Besides several hair problems, dryness is one of the most common problems, we come across these days. There are a number of reasons why we experience the problem of dry hair in our lives, lack of moisture and hydration being the most integral one. Dryness itself comes up with added list of hair problems. The most popular among those is damage.
Damaged hair is one of the worst consequences of dryness. It’s obvious that when the roots will lack adequate oil to stay moisturised, the hair cuticles tend to weaken and break. As a consequence of this, one is likely to experience frizziness, fragile hair and breaking followed by reduced volume.
What Is Dry & Damaged Hair
As the name itself suggests, dry hair is one which lacks necessary oil required to keep the roots moist and hair, healthy. The function of sebaceous gland is to produce sebum around hair follicles which helps to keep our hair moist. Dryness happens when the sebaceous gland fail to produce adequate oil, resulting in a dry scalp.
Human hair consists of three layers. When the outer layers are able to produce adequate oil, it helps protect the inner layers as well, as a consequence of which hair is healthy and enlivening. On the contrary, Dry hair is extremely lifeless and lacks shine and bounce. To bring back the lost moisture and sheen to dry and damaged hair, one can take the help of chemical treatments or natural remedies.
Homemade Hair Mask Recipes
Beautiful hair need not necessarily be attained through chemical treatments. A few kitchen ingredients would do enough to attain hair of our discretion. Some of these wonderful homemade remedies are the following.
1. Egg And Yogurt
Protein is undoubtedly, one of the bare means of subsistence of human hair. Lack of necessary protein leads to damaging of hair. Egg, being of the greatest source of protein does wonders in this regard.
Things Required
An egg
A cup of yogurt
Half cup apple cider vinegar.
How to use
A mixture of an egg with a cup of yogurt and half a cup apple cider vinegar is required. Apply the mixture in damp hair, covering it with the help of a shower cap. Thirty minutes later, rinse out the mixture from the hair using shampoo.
2. Banana And Olive Oil
Moisturisation is what dry hair has lost. Banana is included in multiple hair masks to help retain necessary moisture.
Things Required
A banana
A teaspoon of Olive oil/ Almond oil
How to use
Make a mixture of a banana with olive oil. Apply the mixture evenly on the scalp and hair. Keep the mixture for around twenty minutes before rinsing off with shampoo followed with conditioning.
3. Avocado
When it comes to skin care and hair care, avocado always helps. Being rich in vitamin B, avocados are great in terms of hair nourishment and moisturising.
Things Required
A ripe Avocado
Three tablespoon Olive oil
How to use
An avocado is supposed to be mashed, adding three tablespoon olive oil. Like most of the hair masks, apply in damp hair and let it rest for about twenty to thirty minutes, keeping it covered with a shower cap. When the time is up, rinse the mask with shampoo and conditioner.
4. Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise not only adds up to the taste of our food but also succeeds in retaining the necessary moisture in hair.
Things Required
Mayonnaise ( Depending upon the hair length)
How to use
As per your hair length, take many spoons of mayonnaise and apply it to the scalp and roots. From the roots, bring it all down to the bottoms of hair evenly. Let it rest for about thirty minutes before washing and conditioning. With such minimal efforts, you will witness softness and bounciness in your hair.
5. Honey And Hot Oil Treatment
Besides serving phenomenal benefits for our skin, honey serves to soothe hair dryness too.
Things Required
Two tablespoons of Olive/ Grapseed oil ( As an alternative to olive oil)
One tablespoon honey
How to use
Warm a mixture of two tablespoons of olive oil with one tablespoon of honey. Apply it on damp hair and wrap. Let the mixture stay for about twenty to thirty minutes and rinse it off. Post washing, one will experience smooth and shiny hair.
6. Beer
Whether it’s to soothe frizz or provide life spark to flat and dull hair, beer serves to be multifunctional for hair too.
Things Required
Three tablespoon of beer
Half a cup warm water
How to use
The combination of beer and half a cup warm water is to be evenly applied on hair. Leave the solution for ten to fifteen minutes and rinse it off. The hair may experience bounce and shine to a great extent.
7. Coconut Oil Hair Mask
Coconut oil not only helps eliminating frizz but also brightens the strands and conditions them.
Things Required
Two tablespoons of coconut oil
How to use
This is probably the simplest of all hair masks. All one is required to do is slightly warm some coconut oil and massage it into damp hair. Use a shower cap to keep hair covered and wash and condition it fifteen minutes later.
9. Mask To Soothe Scalp
This mask is primarily meant to soothe scalp which is probably a result of dryness. Some of us may experience itchiness and inflammation due to dryness. This hair mask is likely to help us get rid of such undesirable hair flaws.
Things Required
Two eggs
Two spoon lemon juice
Olive oil
Mayonnaise
How to use
A mixture of all the above ingredients in specified quantities or quantities depending upon the hair length is to be applied on wet hair. Leaving it to rest for around fifteen minutes, it must be given a shampoo rinse followed by conditioning.
10. Honey, Egg And Apple Cider Vinegar
This serves to be a hydrating treatment for our hair, leaving hair lustrous and glossy. The combination of the three will result in nourished and healthy hair.
Things Required
One teaspoon honey
One egg
One teaspoon apple cider vinegar
How to use
Make a mixture of honey, egg and apple cider vinegar , taking adequate quantities, considering hair length. Apply the mixture and let it rest for about thirty to forty minutes. Get it rinsed after the time is up and observe the changes. Not just dry and damaged hair, this mask is ideal for all hair types.
Precautions To Be Taken By People With Dry And Damaged Hair
One of the most pertinent reasons behind dryness is heat and humidity. Dry hair is an important trait of damages which may lead to weakening of hair thus breaking and reduced volume. However, we can get over this by inculcating certain habits in our daily lives. Some of the precautions to be taken are as follows.
1. Avoid washing hair frequently:
Some of us are in a habit of frequent shampooing which can result in losing necessary moisture from hair. This will result in dryness.
2. Regular use of conditioners:
For all of us with dry hair, conditioning is certainly not optional. Conditioning helps restore the lost moisture through shampoos and water.
3. Moisturising products:
When it comes to usage of styling products, one must go for products that add up moisture in hair.
4. Protection from sun and wind:
Damage is also caused when hair is exposed to sun and wind a lot. So, one must take necessary steps to protect hair from direct exposure to sun.
5. Avoid using heating irons:
It’s common to use hair straighteners and curlers every time we are in need of flaunting our hair. However, this step can be a hurdle to healthy hair.
6. Use ideal products:
We must make attempts to use oils, shampoos and serums that are meant to soothe dry hair. Harsh and chemical included products will only cause more trouble.
These masks and precautions, if given due consideration, can help in attaining desirable hair. However, if dryness and damage still continues to exist, it is advisable to consult a dermatologist or a hair professional for further help.
To sum up, in order to attain manageable and healthy hair, little efforts and investment will yield surprising outcomes. Attention and affection is all our hair crave for. On being sufficed with adequate time and efforts, they reciprocate the same being healthy and manageable and nobody would deny the power of natural remedies. Therefore, one must go for such remedies which barely produce any adverse effects on us.
