Too Much Moisture

Q: Can hair really have too much moisture? I know that conditioning is important to add moisture to the hair, but I read that too much moisture can lead to hair breakage. How can you be sure you're not over-hydrating your hair?

A: Well, the type of moisture generally resulting in hair damage is from prolonged soaking in water while swimming and similar activities.

Most water is alkaline enough to be able to swell the hair cuticle with sufficient exposure, so you want to make sure to keep an eye whenever possible on your hair and in cases where you are spending time in water-related activities (at the beach, etc.) that you use products designed to offer protection.

Understand, the amount of time needed to cause significant damage is considerable, but the damage can be cumulative. A simple application of hair oil or styling wax to the hair could likely give you the protection you need.

There isn't much chance of really damaging your hair from over-hydrating. You should condition the hair every day, and if you have damage, use a deep-conditioner at least weekly. However, if you are using a conditioner with too much in the way of emollient ingredients, you can end up with greasy hair.

Hair with a lot of moisture — Photo: Shutterstock