Dry and brittle hair: what causes it and what to do about it?

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Help, my hair is dry and brittle, what is the cause?

For some time now you have noticed that the nature of your hair is changing.

Your hair is becoming brittle, it has lost its suppleness, split ends are becoming more and more numerous and you are certainly wondering what is going on.

Well, chances are your hair is not happy and will let you know.

So why has your once silky, shiny hair turned to straw?

What is very dry hair?

Hair is made up of 96% keratin.

The keratin is the protein that gives the hair its structure in forming the famous scales which are the origin of the "hair type".

When the scales are tightly packed together, they cause straight hair and when the scales are loosely packed, they cause curly or frizzy hair and make the hair dry.

But keratin is not the only factor, the amount of sebum secreted by the sebaceous glands can also be a reason for dry hair.

When not enough sebum is secreted, the hair dries out.

Is very dry hair brittle?

Dry hair can actually be brittle. This is due to premature ageing and/or loss of elasticity of the keratin.

In a few figures :

The number of hairs is between 100,000 and 200,000 in the human species.

The average life span of a hair is three years for men and varies between 4 and 7 years for women. In the course of a lifetime, it is renewed approximately 20 to 25 times.

The different phases of a hair's life :

Growth: lasts approximately 2 to 7 years, knowing that a hair grows on average 1 cm per month.
Regression: lasts about 15 to 20 days. It is an interruption of growth, prior to renewal.
Expulsion: lasts from 2 to 4 months and corresponds to the death of the hair, which remains attached to the scalp.
The hair that replaces the dead hair reaches the surface of the scalp, causing it to fall out.

What causes very dry and brittle hair?

Some hair is naturally dry (frizzy hair, curly hair) and it is hereditary !

But if your hair type is originally straight, and you notice that your hair is drying out, there are several possible explanations!

In addition, the daily treatments we inflict on our hair have a lot to do with it.

coloring , perming, blow-drying and blow-drying are all factors that cause dry hair.

They alter the structure of the hair by weakening the role of keratin.

But that's not all, prolonged exposure to the sun and swimming in salt water during the summer contribute to dry hair.

As a result, the hair scales spread and the hair loses its suppleness and shine.

Indeed, if your hair is dry and brittle, it has surely been "mistreated", i.e. :

frequent drying with a hair dryer that is often too hot and used too close to your hair
use of cosmetics that are aggressive to the scalp (unsuitable shampoos, shampoos with parabens or sulphates)
chemical colours (most of which containammonia)
frequentstraightening (classic, Brazilian or Japanese) and blow drying

What to do about very dry and brittle hair?

Don't panic, it's not a hopeless situation!

Here are a few tips to help you get a smooth and shiny hair. beautiful, smooth and shiny hair :

Take the time to massage your scal p to stimulate blood circulation and reactivate the secretion of the sebaceous glands.
Take a break from colorings chemicals: space out your colorings applications as they tend to dry out hair.

Good nutrition: Nutrition plays an important role in hair. Good nutrition, good health and a beautiful head of hair!

It is recommended that you only wash your hair once or twice a week.

So, use gentle and repairing shampoos and conditioners. gentle, restorative shampoos and conditioners. Shampoos that are too astringent tend to dry out the hair.