Dry hair, special care

• Dry hair is hair that has been degreased.
• Causes include dysfunction of the sebaceous glands or an aggressive shampoo.
• Hair care products help hair retain water molecules.
• If the sebaceous glands function normally, the hair cannot dry out.

Dry hair has lost its shine and is difficult to brush and style. The surface of the hair is rough and porous, the ends are split, and the hair lacks moisture. What are the possible causes of dry hair? What measures can we take to repair it or, better yet, prevent it? What are the best hair care products?

Causes of dry hair

Our hair follicles are surrounded by sebaceous glands. Their sebum makes the hair and the top layer of the scalp, the stratum corneum, supple and water-repellent. Sebum also protects the skin and hair against moisture loss.

The fact that dermatologists view hair and its sebaceous glands as a functional unit, the pilosebaceous gland unit, makes it clear that greasy or oily hair is not actually a cosmetic problem, but rather the normal condition. When the hair is surrounded by sebum, it is well protected from dehydration. The reduced release of sebum to the scalp and hair is called sebostasis.

Dry hair has too little sebum

1. Problem: Intensive hair care

Modern hair care standards lead us to wash our hair too often, for too long, and at too high a temperature. If we have oily or dry dandruff, we wash our hair even more intensively. Shampoo and hot water open the cuticle, which only slowly closes again on its own. Water molecules escape. When sebum is washed out, not only the hair suffers, but also the scalp, which is prone to dryness and dry dandruff.

2. Problem: Damaged hair

Our hair consists, from the outside inward, of a cuticle, the cortex, and the medulla. The flat horny cells of the cuticle, whose exposed edges are oriented toward the hair tip, fit tightly together in intact hair. While dry hair lacks sebum, damaged hair is damaged by external influences, such as hot blow-dryers, curling irons, flat irons, tension, dyeing, coloring, and perming.

Over the years, the hair cuticle weakens due to mechanical stress, primarily from constant brushing and combing, but also as a result of environmental influences such as sun, wind, heat, and cold. The edges of the cuticles lift, and detached scales expose the hair fiber. Without a protective covering, the hair loses even more moisture.

Hair and water molecules

Hair can better fulfill its evolutionary function—protecting the head from the elements—when it remains flexible and supple and lies close to the scalp. This works best when water molecules are embedded in the hair keratin. Depending on the humidity of the surrounding air, the water content of hair fluctuates between 10% and 30%.

Skin and hair constantly lose water molecules to the environment through evaporation—especially in dry ambient air. At the same time, hair can capture water from the ambient air and store it in the keratin molecules.

When sufficient lipids from sebum are present on the cuticle, the hair is protected from dehydration. Optional hair care products provide moisturizing substances such as urea and sebum substitutes such as ceramides.

2 x 3 hair care tips for dry hair

Dry, straw-like hair can be repaired to some extent. However, the real hair care lies in avoiding dry hair.

Tips to repair dry hair in the short term

• Dry hair loves coconut, olive, or argan oil. Apply the oil under a practical shower cap for 15 to 20 minutes. Then rinse your hair.
• Applying a treatment or conditioner after shampooing closes the opened cuticles. This prevents matting and makes combing easier. Cold water also has the same effect.
• Hair care products containing silicone smooth out imperfections in the cuticle. However, if we avoid these silicone-containing products, our hair quickly becomes drier and brittle again.

Three tips to avoid dry hair in the long term

• Split ends, or "split ends," are caused by the breakdown of hair keratin due to dry hair. Split ends cannot be permanently repaired. The best way to eliminate split ends is to trim them with scissors.
• It's a good idea to wash your hair only every other or third day with a mild shampoo at moderate water temperature. Optional: simply rinse your hair without using shampoo.
• Any mild shampoo that's kind to the scalp, doesn't dry it out, and keeps it soft is also good for the hair. noreiz Skin Calming Care Shampoo from Thiocyn soothes the scalp and protects the hair.

Brushing long hair

Regular and thorough brushing detangles the hair and distributes sebum to the ends. Hair stays hydrated and regains its shine. The ideal brush for daily hair care is a boar bristle brush. The bristles perfectly absorb sebum and return it to the hair stroke by stroke. However, if your hair is dry and brushed regularly, the brushing routine can actually damage your hair and make it more susceptible to dryness.

Healthy hair growth with thiocyanate

Thiocyn Hair Serum with patented thiocyanate active formula was developed to reduce excessive hair loss*. Since the body's natural molecule thiocyanate has the ability to balance imbalances in cellular metabolism, it also soothes dry and irritated scalps and forms the basis for healthy Hair growth created.