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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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Rising Women Magazine   Calgary, Alberta  Canada
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