Because hair is not a living tissue with regenerative ability, it cannot heal and repair. You can use oils, conditioners, hydrolyzed proteins or other ingredients to disguise the issues temporarily but it's akin to using makeup on the face.
There are a lot of products out there — conditioners, serums, shampoos — that promise to heal and restore dry, damaged hair. Sadly, there's really no way to heal damaged hair. Hair is not a living tissue with regenerative abilities, so it can't heal.
Using products that are designed to nourish the scalp and hair can definitely speed up this process, but on average you'd be looking at six months to a year to fully see a difference in your hair's condition.
Fortunately, in the vast majority of cases, you can eventually grow the damaged hair out as long as the follicle itself has been preserved. The most common causes of damage are below. Damaged hair can still grow eventually, but routine damage can result in negative consequences for your hair.
Brittle hair and nails
One of them is a lack of biotin. Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, helps the body convert food into energy. A deficiency in biotin is very rare, but when it occurs, brittle, thinning, or splitting hair and nails are some of the most noticeable symptoms.
If your hair feels like straw, it's more than likely because it lacks moisture. A great place to start when it comes to solving dry locks is your haircare regime. Switch things up with different products and be sure to introduce a nourishing treatment mask.
Our skin glands produce less sebum making our tresses feel perpetually dry. Having low hair porosity or even high hair porosity and using the wrong products can also contribute to having dry hair, even when using a conditioner. Low porosity hair is hard to hydrate while high porosity hair loses moisture easily.
Typically dry hair appears flat and dull, think no shine. Dry hair is also usually more difficult to manage and when you touch it, it has a noticeably brittle texture i.e. knots and tangles, etc. If your hair isn't maintaining a blow-dry this can also be a sign that your hair is lacking hydration levels.
Biotin. Biotin is an essential B vitamin (meaning we need to consume it daily) that's known to be important in hair and nail growth. "When patients have a biotin deficiency, they suffer from thinning, dry hair, and dry skin," says Zeichner.
Thyroid hormones regulate your metabolic rate and the speed at which cells work – including those within your hair follicles. When you produce too few thyroid hormones, the imbalance can make your hair dry, brittle and noticeably finer.
Vitamin A for dry hair and skin
People struggling with chronically dry hair or skin should prioritize increasing the consumption of vitamin A. The vitamin is considered especially vital for all cells in the body and is linked with helping the skin glands create sebum.
not using a conditioner often enough or one that's designed for your type of hair. not including a moisturizing hair mask in your hair care routine. not being gentle enough when you detangle wet hair. not eating a diet that has enough of the vitamins and minerals necessary to support hair health.
Fried hair can be caused by excessive use of chemicals, coloring, and heating styling products and tools, environmental conditions, and swimming with dry hair. But there are remedies to treat and repair fried hair, such as moisturizing hair masks and using leave-in conditioners.
Brittle hair could be the result of a number of things, right from constant heat styling, to medical conditions, such as malnutrition, hypothyroidism and a biotin deficiency. This includes using a blow dryer, flat iron, curling rod, and other similar devices.
Everything depends on where exactly your hair is damaged. “If you have split ends, you're better off getting them trimmed immediately as the hair fibers have become separated and will never return to their normal self.
Take an inch-wide section of hair between two fingers and gently pull them down the hair, right to the ends. Concentrate on the texture: does it feel smooth all the way down? If you feel an uneven surface, with kinks and sections that snap off under tension, these are damaged hair warning signs.
Damaged hair looks dull, breaks off easily, is extremely thin and does not retain moisture. In addition, you can tell that your hair is damaged if you notice a texture and color change. Another important indication of damaged hair is excessive tangling and split ends that won't go away even after a trim.
Brittle hair could be the result of a number of things, right from constant heat styling, to medical conditions, such as malnutrition, hypothyroidism and a biotin deficiency. This includes using a blow dryer, flat iron, curling rod, and other similar devices.
Irrespective of your hair texture, avoid excessive heat styling, chemical dyes and harsh hair care products. Use conditioning treatments from oils to aloe vera to deep conditioners to improve your hair texture over time.