Why is My Hair so Dry: Find Out The Reasons
When brushing your hair, you may sometimes notice that your hair has become dry and look dull and lifeless.
Even your friends may sometimes say that your hair has become so frizzy and dry at a young age. But though dry hair is typical in older people, it can happen at any age.
There are several reasons that your hair has lost its sheen and luster. It can be due to natural environmental factors or a chemical procedure you have willingly done.
Continue reading to know the reason behind your dry, brittle, and frizzy hair.
Excessive hair washing
Washing your hair is essential to maintain a healthy scalp which helps in better hair growth. But overdoing it might be harmful as it strips away the natural oils and dulls the hair.
You should wash your hair at the proper intervals, depending on factors like age, ethnic background, hair length, hair type, and activity level.
You may wash your hair twice a week, but if you have curly hair, you may only need to wash it every two or three weeks.
Using harsh hair products
Many hair products like shampoos are sold in the market in the name of cleaning the scalp and removing dandruff. However, these products may also contain Sulfates, which are types of chemicals called Surfactants.
Sulfates in shampoos help in removing dirt and oil from hair. But, sometimes, it may remove too much natural moisture and oils from the hair, which must be retained for healthy hair.
When the natural moisture content is lost, your hair may dry and be damaged.
Frequently heat-styling your hair
If you use heat-styling equipment like a straightening iron, curler, or blow dryer daily, your hair can be severely dry and damaged.
The Keratin proteins in your hair alter shape when overexposed to extreme heat from hot instruments. The heat causes a decrease in dryness, elasticity, weaker strands, and, ultimately, damage to the hair shaft.
Hot climate
If you reside in a place with a hot climate, it makes your hair hold less moisture which can cause it to become fragile and dry.
The reason is the molecules in the air need water molecules and thus pull them out of the hair, making it lack moisture.
Malnutrition
A nutritious diet is necessary for a healthy body and hair, as without them, you may face dry and brittle hair, which is prone to breakage.
A study on the relationship between diet and hair loss found that a lack of Vitamin E, Zinc, and Selenium may make the hair dry and brittle and even lead to hair loss.
Anorexia
Anorexia nervosa is an eating and mental disorder in which people are horrified by the thought of weight gain. They avoid, severely restrict, or eat minimal quantities of only certain foods.
If you are someone who has this disease, you may have also noticed dry and brittle hair.
This type of hair can be because you lack the nutritious food for a healthy scalp and hair.
Thyroid
Two types of Thyroid: Hypoparathyroidism and Hypothyroidism, are disorders that may make your hair dry.
Hypoparathyroidism is a disorder in which the Parathyroid glands in the neck do not produce enough Parathyroid hormone. It may cause dry hair because it decreases calcium, which is essential for healthy hair.
Hypothyroidism results from the thyroid gland not making enough essential thyroid hormones for your body, which may dry your hair.
Using hot water
Washing your hair in hot water temperature is not beneficial for your hair as it may strip away the moisture and natural oils.
This extraction will leave your hair dry and make it appear as dull and lifeless.
It is better to use lukewarm water for hair washing as it will clean the scalp thoroughly without making the hair dry and prone to breakage.
Chemical treatments
When you chemically treat your hair like dying or bleaching, it can make your hair severely dry.
The key ingredients used in these chemical products are Ammonia and Hydrogen peroxide which pull apart the hair proteins. But protein is essential because moisture will escape from the hair easily without it.
Approximately 15% to 20% of the hair’s protein bands break due to bleaching, which leaves your hair dry and brittle, because of which you may often notice hair breakage.
Other reasons
Apart from the reasons mentioned above, several other potential factors may cause dry hair. It may include:
- Age: As you age, your hair decreases sebum production, which makes your hair dry
- Hormonal changes: Menopause in women can make their hair dry and increase shedding because of changing levels of Estrogen and Progesterone
- Environmental conditions: Frequent exposure to the sun, wind, and chlorinated or salty water
Takeaway
Your hair can become dry and brittle, which is prone to breakage. It is lifeless and dull as it lacks luster.
The dryness in hair can be because of several factors. It can be due to your daily habit of washing your hair or using hair products containing Sulfates.
Environmental factors like living in a hot climate and frequent exposure to the sun, wind, or chlorinated water can also play active roles in drying hair.
Health disorders such as Hypoparathyroidism, Hypothyroidism, Anorexia nervosa, etc., can also cause hair dryness.
You can also sometimes cause extreme dryness to your hair by frequently using heat-styling products and chemically treating it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes extremely dry hair?
Hair can be dry because of several factors. It may become extremely dry due to excessive hair washing, dying, bleaching, using the wrong hair products, etc. Moreover, blow drying or using other heat styling equipment frequently is a common cause of dry hair.
Why is my hair so dry even with conditioner?
Even when using a conditioner, having low or even high porosity hair can result in dry hair. The capacity of the hair to absorb and hold moisture is measured by its porosity. High-porosity hair readily loses moisture, while low-porosity hair is difficult to hydrate.
What am I lacking if my hair is dry?
If you have not yet treated your hair chemically, frequently used heat-styling equipment, have any disease that makes your hair dry, etc., the problem may lie in your diet. A deficiency of Vitamin E, C, Omega-3s, and Biotin can make your hair prone to dryness.
Does dry hair mean unhealthy?
Dry hair is not a good sign for hair. It means that your hair is unhealthy and needs nourishment. Dry hair appears to be dull and lifeless. If you don’t treat dry hair, it may grow brittle and fray or break easily.
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