Straight Dry hair

Indian girl — Photo: Cheeku Digital/Shutterstock

Q: I have straight hair. It is very dry. I have to blowdry it after every wash to keep it straight. If I air-dry it, it gets frizzy. I am from India, and my hair is very thick. What can I do?

A: It sounds like the first thing you need to do is to take a look at the shampoo and conditioner you are using. Since you, yourself, realize that your hair is dry, you need to use a shampoo and conditioner that are rich and moisture and which are formulated to help smooth your hair. Most of the makers of hair care products now offer products that are formulated to make straight hair "smooth and sleek". These are a great place to start.

The next thing to look at is your hair care routine. If you shampoo your hair every day, you may be over-washing your hair. Since most of us now work in indoor environments, at jobs that are much less physically demanding, we don't expose our hair to the same amounts of soiling as in times past. You should only wash your hair as often as needed to keep it clean. Therefore, unless your work or other activities cause you to perspire heavily or expose your hair to dirt and other contaminants, daily shampooing is unnecessary.

You do want to condition your hair daily, though. The use of a rinse-through conditioner is generally sufficient to lift-away the amount of soil to which most women expose their hair each day and will keep your hair moisturized and well-conditioned. It's also important to remember to treat your hair with respect when drying it.

You should never "rub" your hair when toweling it. To towel-dry the hair, place the towel over your hair and squeeze it to blot up the excess water. Alternately, you can wrap your hair in the towel and leave it up for 10-15 minutes so that the towel absorbs the water.

You should also try an anti-frizz serum, which helps to smooth the cuticle layer of the hair (the cause of frizz). Simply apply the serum as directed to towel-dried hair and use a wide-toothed comb to remove any tangles and evenly distribute the serum. You should find most of your frizz problems alleviated by following these tips. It should even allow you to let your hair air-dry without frizz.

If you still need to blow-dry your hair, be sure to use a protective, leave-in conditioner spray to prevent loss of moisture. Be sure to use a low-heat, low-airflow setting for longer-lasting results.

If you have any problem with frizz in-between styling, or you have some frizz after allowing the hair to air-dry, try using an additional small amount of anti-frizz serum. Simply rub the serum between your palms and smooth it over the frizzy areas, using your fingers to comb it through the hair.

The results should be smoother, sleeker hair that you will be happy with.

©Hairfinder.com

See also:

Dry hair causes and solutions

How to get smooth hair at home

How to tame frizzy hair

How to blow dry hair straight