An easy way to tell if you have a moisture overload in your hair is to take a strand of your hair and stretch it. If it stretches very far, feels mushy and then snaps, your hair is over-moisturized. Another consequence of too much moisture is a condition known as hygral fatigue.
You can tell your hair has too much moisture when it starts to feel limp and weak. It stretches and keeps stretching without bouncing back which means it's lost elasticity. Additionally, your hair can feel gummy or mushy. Signs of too much protein include dry, rough, and brittle hair that easily breaks.
Comparable to anything that lacks moisture, dehydrated hair has lost its shine and appears dull, brittle, and frizzy. Dry hair symptoms also include an itchy, flaky scalp that can't produce natural hair oils. Other visible signs of dry, damaged hair are split ends, flyaways, and breakage.
In highly porous hair, the cuticle is raised. According to Refinery29's article on hair porosity, this type of hair suffers from breakage and is generally weaker. Telltale signs of high porosity include hair that retains excessive amounts of water and grabs onto color quickly causing it to look uneven.
See Where It Lands. If your hair immediately sinks to the bottom, then it's highly porous. If it floats in the middle, then it's in the medium to normal porosity range, and if it sits on top, then it has a low porosity.
While healthy hair feels smooth, has minimal breakage, and appears shiny, unhealthy hair usually has frizz, split ends, roughness, and a lack of luster. All of these latter signs point to intrinsically weaker hair1.
“Look for products with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, or aloe vera, which hydrate without leaving a greasy residue,” says Garshick. “Use a lightweight conditioner and avoid heavy oils or creams. A leave-in conditioner spray or a volumizing conditioner can also help add moisture without making hair flat.”
Dry or damaged hair: While noting that it depends on the level of damage and dryness, King typically recommends shampooing every five to seven days, as "you may need to allow some [of the hair and scalp's] natural oils to get in the mix until that time." Courtney adds that "if hair is dry and damaged, it could be that ...
One major sign is a change in the look and texture of your hair as it may start to look dry, dull, and brittle. Your hair may feel more coarse and struggle to hold a curl when dealing with protein overload. Too much protein may also cause split ends and breakage, leaving hair to shed more.
Signs of High Humidity
Condensation on Windows: If you notice water droplets on the inside of your windows, it's a sign that there's too much moisture in the air. Mold Spots: Mold loves damp environments. If you're spotting mold in corners, on walls, or in the bathroom, your home's humidity is too high.
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.
Signs that you may be suffering from moisture overload are if your hair feels excessively soft and mushy, if you're noticing that your curl pattern is looser, or if your hair strands stretch but don't revert or bounce back. It can also lead to excessive split ends, limp or dull hair, a lack of volume, and more.
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.
Also, your product should last you a few months, not a few weeks—using up product quickly indicates you might be using too much. Some signs that you may be over-moisturizing are clogged pores, blackheads, bumpy skin, and excess oil.
The amount of moisture needed depends on an individual's hair texture, with curly and coily hair requiring more moisturizer as it is more porous and prone to water-loss over time.
Moisturize your hair every 3-7 days. Adjust based on how your hair feels and responds, with products like GK Hair's Moisturizing Conditioner for best results.
A damaged hair strand refers to a hair fiber that has lost its natural structure and strength due to various factors such as heat styling, chemical treatments, and environmental stressors. Damaged hair strands may appear dry, brittle, and dull, and can also have split ends and frizz.
Healthy hair should have some elasticity, meaning it should allow for some stretch before it breaks. When hair moisture and protein levels are depleted, it loses this ability which can make hair prone to breakage, a telltale sign of damage.
FEMININITY. Healthy or Long Hair are culturally and timelessly considered to be very feminine. Men visualize femininity when they see a woman with a bountiful head of hair that looks robust and vibrant. The framing of the face with beautiful and healthy locks seem to be more pleasing to the eyes of men.
Here's a quick experiment: take a few strands of your hair and put them in a bowl of water. If they float, whether to the top or slightly below, this signals healthy hair. If the strands sink to the bottom, it's likely your hair is suffering from damage.
Hair Porosity Tests
The Float Test: Take a few strands of clean, dry hair and place them in a bowl of water. If your hair floats, you likely have low porosity hair. If it sinks slowly, you have medium porosity hair. And if it sinks quickly, you have high porosity hair.
Hair is made up largely of a number of proteins called keratins. These are safely ensconced in cuticles, a protective covering a bit like flexible armor. When hair is wet, proteins form weaker bonds (hydrogen bonds), than when the hair is dry (protein-protein bonds). This makes the hair easier to damage.