When you’re newly natural, figuring it all out can be a bit of a challenge especially when it comes to your hair being dry. At the beginning of my journey, I never could figure out for the life of me why my hair was always BONE.DRY.
It seemed like no matter what I used, no matter how much I greased my scalp, it was ALWAYS dry. So if you feel like this, I sympathize with you. I also know what the causes of your dry natural hair might be.
1. You’re using products that contain harsh sulfates. Shampoos contain a lot of sulfates in them which is what cleans your hair but at the same time, it strips it of all moisture as well. No moisture leads to dry natural hair which is a big nono. There are alternatives though. You can use sulfate free shampoos that don’t strip the hair but clean it while leaving moisture in. You can also co-wash (wash with conditioner) instead of shampooing all together. When I found out about this, I manage to keep tons of moisture in my hair and my hair flourished!
2. You’re using products that contain mineral oil and petroleum. Contrary to popular belief, you are not feeding your hair, you’re clogging your pores and making your dry natural hair problem worse! Nothing is worse than not letting your scalp breath after you have shampooed it and stripped all the moisture out of. You’re asking for no length retention and broken hair. Instead use oils to oil your scalp if you have dry scalp. I find that when I do oil rinses and massage it into my scalp, I don’t have to worry about dry scalp issues.
3. You’re porosity needs to be corrected. Porosity is your hair’s ability to open and close its cuticle layer. If the cuticle is too tightly shut, it won’t accept moisture. If it’s open too wide, it won’t hold the moisture. This is called high porosity when it doesn’t hold moisture and when it doesn’t accept it, it’s called low porosity. I personally use a conditioner called Roux Porosity Control Conditioner because it corrects the porosity of my hair and lays my cuticle down. My hair is highly porous. To find out more on porosity, check out The Natural Haven. She goes in depth about porosity.
4. You’re not deep conditioning your hair. I used to be one of those people that would not deep conditioner their hair and then one day, I saw the light. My hair felt like butter afterwards and kept the moisture in longer. I noticed this was a BIG part of my dry natural hair issue once i started implementing . So find a great deep conditioner and stick with it! Your hair will repay you with length retention, I promise you. Need help finding one? Here are 3 deep conditioners for natural hair that i recommend.
5. You’re washing your hair in hot water. Hot water strips the moisture out of your hair by raising your hair cuticle. You don’t want to raise your cuticle, you want it stay down but not completely shut. Wash your hair in cool water. It doesn’t have to be freezing cold, but it shouldn’t be scorching hot!
Everything I have listed above, I put into practice so I know it works. All the above suggestions stopped my moisture issues in their tracts. My hair is moisturized, looks better, and completely flourished! For someone who is suffering from dry hair, I suggest you try all the above.
Looking for more natural hair tips?
7 Tips To Regrow Your Edges
5 Protein Treatments For Natural Hair
Best Deep Conditioners for Natural Hair | My Top 3 Choices
Natural Hair Guide For Beginners
