thumb is not to use any shampoo that wouldn't be willing to put on your face. Beware of baby shampoos, which are generally gentle, but their pH is often far too high and in the alkaline range above 7.0, which can dry out your hair. Choose acidic shampoos instead.
Dry hair is often very fine and fragile, and is prone to breakage, so it must be handled with care. Damaged hair is often dry. Be gentle when washing you hair and don't scrub. Gently work up a lather using the tips of your fingertips. Use your finger tips to gently massage your scalp as this can stimulate the oil glands.
Brush your hair less if it tends to be dry. Despite what people may say, too much brushing can actually fracture the hair and dry hair is at risk from too much brushing. Always use a good quality brush.
Using and form of heat on your hair is the perfect recipe for dry hair. Hot combs, blow-dryers and hot rollers all dry-out the hair. Hot rollers are probably the worst offenders because the hair is stretched around the rollers, while the heat shrinks it. The various hot combs do much the same thing. If you have to use heat, set you blow-dryer onto a medium-low setting, and don't pull or stretch the hair while drying with heat.
Avoid using any products containing harsh chemicals and space chemical treatments several weeks apart. Try to use natural non-toxic hair colors instead of chemical products.
Try to spread your hair treatments allowing two days between dying and perms. You can continue these treatments such as permanent waves, dyes or hair straightening treatments if you space them out to prevent drying-out the hair.
The oil of the jojoba plant can be used as a deep conditioner for restoring the natural shine and brightness of your hair. Apparently, the molecular structure of jojoba oil is very similar to sebum, the natural hair moisturizer. This oil can be used overnight or as a daily treatment for the hair.

Dry Hair Home Remedies

Egg Treatment - Separate the yolk from the egg white. Take the egg white and whisk thoroughly. Add the yolk to the beaten egg and whisk with a tablespoon of water. Lather the mixture onto your hair washed with warm water (not hot). For a before-shampooing treatment mix 3 eggs, 1 teaspoon vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil or safflower oil. Massage into the hair, cover with a plastic cap, and leave it on for 30 minutes. Then shampoo your hair as usual.

Mayonnaise Treatment - Warm half a cup of mayonnaise and apply thoroughly to dry and unwashed hair. Cover the hair with a plastic bag and leave on for 15 minutes and then shampoo and rinse as normal.

Yogurt and Mayonnaise - Put plain, full fat yogurt or mayonnaise (regular, not light) on your hair. Leave it on for half an hour and rinse thoroughly.

Avocado based treatments for dry hair - This hair treatment using avocado helps to strengthen and moisturize dry hair. Peel one ripe avocado (optionally add a mashed banana) and mix it with one teaspoon of wheat germ oil and one teaspoon of jojoba oil in a small bowl. Rub the mixture into your scalp and shampooed hair using your finger tips moved in small circular motions. Cover hair with plastic bag and leave for 15-30 minutes, before rinsing off thoroughly. Use this treatment about once a week to treat dry hair.

Protein treatments using plain gelatin – Protein helps to strengthen the hair shaft and is recommended for brittle, dry and fragile hair. Dissolve one tablespoon of plain gelatin with a cup of warm water and let it gel slightly. Add a teaspoon of apple-cider vinegar, and 2 drops each of sage, rosemary and jasmine essential oils and mix well. Shampooing your hair, add the protein mix and work it through your hair and massage into your scalp with the tips of your fingers. Leave on your hair for 5-10 minutes before rinsing out. Repeat this remedy once a week.

Using essential oils to replace natural oils - Various natural essential oils can be used to restore luster to dry hair. Massage your scalp and hair with various oil mixtures such as 8 drops cedar wood oil, 8 drops of sage oil, 2 ounce jojoba base oil and 4 drops of lavender oil. Leave it on for about 30-40 minutes or overnight. The oils nourish the hair and moisturize it to supplement the natural sebum.

Add aloe vera to your shampoo - The herb Aloe vera can help treat, moisturize, and normalize dry hair. Add a teaspoon of aloe vera gel to your shampoo when washing your hair. Rinse thoroughly after shampooing.

Other Oil Treatments - Many other varieties of natural oils can be used to treat dry hair: including: ylang-ylang, almond, wheat germ oil, emu oil, olive, avocado, rosemary and shea oil. These are very effective and can be mixed with honey and applied as a mask for the hair.

Hot Oil Treatments - Various natural commercial products are available that you buy, heat and apply on your hair for 5 to 20 minutes, covering with a plastic bag or shower cap. Thoroughly wash your hair with a gentle shampoo and rinse well. You can make your own hot oil treatment by mixing equal parts of warm lavender oil and coconut oil (or olive oil) and massage it into your hair and scalp. Cover, leave it on for an hour or more before shampooing and rinsing.

Vinegar Treatments - Vinegar is an excellent hair conditioner that improves dryness, cleanliness and shine. Simply add about 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to your hair as you rinse it. You can keep a plastic bottle of vinegar in your shower for this, and take a small container of vinegar with you when you travel. Vinegar also helps to remove dandruff that can make your hair dull and lifeless. You can make a vinegar conditioner by mixing 2 cups water and 1/2 cup vinegar.

An excellent combined recipe - Whisk two or three eggs, and add a teaspoon of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and mix well. Massage into your hair and scalp before shampooing, cover it with a plastic bag or shower cap, and leave it on for a half hour. Wash your hair with a good quality shampoo and conditioner and rinse well.

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