It’s not surprising that most women treat their hair to a great deal of tender loving care. After all, silky, glowing and manageable hair signifies beauty, health and youth, does it not? However, it’s not always easy to achieve the smooth and soft strands desired by so many.
In truth, dry and stiff hair is an everyday reality for many people. Lifestyle, ignorance of damaging haircare routines and environmental factors are mostly to blame for these problems. Fortunately, there are plenty of valuable tips on managing one’s hair available from hair experts and hair professionals.
Dealing With Stiff Hair And Its Implications
Quite possibly, you fret about every single thing that goes on with your hair. It could be trying new hairstyles, applying some fancy hair treatment, or simply getting anxious about a bad hair day. This hair concern is perfectly understandable because, aside from being your crowning glory, your hair says many things about you and your health.
You can tell if the health of your hair is changing by observing alterations in the strands’ texture, overall look and thickness. For many, a solid haircare approach works to keep their locks in good shape. However, more often than not, the hair becomes stiff and brittle due to some seemingly random factors. Sad to say, such changes can have a devastating impact on your appearance and self-confidence.
Factors Contributing To Stiff Hair
Hair quality is usually a practical manifestation of how you are treating your body. When checking for healthy hair, one usually looks at the outer hair layer, commonly called the hair cuticle. The quality of your hair cuticle tells you if your hair has been damaged, though hopefully not irreparably, by external factors.
Typical causes of dry and stiff hair are constant exposure to high winds or the sun’s heat. As much as you’re looking forward to the summer months, you need to make sure that you protect your hair from damage during this period. Another often overlooked cause of hair stiffness is hair chemical treatments such as bleach or hair dyes. Immersing hair in saltwater or pools treated with chlorine can also be harmful in the long run.
Even standard haircare procedures like the frequent use of blow-dryers, hair straighteners, or hair curling irons can lead to hair damage. Regular use of these heat dispensing hair styling tools may cause the hair strands to become brittle and dry, making them prone to easy breakage.
Quick Fixes For Dry And Stiff Hair
One practical way to show your hair some love is to establish a haircare routine that includes hydrating shampoo and moisture-retaining conditioner. It is an absolute certainty that after a few uses of these hair products, your hair will have more shine and radiance. When selecting a conditioner, check for proven lightweight products on the hair strands, but note that these should give the same level of moisture and natural shine.
Since sun exposure does as much harm to your hair as it does to your skin, you should protect your hair with an umbrella or a hat. Even a scarf wrapped around your head is good enough, allowing the sun’s rays only limited penetration and so minimising the damage it can cause. For more style, you could go for fashionable hair wraps, so keeping your hair protected while looking good at the same time.
Even though heat-styling tools are known to damage your locks, you can still use them so long as you do so less frequently. Make sure to apply heat protectants beforehand and use the lowest heat setting. An alternative to using such tools is air-drying your hair. Cutting back on the heat-styling tools shouldn’t mean you compromise on creativity; you can still go for the style you want with the magic of styling cream, hairspray, or hair mousse.
Going with the latest hair trends may be in but think twice before subjecting your hair to harmful hair dyes and colouring techniques. If you must use them, give your hair time to breathe between applications. More importantly, get yourself some multi-tasking hair products rather than applying various single-use hair styling products. The latter may remove the hair’s moisture, resulting in brittle and stiff hair.
Conclusion
Haircare experts would agree that having a reliable and well-prepared haircare routine is the best way to manage the problem of straw-like hair. Though it doesn’t immediately address stiff hair issues, it is an excellent start to achieving the glistening locks you so desire. Giving these tips a try will guarantee your strands get back their shine and lustrous look in no time.
If you’re battling thinning hair or hair loss and don’t know where to turn, Vinci Hair Clinic can help. We specialise in providing medical and surgical hair restoration options. Get in touch with us today to book a free consultation and learn about our range of treatments!
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