Sunday, October 26, 2008

Dry Hair Information and Advice

By Jennifer Summers

If you are to get the best possible results from your hair care routine, you need to choose the correct hair shampoo and conditioner for your hair type. We recognise hair that is in good condition. It shines, it is easy to manage - it just looks good. The appearance of the hair is the one feature of the body over which we can have direct control. You can change the length, shape, colour and style of your hair according to the age you wish to appear, and the economic and social status you want to claim. The style, length and condition of hair all play a part in how we perceive the people we meet.

Dry hair is hair that doesn't have enough moisture. This is normally because the cuticle has become heavily weathered and porous, so that the cortex cannot hold on to water. It appears more in long hair than in short, purely because the hair has been growing for longer and as a result has worn more. It is more widespread in women than in men, since women are more likely to sport their hair long. The drying out may come to have an effect on more of the hair if it is given constant chemical treatments, for the most part perming, and especially perming connected with bleaching/colouring.
Your hair is dry if:
* it looks lacklustre
* it feels dry or coarse
* it snarls easily
* it is tricky to comb or brush
* it has been treated chemically (permed, bleached or colored)
* it is liable to split ends
* it is dry and frizzed.
If your hair meets any of these conditions, you should opt for a hair shampoo and conditioner that are specifically for dry hair.

Combat the damage of chemical treatments, colouring, heat-styling and environmental pollution by deep-conditioning your hair on a regular basis. This will help replenish lost moisture and keep locks shiny and resilient. Clean your hair frequently, using good-quality products. Product: Moisturizing Shampoos and Conditioners - Good for very dry hair. Restores moisture lost in blow-drying.

And essentially - do not forget to condition it well. Leave-in Conditioners and Re-constructive detanglers are the correct products to use. A light leave-in conditioner is great for creating shine and body to straight hair and for taming. Have the ends cut regularly by a skilled stylist, so as to prevent weathering effects such as split ends.

In a normal, undamaged hair shaft, very little water can get either into or out of the cortex. This is because the cuticle covering the cortex is intact. But if hair is processed too many times the cuticle scales may never return to their original tightness and the protection they once offered is lost. Over-porous hair is dry, and tends to develop split ends. The damaged cuticle is fragile, and the damage worsens as time goes by. Dry hair feels dry. It does not shine and is difficult to style. It responds to intensive conditioning, however. Careful brushing, drying and combing after washing are important.

Look for a bottle that says: Moisturizing or Replenishing. It is prepared to be kind to dry, damaged hair. These hair shampoos are heavier on the moisturizing constituents, sometimes leaving a very thin film of conditioners on the hair to help keep it silky and smooth. They work best on dry, frizzy, damaged hair. - 15634

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