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“Why is my hair so dry?”
Sara Sahores / EyeEm
One of the main reasons for this is simply the nature of how curls are structured.
“Sebum is not evenly distributed along curls, resulting in drier hair.”
Dr. Fusco explains that these oils can be better distributed with a little brushing or combing.
Products with harsh surfactants can actually strip the oils that our scalp produces.
This makes maintenance in between washes extremely important.
Need a little more help keeping that coiled crown hydrated?
Even if you’re more oily, you’re still drying out the hair strand."
In addition to over-washing, heat-styling can dry out your hair.
“Diffusing hair can cause just as much dryness as blow-drying without a diffuser.
Keeping the blow-dryer or diffuser in motion and about 15 centimeters from hair is best.”
She adds, “it also has a nice shine factor.”
Something as simple as using the wrong kind of towel can also be a contributing factor to dry curls.
Wring hair with your hands first and then place the dry cloth over top.
Don’t rub back and forth instead, pat and squeeze until the moisture is absorbed.
Be mindful of your hair’s porosity; it will also help determine how you moisturize.
“When [the cuticle] lies flat and tight, a hair strand is less porous.
When they are lifted or loose they are more porous,” Dr. Fusco explains.
An easy test is to float a strand of hair in a glass of water.
Lower porosity hairs float.
The higher the porosity, the quicker it sinks.
Take Care on Washday
Washday is the best time to put moisture back into yourscalp and hair.
“This will prevent the scalp from becoming oily and getting weighed down.”
He also suggests doing aleave-in treatment.
A little goes a long way with this product, particularly if you have a finer hair texture.
The Best of Beauty-winningPantene Miracle Rescue 10-in-1 Multitasking Sprayis also a good choice for parched strands.
Washday looks a little different for Afro-textured hair.
After cleansing and conditioning your scalp and hair, use the L.O.C.
system: It’s also just as effective as the L.C.O.
It’s essentially the same thing, you just apply the cream before the oil.
Not sure which method to try?
Each individual should try out each method for themselves."
We’ve already discussed how difficult it is for your scalp’s oils to travel down tightly-coiled hair shafts.
After the leave-in, Tesler suggests coating the hair with a penetrating oil or a light oil blend.
Working a cream into your strands seals the moisture in, plus shapes and defines your texture.
Stick with a cream that’s not too heavy.
What you putonyour hair at night is as important as what you put in it.
This is whysatin bonnetsand pillowcasescome highly recommended by many hairstylists.
People with Afro-textured hair can benefit from doing aprotective stylebefore bed to combat frizz and dryness.
Fairley suggests doing this once a week as constant styling canlead to breakage.
Wilson says thatcoconut oil, olive oil, and ucuuba butter are all great moisturizers.
“They contain lauric acid which has a high attraction to hair proteins.”
If this is you, Spinnato suggests skipping the coconut and going for macadamia orargan oils.
Use a Curl Refresher
Refresher sprays can be tricky on curly hair.
These will get moisture inside the hair shaft while reviving and smoothing curls on the outside.
“It containsshea butterfor moisture that’s not too heavy for your curls,” she says.
Placing the product on your hands lets you distribute it more evenly throughout your hair and not over-apply.
Looking for even more healthy hair tips?
Brush up on your hair history with this 100 Years of Long Hair video.