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 RISING WOMEN EXPERT
ADVICE...
I have “chronically” dry hair! Do you have any tips on
keeping it “naturally” healthy?
Though those with this painstaking issue may not agree, dry hair is
really not a fatality. Yes, it can be treated naturally.
There really is such a thing as “naturally dry hair” and unfortunately this
condition is easily aggravated by outside stress factors such as sun, over
styling and chemical treatments. And believe it or not, a lot of the hair
products are sure death due to the aggressive ingredients used (your hair
technician will be able to steer you toward the more natural products that
are popping up on the market.) Dry hair is also prone to losing moisture and
more easily drained of vital substances, such as amino acids and keratin
compounds, then other hair types.
One step to combatting dry hair is through essential fatty acids (EFA’s).
The scalp produces the best EFA’s called sebum, however once the hair grows
past the neck line losing direct contact with the scalp, the scalps natural
oils cannot be utilized throughout the hair shaft. At this point you can
manually replace the lost EFA’s by supplementing with flax or hemp, for
example. EFA’s are vital in our diets and to our overall health as the body
does not completely produce them naturally.
A second important step to bringing life to dry hair is to moisturize. Hair
normally has a moisture content of only approximately 10 percent, so the
best “ingredients” to use to prevent moisture loss are called “humectants”.
Now without sounding too much like an environmental activist, there is a
huge difference between synthetic and natural humectants, so choose your
moisturizing products carefully (Is great looking hair really worth killing
yourself with chemicals?)
Synthetic humectants are key ingredients in most hair care products. These
include Propylene Glycol, Ethylene/ Diethylene Glycol and Polyethylene
Glycol. (Note: these ingredients may cause irritation, contact dermatitis
and may contain toxic by-products...you do the math!)
Natural humectants include Lecithin, Panthenol (pro-vitamin B5) and Glycerin
(Note: no known side effects!)
EFA’s, such as hemp or flax, are also natural humectants. These natural oils
can be applied directly to your hair and left in over night. You can also
“scrunch” 1 or 2 drops, rubbed within your palms, directly to dry ends of
your hair for a quick moisturizing boost. Olive oil is another wonderful oil
to use for these two home treatments.
To have your beauty questions answered by our lineup of Experts, email
RWM at experts@risingwomen.com
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