Having soft and voluminous hair is a great confidence booster. That’s why you take the time and effort to take good care of it.
You try to find the best conditioners, hair masks, and serums that will work best for your hair to maintain that healthy shine.
So it’s mind-boggling when it suddenly turns dry and frizzy on you.
So if you’re here wondering: “Why is my hair like straw all of a sudden?”
Don’t worry; in this article, we’ll help you figure out why your hair has gone dry and tell you tips on how to minimize it.
Why has my hair suddenly gone dry and frizzy?
Did you notice your hair turning dry and frizzy lately, even though you didn’t change anything in your hair care routine?
Well, maybe there are certain habits in your regimen that are causing this to your hair, so let’s discuss some of them.
Frequency of washing your hair
Did you know that washing your hair every day will contribute to making it feel dry?
That’s because constant washing will remove the natural oils in your scalp that could help keep your hair moisturized, especially when you’re also using hair products that have harsh ingredients.
So it’s recommended to wash your hair 2-3 times a week with sulfate and paraben-free shampoo and conditioner to avoid drying your hair out.
On non-wash days, you can use a dry shampoo to freshen up your hair so it will still look shiny and voluminous.
Heat styling tools
Styling your hair a different way every day can be fun, but constant use of heat styling tools will eventually take a toll on your hair.
Blow drying on a high-heat setting, then curling or straightening your hair will burn your hair strands by stripping out their moisture, leaving you with parched and brittle hair.
So instead, you can limit using your heating tools only when you need them and switch to air drying and heatless styling your hair. There are tons of tutorials on different braids and updos to try out, so you’ll still get to look stylish without the added hair damage.
Chemical treatments
We get it. Bleaching and dyeing your hair can be addictive when you want your hair to look a certain kind of way.
Whether you want to put on a different hair color each month or maintain the lightest platinum shade, not giving your hair a break between color sessions will eventually make it feel dry and weak.
Chemically straightening or perming your hair will also make your hair feel dry and brittle since these treatments use harsh chemicals that can be too much for your hair.
So it’s essential to give your hair extra moisture through deep conditioning masks and hair oils to get it back to a healthy state.
You can also look into using conditioner-based semi-permanent hair dyes, like oVertone, instead of using permanent ones to dye your hair.
Semi-permanent hair colors are less damaging, and you get to try out a different shade every few weeks since they tend to wash out.
Why is my hair so dry even though I take care of it?
You did your research and bought all the products you’ll need to maintain healthy hair, but somehow your hair suddenly won’t cooperate.
So if you’re asking, “Why is my hair so dry even with conditioner?”, then maybe one of these reasons is affecting your hair.
Product build-up
When you apply multiple products to your hair, they eventually form a layer over your strands and scalp, making it difficult for any moisture to penetrate through.
So when your hair looks dull and white flakes start to appear, that’s your sign to start clarifying your hair.
Washing your strands with a clarifying shampoo once a month will strip out excess oil, dirt, and leftover products so your hair will feel cleaner and lighter.
Once the barrier is gone, it will be easier for your hair to absorb moisture so it won’t turn dry and frizzy anymore.
New hair products
Think back, did you recently buy a new hair product and use it for a week or so?
If you did, then maybe it’s the reason why your hair feels dry and frizzy all of a sudden. Check the ingredients to see if the product contains alcohols, sulfates, or parabens, as these dry out your hair.
If not, maybe the formula just doesn’t work well with your hair. So if you can, switch back to your previous hair product, or you can also look for another one targeted for dry and frizzy hair to help hydrate your hair again.
Seasonal changes
Do you feel like your hair turns dry whenever a new season starts?
It’s often an overlooked factor, but the changes in the weather will also affect your hair, making it drier than it usually is. You’ll mostly feel the effects during summer or the winter because of the extreme weather conditions.
During summer, the temperatures tend to rise the highest, so your hair will feel dry since it can’t absorb any moisture in the air. Excess sun exposure will also worsen the state of your hair, so make sure to protect it by wearing a hat whenever you go out.
In the winter, the temperatures drop, and ice starts to form, but the air will still be dry; that’s why your hair will also feel like straw.
You can combat this by deep conditioning your hair or applying moisturizing hair masks once a week.
Dry hair symptoms
To find out whether you have dry hair, here are a few signs you’ll have to look for:
- Frizzy
- Split ends
- Itchy scalp
- Feels like straw
- Breaks off easily
- Dull or lacks shine
- Flat or lacks volume
The absence of moisture is usually the cause for your hair to turn dry, so if you find a few of the symptoms in your hair, you might need to make a few changes to your hair care regimen to get your strands back into shape.
Dry hair home remedies
Having your hair turn dry can be disheartening, especially when you do the work to make sure it stays healthy.
But some factors will be difficult to control, so the best thing you can do is make sure your hair gets back to a healthy state.
So how do you fix super dry hair at home?
1. DIY hair masks
Hair masks are easy and affordable ways of adding moisture to your hair by using ingredients you probably already have at home.
Olive oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, or argan oil contain healthy fats and vitamins to nourish your hair.
So you can slather any of these oils onto your hair, let it sit for a few hours or overnight, and enjoy how soft it’ll turn your hair after washing it off.
A DIY hair mask that contains moisturizing ingredients will also benefit your hair. You’ll only need to mix mayonnaise, yogurt, coconut oil, and honey and let it soak on your hair for 10-15 minutes before washing it out.
2. Rinse with cold water
A hot shower will feel incredible after a tiring day, but did you know that hot water on your hair will make it feel dry after?
That’s because it will leave your hair cuticles open, making it difficult to trap moisture inside your hair shaft.
So make sure to rinse your hair with cold water before hopping out of the shower to help close down your hair cuticles.
4. Switch to a microfiber towel
Using a regular towel to dry your hair can also be one of the causes of making your hair dry and frizzy as it absorbs too much moisture from your hair.
The tiny loops on the fabric will also be too abrasive on wavy or curly hair, so you’ll end up with frizzy hair if you’re not gentle.
So using a microfiber towel will be more gentle on your hair since it’s a softer fabric and won’t soak up as much moisture from your hair. But if you can’t find one, an old cotton t-shirt will also work great.
5. Apply a heat protectant
Avoiding heat styling tools altogether might be difficult for some hair types, so if you need to use one, make sure to apply a heat protectant to your hair.
It creates a protective layer over your hair strands, so it minimizes the damage from the heat, so make sure to apply it before curling or straightening your hair.