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Why
is my hair really dry and dull?
Strictly speaking all hair is dry. It's dead and any oil is
on the outside of the hair as supplied by the oil secreting
sebaceous
glands attached to the hair follicle. When people say hair looks
dry what they really mean is the hair looks dull and feels
rough.
This is because the outer cuticle layer of the hair fiber is
broken and flaked. Healthy new cuticle looks shiny and the
scales of
the cuticle adhere closely to the hair shaft making it look
smooth. As the hair fiber ages and gets weathered by exposure
to pollution
and through washing so the cuticle layer loses its shiny appearance
and the cuticle scales flake away from the hair shaft. As the
light hits this uneven surface it gets reflected in all directions
and this makes the hair fiber look dull and "dry".
Some people have hair that is more robust and with a smoother
and shinier cuticle than others. For example, Asians produce
thick
and relatively coarse hair whereas Caucasians have finer hair
with a smoother cuticle. African American hair has a greater
amount
of low sulfur
protein compared to high sulfur protein than observed in Asian
or Caucasian individuals. This makes hair less robust and so
this
type of hair weathers and deteriorates more quickly. All these
things can contribute to dull and dry looking hair.
When
I wet my dull hair it looks great. Why?
Another reason for hair looking dull and dry is because the oils
from the sebaceous gland are not being applied along the length
of the hair fiber. This is a particular problem for African-Americans.
The oils are often not evenly distributed along the length of the
hair fiber because of its coiled shape. People with long straight
hair also have a similar problem in that the new hair close to the
scalp gets a lot of oil but hair away from the scalp gets very little
or no oil on it.
Wetting the hair helps to smooth the cuticle and make it look shiny.
The water also swells the hair fiber and makes it more flexible
and easier to manage. It does what oil from the sebaceous gland
should do. For a short time, until the water evaporates, the wet
hair can look great and will be easy to manage, but it does not
last.
Are
there any products that will cure my damaged hair ?
There is no such thing as a cure. Once hair is damaged and the
cuticle disrupted or even stripped away then there is little that
can be done that will have a long lasting effect on improving the
hair quality. Once damaged, the long term solution is to let the
hair grow out and cut the damaged fibers off. Hot oil treatments
can help in the short term but these treatments cannot replace the
damaged cuticle and chemical bonds. What you can do is try to limit
the damage to the new hair that is growing. Remember any change
in how you manage hair will take a long time to yield results as
your new hair replaces the old damaged hair.
Dull, lifeless hair may be genetic. If other members of your family
have similar hair then there may be little you can do about the
root cause of your problem hair as the problem is based on your
genetic composition. There are some genetic causes of dull, brittle,
unmanageable hair that are defined as true diseases. For example
woolly or uncombable hair are syndromes that can be diagnosed by
a dermatologist. If you think your hair is exceptionally problematic
then a consultation with a dermatologist might be an option to consider.
Hot oil treatments and deep conditioners can help make dull hair
look shiny, but for continued effect the treatments have to be applied
regularly. Although many products are available over the counter,
for best results a professional hair stylist with experience in
applying such treatments is the best option.
How
can I make my hair more shiny?
Deep conditioners can help smooth down the rough cuticle and coat
the hair to make it more reflective. Ionic wands and hot rollers
do the same kind of thing - smooth down the cuticle. Mineral oil,
olive oil, jojoba oil, and tee tree oil containing treatments all
do the same kind of thing and can be useful preparations for making
hair shiny.
However, if the cuticle has been entirely removed the conditioners
can make hair exceptionally soft. This is because the conditioner
can easily get into the hair shaft when the usually protective
cuticle is not present. When the cuticle is removed, conditioners
will be less
effective in making hair shiny. The hair can be much weaker and
needs to be handled with care, especially when wet. Very mild
shampoos are probably more appropriate such as baby shampoos.
Avoiding harsh
detergents in shampoos is also important.
However, once hair is damaged it cannot really be repaired. The
only long term option is to wait for new improved hair regrowth
and cut the old damaged hair off.
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