The curly-hair look is one that people pay good money to acquire. All those perm treatments wouldn’t exist otherwise. But it also brings a higher dose of maintenance, the absence of which can cause many a sleepless and itchy night.
Curly hair is generally hereditary and is passed on down the generations. The follicles are shaped in a J-pattern, which twist on top of themselves. The proteins that are created within, cause the follicles to follow that pattern. But this also makes them vulnerable as the twists and turns can make the cuticle of your hair strand weaker.
Curly Hair Problems
What can you do?
Curly Hair Problems
Some of these vulnerabilities are:
Dry and frizzy hair –
Every person with curly hair faces the possible scenario of a dry scalp and dry hair. The curls stop the natural flow of oil down to the tips of the strand, preventing your hair from getting the adequate lubrication it needs for protection. The moisture barrier breaks and is unable to retain any moisture, which causes your hair to turn frizzy.
Dandruff and greasy scalp –
The irony of a dry scalp is that it can trigger your body into producing even more oil as compensation. This leads to a build-up of oil on the scalp, as that oil cannot flow down naturally. And this oil is fodder for the dandruff causing fungus Malassezia Globosa. It breaks down the oil into fatty acids that you might be reactive towards, leading to an itchy scalp, redness, and dandruff flakes.
Hair Breakage and thinning –
The sad truth is that when your hair dries out, it loses the strength that keeps it intact. Water escapes when the cuticle opens up, weakening the hair strand and leading to breakage. When you add brushing, styling, or blow-drying, it can further worsen the situation by affecting the hair follicles and leading to hair thinning.
Tangled hair and knotting –
This is one of the most frequently seen curly hair problems. Because the natural oils don’t reach the tips of the strand, your dry hair becomes rough in texture. Due to this roughness, the hair strand adheres to the next one and gives you these tangles. You might have noticed that the texture of hair knots is different from the surrounding hair.
Heat trap –
You might be using the best shampoos for frizzy hair, but your curls can spike the temperature on your scalp. This can further dry out your skin and increase scalp sweating. It leads to a build-up of grime on your scalp, which can even aggravate your dandruff and make you hunt for a dandruff treatment.
Split ends –
These usually accompany dry hair, which cracks open the clean hair strand and frays out the ends. The lack of hydration and protection causes the strands to weaken and break. Blow drying and chemical treatments can aggravate the situation.
Lack of shine –
Hair shine comes from the natural oils on your hair. You might have noticed the difference between curly shine and straight hair shine. It’s usually because the oils cannot reach the tips and coat them. The damaged cuticle can further worsen the look of your hair, especially if you’ve used heat treatment.
Hair colour fades –
If you don’t take care of naturally curly hair, it can directly cause a loss of hair colour. When the hair dries up and the cuticle is damaged, a certain amount of colour will leak out every time you wash your hair. Gradually you’ll notice your hair colour fading.
What can you do?
Luckily, this is a manageable nuisance to have and there are various ways to reset the health of your hair. Here are some hair care tips that can help you regain healthy hair
Shampoo -
Wash and shampoo your hair appropriately. You can’t wash too often but finding the right kind of moisturising shampoos for frizzy hair can help you deal with any problems. Look at the Head and Shoulders Smooth and Silky shampoo or the Head and Shoulders Silky Black anti dandruff shampoo for curly and coloured hair. If you have coloured hair, you should use shampoos which are meant for them.
Dry Shampoo -
Even a dry shampoo could work wonders. Sometimes a regular shampoo might not be what you need and using a dry shampoo can be a good replacement. Ensure you don’t use it too often.
Aloe Vera –
This is a great product from nature that can moisturise your curly hair, while removing any excess oil from the scalp. This also has strong anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties.
Oils –
There are oils like Argan oil, that can help create a protective layer on your hair which helps in moisture retention and repairing damaged strands. It can act as a heat protectant and is also a great method on how to reduce dandruff.
Conditioners –
This can be your best friend if you have curly hair. It can open up knots, calm down the frizziness, and allow the natural oils to flow down. You could try regular or leave-in and see what works. Use the Head and Shoulder Smooth and Silky conditioner, which can soften and restore your frizzy hair.
Reduce heat-based styling -
Reduce any treatment or styling that is heat-based or chemical led. These have a way of disrupting the natural rhythm of your scalp and hair, causing you problems.
Curly hair can sometimes feel like a big pain to manage. But using the right knowledge can help you automate the haircare process, allowing your curls to finally become your strength.
