Dry Hair: Causes and Solutions

Dry Hair is something we have all had to deal with at some point. Hair gets tangled, feels brittle, gets difficult to manage and causes psychological and emotional stress. Sometimes it  feels like there is just no solution! However, there is hope. If you follow some of the tips offered below you’ll be able to have healthy moisturized curls in no time!

First of all, it is important to know the true cause of your dry hair. Once you reach the root of the problem it becomes easier to adjust your routine and have results that last.

Here are some of the possible causes for dry hair:

• Diet high in salt (causes shedding)
• Stress
• Washing hair with hot water
• Drastic change in climate
• Shampooing too frequently
• Products (specifically shampoo) with harsh sulfates or alcohol
• Not drinking enough water
• Using a pillowcase that causes frizz (cotton)
• Using moisturizers that are not water based
• Product Build-up
• Use of chemical straighteners (relaxers)
• Heat damage (blow dryer, flat iron, etc.)
• Too much chlorine (swimming pools) or salt water (beach)

After figuring out what causes your dry hair begin to make appropriate changes.

Solutions:

• Improve your diet
• Start exercising or meditating in order to decrease stress
• Use cold or warm water on wash day (no hot water!)
• Use protective styles when the weather gets too intense
• Co-wash every once in a while
• Read labels on styling products to ensure that they don’t contain harsh, drying chemicals
• Drink more water
• Sleep on a satin pillowcase
• Use moisturizers that are water-based to prevent dryness and build-up
• Use a cleansing shampoo or do a vinegar wash once a month in order to eliminate product build-up
• Stop relaxing or wait longer between sessions
• Take it easy with the flat iron
• Use a swimming cap

 Here are some extra tips that can help maintain beautiful moisturized hair:

• Before shampooing massage your scalp and hair with an oil (coconut, jojoba, etc.)
• Deep condition at least twice a month
• Use a good leave-in conditioner and seal in the moisture with an oil (coconut, jojoba, etc.) or butter (coconut, mango, shea, etc.) while it is still damp
• Handle your hair gently when styling to avoid breakage

After adjusting your routine you should begin to see a difference. However, you won’t see a drastic change over night. If you want healthy, beautiful, moisturized hair you have to work on it and commit.

So hang in there and best of luck!

References:

http://www.curlynikki.com/2012/04/dry-hair-causes-and-solutions.html
http://www.frizzoff.com/Curly-Hair.aspx
http://youqueen.com/beauty/hair/hair-breakage-5-causes-5-solutions/
http://autograf.com/hair-scalp-problems/top-five-causes-of-dry-scalp/
http://www.healthline.com/symptom/dry-hair

Fro Depression: What is it? How can I deal with it?

      I know that the term may sound a bit drastic, but this is the only way I can describe what I feel time to time when I look at my short hair. Now, it isn’t that I don’t like the way my hair looks, but sometimes I miss having my really long curls. It also doesn’t help that I am currently growing my hair out which means I am in the “awkward stage” where it isn’t long enough to look cool or short enough to have a definite “style”.

If you find yourself not knowing what to do with your short hair or frustrated because it isn’t “growing fast enough” then I think I have some tips for you. Granted, these will not make your “longing for long luscious locks” go away. However it may help the process go a lot smoother and help you appreciate your hair even more.

1) STOP torturing yourself!

When you first feel fro depression you might be tempted to go into your social media website of choice and start looking at old pictures of your hair. This may last from a few minutes to a few hours depending on how depressed you actually are and how many pictures you have available to you. (the depression may also increase as you continue to look at pictures!)

At this point you have two choices:

a) Stop looking at the pictures

        b)Use these pictures as inspiration

Personally, I like option “b” as it allows you to use the old pictures of your hair as motivation. 

Kind of like when people put pictures of bikini’s on their fridge, this method will remind you what your hair goal is and motivate you to reach it.

2) Look for pictures of short hair

    This one is actually a lot more fun than you may think. If you look up pictures of short curly hairstyles it may inspire you to play with your own hair and feel more comfortable with wearing it out. Also, this may remind you of why you cut your hair in the first place and give you an unexpected confidence boost!

3) Play with accessories

Take this time to play with all those hats, scarves, clips and headbands that you could never wear before! Appreciate the fact that you can wear these things right now and work it! 

 4) Focus on Keeping your hair healthy

 If you have naturally curly hair you know how hard it is to keep it healthy and moisturized. Use this time to try out different products, build different routines and see what styling techniques work for you. Focus on making your hair as healthy as possible so it can grow beautifully. You can also work on your diet to see how it affects your hair growth.

I hope these tips were helpful and that you can use them in order to conquer your fro depression!

Here's the video <3

Why is hair Curly or Straight?

Hair, we wear it on our heads, use it as an accessory, cut it, bleach it, dye it and perm it. But do we really understand what it is? We know that there are many different textures and colors out there when it comes  to our natural decoration, but why do all these variations exist?

Now, I am definitely no expert on this subject, but I do know a bit about hair, and after researching on this matter I decided to bring you guys the information I found.

    The surface of a strand of hair  is covered with scale-like cells. Right under these cells are the cortex and the medulla which are in the center of the strand. Hair is mainly made of fibers composed of Keratin which is defined as any of various sulfur-containing proteins. Many types of Keratin exist and they are not only found in your hair but also in your skin and nails.

 What forms the curls?

     Keratin, as mentioned before, is composed of sulfur atoms and all hair has the basic keratin “structure” that forms curly hair. What creates the difference between the textures is the shape of the hair strand. If the strand has a very round shape the hair will be straight. If the strand is “flatter” or more of an oval shape, the hair will be curly. This is because the “flat” or oval shape causes more   disulfide bonds between the hair proteins. So, the flatter the follicle, the more linking between sulfur atoms and thus the curlier the hair.

  Now obviously there are ways to break these bonds in order to create different textures. However, it is amazing to see the different types of curls that exist right now, all due to a slight difference in the shape of the hair strand.

References:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/keratin
http://www.bio.davidson.edu/courses/genomics/2011/Piper/Background.html
http://www.spring8.or.jp/pdf/en/res_fro/05/133-134.pdf
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/retexturizing/keratin/what-makes-curly-hair-curly
http://humantouchofchemistry.com/what-makes-your-hair-curl.htm
http://skyesbeautytricks.com/straight-or-curly-what-is-the-difference/
http://www.naturallycurly.com/hair-types
http://suite101.com/article/curly-hair-wavy-hair-straight-hair-a95894
http://www.examiner.com/article/straight-hair-vs-curly-the-real-difference
Image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJ5rrslDWHnfSKJUbKFAKtBJlpnaFDdkFKsQoolLuVJ9TeSzJdFnPkvmgOx7s_YTphhAc2tWcf_cuWV3DCxBygCvcFR2AMe4gIGD89nf3-atpK1A2iDdV1QyMXUU7Lncw7SvaK1ZBhns/s320/hair-cross-section.gif