We all face dry ends from time to time. Dry ends are just a symptom of a habit (or lack thereof) that needs to be modified. As the cooler weather quickly advances, I wanted to provide some tips to bringing some moisture back to your strands.You can follow one or follow the whole sha-bang to ensure optimum results.
1. Make Sure that Your Moisturizing Ritual is Solid
If you do not know the difference between a sealant and a moisturizer than your hair’s ends probably reflect your ignorance! A moisturizer is water or a water based product (leave in conditioner). You can identify a moisturizing product by reading the ingredients on the product label.
A moisturizer will have aqua or water listed as the first ingredient. A sealant is a natural oil such as olive, jojoba, shea butter etc or (aloe vera juice/gel for finer hair that is weighed down by oil).
A moisturizer is applied first and the sealant is applied second. If you are not following this process in your hair ritual than you probably should implement it to ensure healthier more moisturized hair strands.
2. Trim your ends
Trimming your dry, damaged, frayed ends is a wonderful way to rid yourself of the hassle and unsightly appearance of your dry tresses. A simple, small trim goes a long way for overall appearance and hair health.
3. Clarify Your Scalp
Hair health begins with your scalp. If your scalp’s pores are clogged and unable to breathe, you are definitely increasing your likely hood of facing dry, brittle hair. Natural hair oil/sebum comes from your hair’s pores and travels down your hair’s strand resulting in naturally moisturized hair strands. The oil distribution of curly hair is compromised due to the coiled nature of the strand so to add clogged pores on top of that is a nightmare. We all know that excessive cleansing with shampoo dries hair out but a good, clarifying cleanse AT LEAST once a month is very important in providing your scalp with an opportunity to be rid of any clogging product buildup and allowing the natural oil to be distributed.
4. Deep Condition Your Hair Weekly
When struggling with dry ends, it usually takes diligence and consistency to try and bring them back to health. Consistently try and deep condition your hair weekly. If you have the resources, change up the process. Use your steamer once week, a warm towel the next, incorporate protein or honey the next etc. You will soon see results after about a month of weekly applications.
5. Protective Styling
Leave your hair alone! The best way to ensure that your strands aren’t losing moisture is to tuck your strands away! After a thorough cleansing, deep conditioning and proper moisturizing application you should style your hair in a beautiful protective style that can be maintained for a couple days ensuring that your hands are out of your hair. Click here for some style ideas.
I'm 6 months into my transition and keeping my ends trimmed helps tremendously! I also try to wear ponytails and buns to keep my ends from rubbing against my clothes.
I must confess that I am guilty of not keeping my hair trimmed. After my braids/extentions broke my hair down to an inch in length (and cried for three days straight) I was afraid to cut my hair. I do trim it, but I can probably do it more frequently. Oh, and by the way – my hair is now well past my shoulders. Whew! Feel so much better now.
Thanks, Shanti & Ant! I really need a trim badly. My ends are looking super rough & dry. My DC & moisturizing routine is solid. I will def be doing more protective styling this fall. I love the styles on your blog. Thanks for the info.
Thank you so much
Good looking out love this article! Deep conditioning several different ways helps I even blew a blow dryer for 5 mins over my plastic cap to really help the conditioner soak in my hair. Protective styling I wish I knew more of them.
To keep the hair healthy and moisturized follow these tips……….
Hair Care
1. Sometime my ends unravel when they get too dry. Rewet ends of hair with water or a water based product, seal and then retwist.
2. Sometimes if I make my twists too big, they unravel.
3. Switch to a heavier oil such as castor oil to seal ends. The lighter oils like coconut oil & jojoba oil are "slippery" on my type hair and make it harder for the hair to grip & hold a twist, instead I apply them when I want to remove twists that have been in for awhile or to prepoo.
There's no link provided for protective styling 🙁
1. Twists can unravel if the ends of hair is too dry. Spritz with water or water based product, seal & retwist.
2. When I first get a trim, sometimes my twists unravel because the ends are too even.
3. I switched to castor oil to seal my hair. I discovered that the lighter oils like coconut oil & jojoba oils were too "slippery" on my type hair. It felt like the hair couldn't grip onto each other to help secure the twist in place so the twists would unravel.
Hope that helps.
I recently purchased it…not sure of my hairtype…it's 4 something and B & C in different places…at any rate, I love it. I don't use it as often as I'd like to because of my travel schedule….if you're tight on money…don't bother….you'll get the same experience with a heating cap and plastic cap. I just got tired of that routine and just wanted to try it out. Something different, and it works. I haven't had any of the problems that you mention. The dripping could be because of bad installation….
I have a question maybe someone may help me please ! After i wash my hair and i detanglewith my condtioner after i detangle and i twist my hair. My ends spread out ! Can someone please tell what this can be or how i can make it better ? Please help
@Shanti and Antoinette:
I am soooo on the fence about purchasing a Huetiful hair steamer. Right now I DT with a plastic bag+turbaned towel. My results are similar to a plastic cap and bonnet dryer.
My 4c hair is dry when I'm not using KCCC.
Despite the glowing reviews, I've read some bad press about the Huetiful (won't work for 4c, hot water dripping, reservoir melting, shorting out) that I don't want to risk it.
I know you at AroundTheWayCurls love your steamer, and have posted before and afters of ladies with my hair texture – I just wanna know, "Is Huetiful worth it?"
Good advice. I try to deep condition weekly all year round and alternate between several kinds of conditioners. I definitely seal after adding my moisturizer in the Fall and Winter. I put a little extra oil or sealant on my ends after twisting all year round though as it helps minimize frizz when I untwist.
I agree with the suggestion of tucking those ends away during the harsher winter months. Your ends will thank you come Spring.
I will send photos for sure!!! Ummm… only if it looks good though! LOL! x
whoot whoot send us some pictures after you try them. We need to come up with some new styles but have no inspiration. send us some!
Thank you shanti and Antoinette!!! you girls are super! I'm trying one of your styles tomorrow after I co-wash tonight!!! Protective styling has been my savior in combating dryness. Don't have a solid DC routine yet. I'm trying to modify my entire regimen with Fall approaching.
This has been most helpful!!!
Good info!