What is the difference between dry and damaged hair?

• August 11 2022
• 5 min reading time

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You probably recognize it: your hair doesn’t feel quite healthy to. Dry, stringy, it won’t cooperate. Fortunately, many brands have the solution to make your hair silky smooth to get. But what do you actually have: damaged or dry hair? Both cases require different care. In this blog, we will help you recognize the differences.

 

What is dry hair and what is damaged hair?

We already mentioned briefly: there is a difference here. Dry hair has a huge need for hydration. Damaged hair craves, for example, protein. 

 

Dry hair: When the hair does not retain or receive enough moisture, it can become dry. Causes of dry hair include low sebum production, external temperature influences, damaged hair, or age. It then looks very dull, becomes frizzier, and loses its shine. 

 

Damaged hair: When the hair cuticles are damaged, you can speak of damaged hair. This can be caused by friction with a towel or using a styling tool. Chemical treatments can also severely damage your hair. These forcibly open and close the hair cuticles, so not all cuticles remain intact. In healthy hair, the cuticles lie overlapping like roof tiles and are closed. In damaged hair, cuticles are missing or do not close properly. This causes easier moisture loss, rough hair texture, and less manageability.

 

What is the difference between dry hair and damaged hair?

There is a fine line between dry and damaged hair. Damaged hair can also become very dry. This is due to damaged hair cuticles that cannot retain moisture. Conversely, dry hair is not necessarily damaged. Dry hair mainly means the hair lacks moisture. As a result, the hair can feel dull, frizzy, and dry. The solution is quickly found: products with hydration! A hair mask or hair oil works wonders. Unfortunately, with damaged hair, you have a longer way to go and will need to work harder to repair the hair cuticles. 

 

How do I recognize damaged hair?

Damaged hair shows itself in a number of characteristics, we have listed them all: 

• The hair feels straw-like
• Can look very dull
• Breaks more easily
• Many split ends
• Feels dry to the touch
• No longer reflects light
• The hair has lost its elasticity

 

How do I recognize dry hair?

You can recognize dry hair by a number of characteristics, namely:

• Dull hair 
• Frizzy hair
• Tangles
• Split ends
• Unruly hair
• The hair becomes static more quickly
• The hair breaks more easily because it no longer has elasticity

 

What do my damaged hairs need?

Fortunately, damaged hair can be repaired, but it takes time. We have listed some tips, but especially consult this blog: The step-by-step plan to repair damaged hair!

 

Tip 1: Trim your split ends

You might not want to hear this tip, because everyone is very careful with their hair. But have your split ends trimmed. This makes your damaged hair look better and healthier again. 

 

Tip 2: Use a satin pillowcase

Sleeping on a satin pillowcase causes little friction, but your hair actually slides over the pillowcase. Friction is very damaging to your hair because it damages your hair cuticles. 

 

Tip 3: Avoid styling tools

Damaged hair often occurs from using a hot styling tool without heat protectant. So leave that heat tool in the drawer a little more often. Do you still want to use your styling tool? Then use a good heat protectant on your hair, set the temperature of your styling tool as low as possible, and don’t use it too often!

 

Tip 4: Keep your hair together while sleeping

Braid your hair or make a loose bun before you go to sleep. By doing this, you avoid friction during sleep. Try to use an elastic without a metal piece in it, for example the Invisibobble elastics. Because of the metal, you can also damage your hair, as it can break more easily.

What do my dry hairs need?

Fortunately, there are many ways to combat dry hair and we share a few with you:

 

Tip 1: Trim your ends regularly 

By regularly trimming your ends, your hair stays healthy and that’s of course what everyone wants. This removes your split ends without causing the hair to split further. 

 

Tip 2: Use hair oil

Hair oil ensures that your hair stays healthy. It becomes strong and soft, but it also looks healthy and shiny. This is of course perfect if you have dry hair, because hair oil can definitely make a difference!

 

Tip 3: Don’t wash your hair too much

If you wash your hair too much, you also remove natural oils and you don’t give them the chance to do the work they need to do. Dry hair occurs when you wash your hair too often with shampoo. You then remove natural nutrients, which leaves your hair dry and damaged.