No matter how hygral fatigue arises, the signs of it are all the same: Hair that tangles or breaks easily, lacks elasticity, feels limp, or generally looks dull and frizzy, says Cavalcante.
To know if you have hygral fatigue, you simply stretch your wet hair strand and release it, if it doesn't regain its natural shape or if it breaks while stretching then you are suffering from it.
As you continue to add more strength to your hair, you can slowly incorporate moisture back into your regimen. There's no timeframe for your hair to recover from hygral fatigue. Some sections may recover faster than others and other people may be able to bounce back from it quickly.
Hygral fatigue means that you are wearing out your hair with too much water. “The telltale sign of dry hair is that the hair strands seem smaller than they used to be. They tangle easily, look and feel dry, but still have some good memory. Essentially, the stringy look.
To determine protein or moisture overload, take a few hairs out of your hairbrush or after the shower and pull them between your fingers. If the strand snaps immediately, there's too much protein. If the strand stretches and stretches without really breaking, there's too much moisture.
When you're experiencing hygral fatigue, your hair has too much moisture and not enough protein, explains Polko. Using a leave-in treatment or mask that contains protein once a week is an easy way to help combat hygral fatigue and improve the overall appearance of your hair, she adds.
"To tell if you have too much moisture in your hair, pull a strand of hair and stretch it," said Simmons. "If it stretches without bouncing back, there is too much moisture. Your hair can look and feel limp, lifeless and extremely soft, almost fluffy.
If your hair strands feel dry, brittle, and bumpy on touch, fair chance you're lacking moisture. If it feels mushy, doesn't stretch at all and snaps easily, it likely needs more protein.
Generally, he says, the range is somewhere between once a day and once a week. “If you have very fine or thin hair, you may need to wash more often, while those with thick or curly hair may need to wash less often,” says Dr Elizabeth Bahar Houshmand, a double board certified dermatologist and hair health expert.
Take a strand of dry hair end gently pull at the sides: If your hair stretches gently and bounces back, you are well balanced. If the hair doesn't stretch, or even snaps and breaks, you are in protein overload. If the hair keeps stretching without bouncing back, and eventually falls apart, you are in moisture overload.
Coconut oil can have many benefits for your hair and scalp. It is used to relieve dandruff, restore luster to dry and damaged hair, tame frizz, and protect hair against styling damage. It is safe to use on all hair types.
Dry hair is hair that's lacking in moisture – it can't retain hydration, and it's not getting enough on a day-to-day basis. Dehydrated hair often looks frizzy and dull – when you touch it, it may feel brittle and straw-like, and flyaways and split ends may become noticeable when you look in the mirror.
If you have high porosity hair, you will be most susceptible to hygral fatigue because the raised and damaged cuticles allow excessive moisture to penetrate (and also escape) the hair shaft. The cuticles on high porosity hair open more easily, allowing too much water absorption.
You're experiencing dull, limp hair.
If you're used to lively, bouncy curls and all you've been able to get as of late is limp and lifeless hair, hygral fatigue could be the reasoning. Your hair may even appear to be mushy, soggy, gummy or seemingly overly saturated.
Even after you've gone to all the effort of styling them, stringy looking curls can still happen! This can be really disheartening. There isn't any one reason for ending up with stringy curls, however most often they're due to insufficient moisture in the hair.
Your hair is fluffy because it is porous…
This occurs when the hair fibre's cuticles, which usually form a protective barrier, are lifted so much so that the hair absorbs humidity but cannot retain moisture. This is the complete opposite to healthy hair which has smoothed down cuticles.
Protein treatments can help strengthen the hair shaft and restore its structural integrity. On the other hand, if your hair feels dry, frizzy, and lacks elasticity, it's likely in need of moisture. Hydration is essential to keep your strands soft, manageable, and resilient.
The signs of protein overload include hair that feels rough and straw-like, lacks elasticity, and is prone to snapping. While dry hair may be a symptom of protein overload, if your hair has lost its natural elasticity and bounce, or you're experiencing more oily hair than normal, it's likely moisture overload.
Signs of dehydrated hair include frizziness, rough texture, dull color, dry hair and split ends. If you notice these symptoms, try increasing the hydration in your hair by using hydrating hair products, avoiding hot styling tools, and limiting washing.
TLDR: Protein and moisture go hand-in-hand when it comes to thriving hair. However, too much moisture can result in hygral fatigue (over-conditioning your hair) which leads to limp, lifeless, lackluster hair, just like protein overload can result in straw-like, dry, strands that have lost their elasticity.