Shampoo for Dry Hair

Q: What is a good shampoo and conditioner for dry hair? Should I wash my dry hair more often than people with normal hair?

A: Dry hair is caused by a lack of moisture in the hair structure. This is often the case with curly hair, as the structure of curly hair tends to be drier than that of straight hair.

Washing your hair excessively removes the natural oils that your hair-root produces that coat the hair-structure in natural oil to keep it healthy and shiny. Thus, washing dry hair too often will categorically make it even more dry and unmanageable.

You can go to your local market or to the salon to purchase the correct shampoo and conditioner for your hair type. I always suggest that people go to the salon first and have their hair evaluated by a qualified stylist, to ensure that they buy relevant products for their specific hair type and needs. But this is not always possible and I understand that.

If you go to the supermarket, keep in mind that it may be a trial and error process. If you find that the shampoo and conditioner that you chose does not work, try something else. Also remember that it takes a few weeks for the shampoo and conditioner to show considerable change or improvement, so use the same shampoo for at least two to four weeks before jumping to the next option.

Dry hair needs a product that will provide more moisture. You usually get two types of dry hair; naturally dry hair and chemically induced dry hair. For naturally dry hair, choose a shampoo or conditioner that says “for dry and unmanageable hair” or anything in that direction. If your hair is dry because of over-styling and/or coloring, try something that says “for dry, brittle and damaged hair”. I prefer L’Oreal and Schwarzkopf shampoos and conditioners for dry hair, but this is down to personal choice.

Also make sure that you apply a treatment or mask to your hair once a week, until your hair is softer and more conditioned. After you’ve reached this state, you may decrease the treatments to once a month. Again, this can be done at a salon or at home. These treatments and masks can be bought at the supermarket as well. It is often wise to buy the whole range (i.e. shampoo, conditioner and treatment or mask) in the same brand, as these have been specifically manufactured to work together.

©Hairfinder.com

See also:

Hair masks

Causes and solutions for dry hair

Home remedies for healthier hair