Top Five Ways to Moisturize Dry Hair
Written for Walgreens.com
It’s bad enough that dry hair doesn’t feel very good. But it can also be difficult to style, almost impossible to control, and frizzy to boot. But never fear. We’ve compiled a list of our top five ways to moisturize dry hair so that you can always have smooth, soft, and silky strands.
1. Wash less
A lot of things can contribute to dry hair, such as color-treatments and heat-styling. But another contributing factor is probably something you do every day without even thinking about it: washing hair. Washing hair every day can strip hair of its natural oils and moisturizers, so one of the best things you can do for dry hair is to wash it less frequently. Try reducing washes to every other day, or even every three days if possible. This will allow the natural oils in your hair to do what they are meant to do, and that’s moisturize.
2. Condition in the shower
Every time you wash your hair, you should also condition it. Conditioners meant for the shower don’t need to be left on the hair for very long to work their magic. They need as little as three minutes, in fact. So apply conditioner while you’re scrubbing your body, and watch as the health of your hair improves. You can also use conditioner on days when you don’t wash you hair. Simply rinse hair with water and apply conditioner, then remove as usual.
3. Try a leave-in conditioner or hair mask
For very dry hair, conditioning in the shower may not be enough. You may also want to try a leave-in conditioner or hair mask. These products are usually applied to wet hair and work to seal in moisture. They can also add important vitamins and protein to your hair, which can improve its health. To make the most of your leave-in conditioner, apply it to damp hair, then cover with a shower cap. Work out around the house or do some chores, and after 30 minutes wash your hair like normal. You should already have softer hair.
4. Go big with a deep conditioning treatment
If you like leave-in conditioner and hair masks, you’re going to love deep conditioning treatments. These typically use heat in the form of a blow dryer to set the conditioner and are more aggressive than other treatments for fighting dry hair. There are several great brands to choose from, and most have easy-to-follow instructions and a kit that includes everything you need.
5. Relax with a hot oil treatment
Hot oil treatments are similar to deep conditioning treatments in that they use heat to make the hair shaft expand so that moisturizing ingredients can penetrate and do their work. To do a hot oil treatment yourself, find a good kit. Most of the time, you’ll be instructed to heat the oil by submerging the bottle in hot water. Once the oil is hot, massage it throughout wet hair. Once the hot oil has been evenly dispersed throughout your hair, rinse and then shampoo your hair like normal. You can use hot oil once a week, or as needed.