Many women struggle with having dry natural hair. If you previously had relaxed hair then you need to completely change the way that you think about your natural hair. There is a lot of relearning that needs to be done.
Even those of us that have been natural for a long time still struggle with dry natural hair and the reason for this is because we often continue to use the same products that we used when we were relaxed or have not taken the time to learn about our particular hair type.
Moisture is key in having healthy natural hair that is suitably moisturised. Keeping your hair moisturised and healthy is the only thing that will help your hair to grow.
Let’s take a look at some of the reasons as to why you still have dry natural hair despite your best efforts.
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8 Reasons Your Natural Hair is Continuously Dry
Over the years that I have been natural, I have come to realise that there were a few really horrible mistakes that I was making with my natural hair. These mistakes cost me time, hair growth and the overall general health of my hair.
I don’t want you to make these same mistakes so here are 8 reasons that you have dry natural hair.
1. You Haven’t Figured Out Your Hairs Porosity Yet
Knowing the porosity level of your hair is so important. It’s one of the basic pieces of information that you need when it comes to growing healthy natural hair. I can’t stress how important it is that you know the porosity of your hair.
In a nutshell, there are 3 types of hair porosity levels that your hair can have. High porosity, which means that your hair absorbs moisture very easily but it struggles to retain that moisture.
Low porosity hair, which means that your hair does not absorb moisture very well and it is difficult for the moisture to penetrate the hair shaft.
Normal porosity which means that your hair absorbs and retains moisture about equally. This is a category that most people wish to fall into but few of us actually do.
If you happen to fall into the low or the high porosity category it’s not the end of the world, you just need to know how to manage it.
You can read up more in-depth about low porosity hair here and high porosity hair here. It really is important to know and understand this.
2. The Products You Are Using Are Not Right For Your Hair
You need to get the products you use for your hair right. You can’t just pick the same products as the next person and expect them to work. It just doesn’t work like that.
Perhaps your hair prefers lighter products, does not like coconut oil (yes that’s a real thing), maybe your hair likes shea butter better than a particular leave-in conditioner or you need to be using more natural ingredients.
Look at your hair as having a personality, that should help you get a better understanding of what I’m trying to say. There is definitely no one size fits all when it comes to natural hair. Your hair is unique and there is none like it.
3. You Don’t Protect Your Hair At Night
Once you have your hair products right and your hair is happy, you don’t want to go and ruin all of that in one foul sweep by not protecting your hair at night. Believe me, those curls are delicate and need to be cared for in the right way.
Before going to bed make sure that you wear a satin bonnet or a silk scarf. Using these will help your hair to retain its moisture and stop your hair from getting dry.
That cotton pillowcase that you love to go to sleep on is notorious for sucking moisture out of luscious curls. If you really can’t be doing with sleeping with a bonnet or a headscarf you can try a pillowcase like this one which is absolutely great.
4. You Fail To Seal in Moisture
It’s one thing to add moisture to your hair but it’s quite another when you have to retain that moisture.
There are a few methods out there that you can use to seal in moisture for example the LOC method which consists of using a Liquid, then an Oil and lastly a Cream. Some people also like to switch it up and do the LCO instead as they feel that this order works better for their hair. It really doesn’t matter as long as the job is being accomplished.
Another method for sealing in moisture is the baggy method or a hot oil treatment. You really have to do a little experimenting to see what will work best for you.
5. You Don’t Know When To Cowash and When To Shampoo
Ok so let’s sit down and talk about this one.
Yes, shampooing can be incredibly drying for hair but it is also an important part of your hair regime. Imagine having a bath and each time you don’t use soap. You may get away with it a few times but eventually, there will come a time where you will have to bathe with real soap.
You cannot just decide to co-wash and stop shampooing altogether. It won’t do your hair any good in the long run. It’s important to keep your scalp nice and clean and free of build-up as well as keeping your hair moisturised.
Co-washing is great, believe me, I’m a huge fan. I would say at least once or every 2 months you need to wash your hair with shampoo. If you are a person that doesn’t use a ton of products to style your hair and your hair doesn’t get overly greasy hair then perhaps you will get away with closer to the once every 2 months mark. If not then once a month of shampoo might be best.
Just remember to replace all that lost moisture with a good conditioner like this one after shampooing your hair.
6. Your Consistency of Deep Conditioning is Not Right
I love to deep condition my hair not only does it have great slip when you are in the shower but my hair feels incredibly moisturised afterwards.
I would say you should deep condition your hair at least once a month if you can. This will help to ensure that your hair is sufficiently moisturised and that dry natural hair will not be a problem for you.
Deep conditioning is great for hair but you can also overdo it by over moisturising your hair.
When you deep condition your hair too much it can lead to moisture overload which, can leave your hair looking dry and unhealthy.
So if your hair is not responding well to deep conditioning it could be because you are giving your hair too much moisture.
If you are on the lookout for a great deep conditioner, I would recommend this one.
7. You Need To Give Up The Heat
It makes a nice change when you can straighten your hair every now and again but did you know that in doing so you could be causing your natural hair to become very dry?
Using heat has a time and a place and you definitely need to know how to use it safely. Before straightening your hair make sure that you use a heat protectant like this one to keep your hair well protected.
8. Keep Your Natural Hair Colour
I know it’s tempting to dye the colour of your hair but before you decide to do it you need to understand that dying your hair could be making your hair dry.
Natural hair has a lot of oils in it so when you change the colour this can strip out some of those natural oils which is why your hair feels dry so quickly.
If you do decide to go ahead and dye your hair make sure that you do a deep conditioning treatment to try and help restore a little bit of moisture back.
If you are a little bored of your hair perhaps you can think about doing a protective style using colour instead of dying it.
Bonus: Drink More Water
I’m sure you have already realised that drinking water is great for your skin BUT did you know that drinking water also helps your hair too?
When you drink water you hydrate your hair from the inside out. Your hair follicles are able to get more nutrients which then enables them to produce healthier natural hair strands.
Drinking water is one of the easiest ways you can begin to hydrate your hair.
Final Thoughts On Dry Natural Hair
If you have been suffering from dry natural hair it’s definitely not a lost cause. All of the tips that I have mentioned above will help you to get rid of the dryness and finally be able to enjoy the beauty of your natural hair and curl pattern.
Remember looking after the ends of your hair is really important. If your hair is dry that is the first place your hair will be badly affected. Usually, it presents itself in the form of split ends.
To avoid this make sure you are moisturising your hair from root to tip.
Related posts:
Why you need to try the LOC method
10 Tips to help you master moisture
How to make your hair feel softer
