This is now my second post on dealing with dry hair since I've been back to blogging. My habit for heat tools means the moisture in my strands can quickly be fried away, leaving me with locks that are severely lacking in moisture.

Do oils moisturise hair?

Adding oil to your conditioner 

Pre-shampoo treatment

The LCO method 

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Sometimes I feel like my hair is so dry I could light a match on it. Lack of moisture in our strands is one of the main causes of breakage. Without adequate hydration, hair lacks the elasticity needed to withstand daily manipulation, causing it to snap off easily and eat into your length progress. But what causes dry hair and how can you fix it?

Weather and atmosphere

Very hot or very cold weather can wreak havoc with our hair. When the air around us is dry our strands can become dehydrated and dull. In winter we tend to crank up the central heating at home, which further diminishes any moisture in the atmosphere.

A humidifier can help counteract this by adding moisture back into the dry air indoors. Protective styles, such as weaves, braids and buns, can also help to guard your hair from the harsh elements and maintain moisture levels in your hair.

Hard water

Hard water can deposit minerals such as calcium and magnesium onto the hair, causing it to become it dry, dull and brittle. If you imagine the hair shaft to be like fish scales or shingles on a roof, hard water can cause the shaft to become raised rather than lie flat, making hair tangled and rough rather than smooth and soft - not a good look!

Installing a water softening system or a shower head filter could help reduce the mineral levels in your water, so that each time you wash your hair (and body - it affects the skin too!) you're not depositing drying minerals onto it.

Chelating shampoos are specifically designed to remove mineral buildup from the hair, and they're also good for removing chlorine after swimming. These shampoos will strip your hair and will likely make it feel dry (oh, the irony), but if mineral buildup is the cause of your dryness, this will remove the buildup and give hair a chance to start receiving all your conditioning efforts! I wouldn't use a chelating shampoo too often - try once a month and see how that works for you.

A shower head filter may help to reduce the effects of hard water

Product buildup

If you're heavy handed with your products or only wash your hair with sulfate-free shampoos, you might find that your favourite products "stop working" and your hair becomes dry.  Sulfate-free shampoos are great for regular washes, but they don't contain the harsh detergents that thoroughly cleanse the hair.

When you have a buildup on your hair or scalp, your products are unable to penetrate the hair strand and offer maximum benefits. Whether you're treating your tresses with oils, moisturisers or conditioners, they will simply 'sit' on the hair strand and not be absorbed, resulting in hair that may feel heavy, greasy or coated, but dry at the same time.

If you suspect product buildup, try using a clarifying shampoo to break down the products and thoroughly cleanse the hair. This should open the door for your products to start penetrating again. A clarifying shampoo, which aims to remove product buildup, is different from a chelating shampoo, which is designed to remove mineral deposits.

Cotton pillowcases

Did you know you could be damaging your hair while you sleep? Perhaps I'm being extreme, but cotton pillowcases are notoriously known for stripping moisture from the hair.

If you don't wrap your hair with a silky or satin scarf, or at least sleep on a silky pillowcase, start now! A silky material will help prevent moisture from being sucked away in the night, leaving your hair feeling soft and hydrated in the morning. This is especially beneficial if you moisturise your locks before bed - you don't want your hard work to go to waste!

Heat tools

Heat tools, like flat irons, blow dryers and curling irons, are a wonderful way to fry and frazzle your hair! They're a quick way to evaporate all the moisture content in your strands, so be sure to do a moisturising deep conditioning session before you're planning to use heat, and always use a heat protectant!

If you've followed my blog you'll know that I've had a habit for heat (and frankly, the habit's back!) Try hiding your heat tools for a month and see how your hair thanks you. I need to listen to my own advice here...

Too much protein

Regular conditioning is great, but it's important to be mindful of the ingredients in your products. Striking the right balance between moisturising and protein products is important, as too much moisture in the hair can cause it to become weak and gummy, whereas a protein overload can result in dry and brittle hair.

Have a quick look at the ingredients in your products. Anything with keratin or containing the words 'hydrolized' will contain protein, and the higher up in the list, the more concentrated the ingredient is.

I've already written a post on protein so I won't dive into details too much here, but a protein overload can easily be fixed with a series of moisturising treatments to restore the balance.

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My hair recently. How long can I grow?

Bonjour!

It feels like I last posted a lifetime ago. Having been MIA for two years, I've had more than enough time to reach my length goal of armpit length but, in reality, I've become addicted to blunt ends and have been getting my hair cut into a chin-length bob every 2-3 months.

I pretty much stopped blogging because I had nothing new to report on my hair... until now!

After a few years of wearing a bob (recent pic above), I've decided I want to grow my hair again. Feeling a bit out of practice I decided to revisit my blog to get some tips on what used to help me.

Growing and maintaining healthy hair takes research, time and effort. Here are 3 questions to ask yourself before starting a hair journey.

What are the best vitamins for hair growth?

Many people incorporate supplements into their regime to encourage faster, thicker or healthier hair growth. With so many multivitamins and potions promising miracle results, how do you decide what's best for you?

The results you receive from vitamins is dependent on many factors, including whether you have a vitamin deficiency and how the vitamin interacts with another. in your body. I've decided to start taking biotin and MSM, but no vitamin comes without its risks so do your research first!

What is biotin?

This water-soluble B Vitamin is popular choice. Also known as Vitamin H, biotin occurs naturally in foods like fish, eggs and soy beans. While there's limited scientific evidence, many report thicker, faster growing hair while taking biotin, but they also report acne breakouts! You can read some reviews on biotin for hair growth here.

What is MSM?

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a naturally occurring compound found in the body. It's often taken to maintain bone health and reduce joint pain because of its sulfur content, which is important for forming connective tissues. Sulfur is also a key component for growing healthy hair and nails, thus MSM has also been said to encourage faster hair growth, although many report unwanted growth all over the body! It's also believed that MSM lengthens the anagen (growing) phase of the hair growth cycle, helping you achieve longer lengths.

How should you style your hair?

A key to retaining length is maintaining healthy ends. Heat styling, tight hairbands, and over manipulation are just three ways to cause breakage and reach an early length plataeu.

Protective styles and low manipulation styles such as braids, buns or any 'do that keeps your ends from being exposed, are a great way to maintain your length.

Hairstyles such as braid-outs and twist-outs are super cute and heat-free. Check out my experience with curlformers and pincurls; two styles I'll definitely be revisiting on my hair journey!

Harsh weather, daily styling and even hair rubbing against your shoulders can damage your locks, so planning your styles to protect your strands is a wise move.

Heatless pincurls

What are the best hair care products?

Products and technique go hand in hand, so pairing your arsenal of products with healthy practices is the key to success.

It's a good idea to establish a set of go-to products that work for your hair:

Shampoos

A sulfate-free shampoo will gently cleanse the hair without stripping it. Shea Moisture has an entire line of sulfate-free shampoos, and they smell delicious. Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Sulfate Free Shampoo leaves my hair feeling super silky and detangled. Creme of Nature Argan Oil Shampoo is another gentle cleanser with lots of slip - perfect for transitioning hair that gets tangled easily! There are loads to choose from, so have fun finding the right one for you!

Conditioners

A moisturising conditioner will help keep hair elastic and hydrated, while a good protein conditioner will add strength to your stands. I've been using Organic Root Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner, which strikes a balance between the two; it's been a staple of mine for over 10 years!

Moisturiser

Keep hair supple with a daily moisturiser (my favourite is African Pride Olive Miracle). The consistency of your chosen moisturiser should depend on your hair type. Thicker, thirstier or natural hair may benefit from a heavier butter, while relaxed or finer hair may prefer a lighter product. Cantu Argan Oil Leave-In Conditioning Cream is another of my favourites; a little goes a long way and it keeps hair soft and moisturised, plus it smells lovely!

Oils

Oils are a great way to nourish the hair and add shine to your strands. As oils don't contain water they can't moisturise the hair, but you might benefit from a hot oil treatment before shampooing, or you can try adding oils to your conditioner to boost its effect.

I love using argan oil as it doesn't leave my fine hair greasy or stringy. Castor oil is a popular choice and many people report thicker new growth after applying it to the scalp. Coconut oil is also great for its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, and olive oil is rich in nutrients to nourish your locks.