The average human head has 150,000 hairs, all of which are in need of regular care and treatment after the pollution, products, wind and sun they endure on a daily basis. Not to mention the coloring, perms, electric curlers, straightening irons and excessive blow-drying they’ve suffered at your (or your stylist’s) hands. It’s no wonder your hair sometimes morphs into a parched mess of frizzy split ends and bristly fly-aways.
The good news is that treating dry hair doesn’t require an expensive visit to the salon. In fact, the solution to an untamed mane can likely be found in your own refrigerator or kitchen cupboard.
The Best Home Remedies for Rescuing Dry Hair:
Beat up on an Egg: Separate the white of an egg from the yolk, and whip the white thoroughly. Then add 1 tablespoon of water to the yolk and blend until the mixture is creamy. Next, mix the white and yolk together. Wet your hair with warm water, remove the excess moisture, and apply the egg mixture to your scalp with your fingertips. Massage gently until the froth is worked into your scalp, and then rinse the hair with cool water. Keep applying the mixture until it is used up. Continue to rinse until all of the egg is washed away
Go for the Mayo: Heat up one half cup of mayonnaise until it becomes oily, white goo and apply to dry, unwashed hair. Cover your hair with a plastic bag and leave on for at least 15 minutes. Then, rinse and shampoo thoroughly.
Mix up a Tropical Treat: Mash one over-ripe banana (the blacker, the better) with a mushy, rotten avocado. Massage this exotic puree into your hair and leave on for at least 15 minutes before washing it.
Get The Beer: Beer can give your dry hair a healthy sheen. Before you blow-dry or style, use a pump bottle to spray brew onto your hair. The beer will leave your hair shiny and sleek and its odor will disappear quickly.
Try Vinegar: There are several ways you can help your dry hair with vinegar. Vinegar is a great conditioner and can improve cleanliness and shine. Just add 1 tablespoon vinegar to your hair as you rinse it. Keep a travel-size plastic bottle of vinegar in your shower for this purpose, and take one when you travel, too. Since dandruff can make your hair look dull, use vinegar to make dandruff disappear. Massage full-strength vinegar into your scalp several times a week before you shampoo. Or, a brief soak in vinegar and water before you shampoo can help control dandruff as well as remove the dulling buildup from sprays, shampoos, and conditioners.
Add 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar to a small basin of water and drape your hair into it. As an alternative, you can put the concoction in a spray bottle and apply it to your hair. A conditioner that controls dandruff and gives your hair a healthy shine can be made by mixing 2 cups water and 1/2 cup vinegar. Apply the conditioner after rinsing out your shampoo, and let it stay on your hair for a few minutes before rinsing thoroughly with water. If you need a stronger treatment for dandruff control, use this same method, but keep the rinse on your hair for 1 hour, covered with a shower cap. Then rinse it out. This vinegar rinse will also help control frizziness in dry or damaged hair
In addition to using these home remedies regularly to avoid dry hair, try the following preventative measures:
Avoid over shampooing. Shampooing can wash away the hair’s protective oils, so try washing less often and use a mild shampoo labeled “for dry or damaged hair.”
Condition regularly. Conditioners protect the hair’s cuticle layer from splitting from the shaft. Pick a conditioner that works well for your hair and use it after every shampoo.
Wear a hat. Too much exposure to wind and sun can leave hair thirsty.
Trim off split ends. The biggest problem caused by dry hair is split ends. Schedule a trim every six to eight weeks to keep fraying ends under control.
Ease up on the heat. Heat (in the form of blow dryers, as well as straightening and curling irons) can quickly dry out hair. Let your hair air dry occasionally. Try using plastic cylinder rollers to straighten hair by wrapping slightly moist hair under and around rollers for about 10 minutes. For curling, try using sponge rollers overnight or sleeping with moist braids.
Don’t swim without a cap. Use a rubber cap to protect your hair from the damaging effects of chlorine. If you must forgo a cap, rub a spoonful of olive oil into your hair before diving in.
Deep condition hair after it’s exposed to salty or chlorinated water.
Brush Less: Despite what you may have heard, too much brushing can actually fracture the hair, causing it to fall out. Fragile, dry hair is even more vulnerable to excessive brushing. Always brush hair gently and never when it is wet (use a comb, carefully, when hair is wet). The type of hairbrush you use is important, too. Boar-bristle brushes or “vent” brushes are good choices, since their rubberized tips don’t pull the hair excessively.