What is the difference between dry and damaged hair?
- 4 min reading time
You probably know the feeling: your hair doesn’t feel quite healthy. Dry, stringy, hard to manage. Luckily, many brands offer the solutionSi to get your hair back Silky smooth. But what do you actually have: damaged or dry hair? Both cases need different care. In this blog, we’ll help you spot the differences.
What is dry hair and what is damaged hair?
We mentioned briefly: there’s a difference here. Dry hair really needs hydration. Damaged hair craves, for example, protein.
Dry hair: When hair doesn’t retain or get enough moisture, it can become dry. Causes are too little sebum production, temperature changes, damaged hair or age. It looks very dull, your hair gets frizzier and loses its shine.
Damaged hair: When the hair cuticles are damaged, you have damaged hair. This can come from rubbing with a towel or using styling tools. Also, chemical treatments can damage your hair badly. These force the cuticles to open and close, so not all cuticles stay intact. Healthy hair has overlapping closed cuticles. Damaged hair has missing or lifting cuticles. This causes more moisture loss, rough feel, and less manageable hair.
What is the difference between dry and damaged hair?
The line between dry and damaged hair is thin. Damaged hair can also get very dry because damaged cuticles can’t hold moisture. But dry hair isn’t always damaged. Dry hair mainly lacks moisture, making it dull, frizzy and dry to the touch. The solutionSi is easy: hydrating products! A hair mask or hair oil already works wonders. Damaged hair, unfortunately, needs more effort to repair the cuticles.
How do I recognise damaged hair?
Damaged hair shows these signs, all listed here:
- Hair feels straw-like
- Can look very dull
- Breaks more easily
- Many split ends
- Feels dry
- No longer reflects light
- No elasticity left in the hair
How do I recognise dry hair?
You can spot dry hair by these signs:
- Dull hair
- Frizzy hair
- Tangles
- Split ends
- Unruly hair
- Hair gets static more quickly
- Hair breaks easier due to lack of elasticity
What does my damaged hair need?
Thankfully, damaged hair can be restored, but it takes time. We’ve listed some tips, but be sure to read this blog: The step-by-step plan to repair damaged hair!
Tip 1: Trim your split ends
You might not want to hear this, because everyone values their hair. But trim your split ends. This makes damaged hair look healthier and better.
Tip 2: Use a satin pillowcase
Sleeping on a satin pillowcase reduces friction, letting your hair glide over the surface. Friction damages your cuticles, so reducing it helps protect your hair.
Tip 3: Avoid styling tools
Damaged hair often results from using hot styling tools without a heat protectant. So, leave that hot tool in the drawer more often. If you still want to style, use a good heat protectant, keep the temperature as low as possible and limit usage!
Tip 4: Keep your hair tied while sleeping
Braid your hair or loosely tie it before bed to avoid friction during sleep. Use an elastic without metal, like invisibobble elastics. Metal can damage hair by causing breakage.
What does my dry hair need?
Luckily, you have plenty of Man options to fight dry hair, and here are some we’d like to share:
Tip 1: Trim ends regularly
Keeping your ends trimmed keeps your hair healthy — exactly what everyone wants. This removes your split ends before the damage spreads.
Tip 2: Use hair oil
Hair oil keeps your hair healthy. It becomes strong and soft, looking healthy and shiny. This is of course Perfect if you have dry hair, because hair oil can really make a difference!
Tip 3: Don’t wash your hair too often
Washing your hair too often removes natural oils, which then can’t do their job. Dry hair often results from excessive shampooing. You strip natural nutrients, leaving your hair dry and damaged.
