What can be done against dry hair? Good news: you don’t have to put up with lackluster and brittle lengths. We present the best tips and tricks for well-groomed hair right down to the tips.
Tip 1: Use a shampoo without sulfates
When wet, the hair swells up and becomes twice as sensitive. Now only mild ingredients should come to the hair so as not to dry it out.
It is therefore essential to use a shampoo that does not contain any aggressive sulfates. Sulphates belong to the group of surfactants and are considered to be strong degreasing agents. They remove moisture from the hair and scalp and cause irritation and brittle lengths. The hair breaks off and we struggle with protruding hairs.
A sulfalt-free shampoo gently cleanses your mane and has a moisturizing effect. This preserves the natural shine of the hair and keeps it supple all day.
Tip: Be sure to use a sulfate-free and silicone-free shampoo. Silicones are plastics that are deposited in the hair and dry out the hair fiber over time. Here’s how to spot a good silicone-free shampoo.
Tip 2: Take in sufficient protein
Our mane consists of over 90 percent keratin, a protein. For healthy and shiny hair, we should make sure that there is sufficient protein intake. Both in hair care and in nutrition!
So: what can you do about dry hair? Treat yourself to high-protein hair products that strengthen the hair. You can now find many cures and conditioners for hair that are enriched with proteins on the market. They help to cement porous areas in the hair shaft. As a result, the hair fiber gains stability and feels stronger.
And since beauty also comes from within, you should consume healthy protein bombs more often. Dry hair will benefit from these foods:
- Legumes like lentils or chickpeas
- Dairy products, especially quark
- Eggs
- Chicken and Lean Beef
- fish
- oatmeal
- nuts
- linseed
If we consume enough protein, the hair gets enough building blocks to grow back strong and strong. This means you don’t have to worry about brittle tips.
Tip 3: Pamper your hair with olive oil
Straw-like hair is less elastic than healthy hair. This makes them extremely susceptible to hair breakage and split ends. One wrong movement is enough and the hair fiber splits instead of giving way.
To make dry hair look silky again, turn to vegetable oils. These natural beauty boosters bring three benefits at once:
- Oils trap water. This protects the hair from possible water loss throughout the day. The moisture of the hair fiber is preserved.
- Due to the fatty acids in the oil, the hair fiber remains supple.they lay like a thin film around each individual hair and prevent the hair from breaking.
- Every oil naturally contains various vitamins and minerals that provide lasting care for the lengths. Olive oil, for example, contains particularly high levels of vitamin E, a powerful free radical scavenger that protects your hair from external damage that can be caused by heat, UV radiation or friction.
So dry hair can be wonderfully cared for with oils. Try a hair treatment that gives the tips an extra dose of moisture.
Apply a few drops to damp or towel-dried hair. Concentrate especially on the lengths. Leave the oil on for at least 10 minutes. Feel free to leave it on overnight! Olive oil is very rich and should be thoroughly washed out with a shampoo after the exposure time. After drying your hair, you can enjoy a velvety mane.
In this article you will find more helpful tips and tricks for the use of olive oil for hair.
Tip 4: Choose silicone-free care
What to do about dry hair? Avoid products containing silicones. Silicones are chemical film formers hidden in many hair care products. These synthetics accumulate on the hair and make them soft and easier to comb in the short term.
In the long term, however, silicone-containing products dry out the hair. The thick silicone coating prevents genuine conditioning ingredients such as proteins, oils or vitamins from penetrating the hair.
As a result, the hair fiber dries out more and more under the plastic film. You will notice this in the form of brittle and dull lengths. In addition, you lose volume due to the chemical film formers, as they have a weighing effect on the hair.
Therefore, you should rather opt for silicone-free shampoos that provide the hair with moisture. These are usually identified by the terms “without silicones” or “silicone-free”.
You can check whether your current hair care contains silicones by using the Codecheck app. Here, you simply scan the barcode of your favorite product or enter the name into Codecheck’s search engine. You will promptly receive an analysis of the ingredients.
Tip 5: Wear the right sleep hairstyle
Ponytail, braided hairstyle or would you prefer open curls? We think about the right styling for our hair every day. The thoughts on the hairstyle should not start in the morning, but the evening before! Because the sleep hairstyle also determines how strawy our hair looks.
While we sleep, the entire weight of our head rests on the delicate hair fibers. And that’s about seven kilograms, after all. If you sleep with your hair down, you risk roughening the cuticle by rolling back and forth. This makes the hair porous and dry. The next morning, your hair quickly looks like a broken sofa cushion.
With the right sleep hairstyle, the cuticle remains intact. The following sleep hairstyles are particularly suitable:
You can create the French braid in a few minutes. The braid protects the lengths and gives you beautiful waves the next day.
The high chignon is especially suitable for long hair. Twist the tips and loosely pin the hair. No hairs can break off here!
A deep bun or ponytail keeps the lengths in check and prevents knots while sleeping. It is best to tie it with a soft hair tie. So-called scrunchies are particularly recommended because the wide fabric cover reduces pressure points in the hair
Tip 6: Protect the hair with heat-free styling
As already mentioned, the protein keratin is the basic structure of our hair. It is a very stable substance that can also be found in our nails. But there is one thing that is very dangerous for keratin: heat!
High temperatures change the structure of the protein, which leads to what is known as denaturation. Holes form in the keratin structure, which lead to instability. The tips become straw-like and rigid. Our hair is already breaking and we are annoyed.
If you suffer acutely from very dry lengths, you should definitely treat your hair to a few heat-free days. But don’t worry, you still don’t have to go without great styling.
Tip 7: Choose the right brush
What to do about dry hair that feels straw-like?The hairbrush also determines how brittle your hair looks.
Rather less suitable are pure wooden brushes with bamboo bristles. Rigid plastic brushes are also out of the question for dry hair, as they do not give enough.
You can quickly find out for yourself whether a brush is suitable for your hair. Run your hand over the bristles and check whether they are flexible. Dry, sensitive hair needs elastic bristles that are gentle on the ends.
For very straw-like hair, go for brushes with boar bristles.
This natural variant absorbs the sebum from the scalp and distributes it optimally throughout the rest of the hair. As a result, the lengths shine more and look well-groomed.
Plus point: boar bristles quickly make greasy hair look well-groomed and fresh again.
Tip 8: Give your hair a break from dyeing
Whether coloring or highlights: so-called peroxides are used for permanent hair colors or bleaching. These chemical developers open the hair shaft and cause a change in our natural hair pigments.
Unfortunately, this procedure is pure poison for your hair. Peroxides can attack the cuticle, which makes the hair structure holey. The hair reflects the light less, looks dull and feels extremely straw-like. Anyone who already suffers from brittle lengths should give their hair a short break from dyeing.
You still can’t do without a little color change? It is better to opt for washable tints that give the hair more care. These put a lot less strain on your hair. Here the color pigments coat the hair instead of penetrating the hair fiber. This is a great advantage for dry lengths, as the hair structure is less affected.
Herbal hair colors are also a good alternative to chemical colorants. They care for dry hair with herbal minerals and vitamins, which build up the hair structure from the inside out. Vegetable colors do not cover as much and smell a bit unusual. But the lengths and tips are not attacked.