Brittle.   Stiff.   Dry.

Are these words you use to describe your hair? Dry hair can result from many sources (and we’ll look at those in just a minute). But regardless of the source, it can impact our attitude, mood, and even our self confidence.

Don’t let that happen.

They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Consider this your public service announcement.

There are plenty of ways to heal dry and damaged hair. We’ll help you bring an end to the pain. Over the next few weeks we’ll be releasing a short series of posts to help you overcome the dry hair dilemma.

Why Me?

Wondering how you ended up in this follicle desert? We’ve listed some of the primary causes of dry hair below:

• Bad shampoo habits: This source is twofold. Washing your hair too frequently strips it of its natural oils, often leaving it uncomfortably dry. Even if you aren’t washing your hair too often, you could be using a shampoo that’s too harsh for your hair type.
• Hair treatments: Just like shampoo, hair treatments aren’t bad. But having several close together can be a nightmare for your hair. It needs time to recover and adjust after procedures like coloring and perms.
• Swimming pools: Swimming is great for exercise and relaxation. Unfortunately, chlorine in pools can wreak havoc on your hair over time.
• Hormone changes: It’s not your fault. You didn’t ask for the hormonal changes that came from pregnancy or a new birth control prescription. Nevertheless, these changes can have a huge impact on your hair and scalp.
• Styling with heat: In the right hands, a hair dryer and flat iron can work magic. But using them too often can have a similar impact on your hair that falling asleep in the tanning bed has on your skin.
• Hanging out on the beach: Everyone loves a beach vacation. But prolonged exposure to the sun and wind can have an effect similar to the hair dryer.
• Hard water: The mineral content of your water can be as much to blame for dry hair as can the wrong shampoo. You can’t control this factor. But it’s good to be aware. Do you notice your skin drying out after you shower in the fall or winter? If so, it’s likely that your hair is doing the same thing. Also, note that soft water can help dry hair.
• Medical factors: Certain medications, prolonged illnesses, and certain treatments, such as those connected with cancer, may also dry out even a healthy head of hair.

Share your dry hair story in the comments.

Fight Back!

The good news is that most of these sources of dry hair can be defeated with some good old common sense.

If you think your shower habits may be to blame, avoid only wash your hair every 2 or 3 days. Find a shampoo that has added moisturizers and a low pH and little fragrance. A budget-friendly option is Pantene’s Pro-V Nature Fusion Smooth Vitality. For

Don’t give dryness a foothold. Space out your hair treatments. If needed use deep conditioners or masks between treatments.

We’ll provide more details about shampoos, conditioners, and special treatments for dry hair in a future post.

If you’re an avid swimmer, wear a cap and wet your hair in the shower before getting in the pool.

Beat the heat. If you spend lots of time outside in the sun, save your hair and wear a hat. Inside, cut down on styling with heat if your hair is already dry. And use a thermal protectant like Redken Iron Shape Thermal Spray or Biosilk Thermal Shield when you do use the hair dryer or flat iron.

Factors like hard water, hormonal changes, and medical treatments are beyond your control. But knowing their potential impact can help you know to try to counter their effects in different ways.

Dry hair can be a thing of the past. We’ll help you get there. In future posts we’ll point out some home remedies and products to help keep your hair healthy.

For now, share your story with us. We would love to hear how you prevent or combat dry hair. Share in the comments below!