Ten common misconceptions about dry hair

Is dry hair making your life difficult? To make matters worse, when you try and treat your lacklustre straw-like locks, you are not always given correct advice. To help you tackle the problem, here are 10 common misconceptions which we've gone through with a fine-tooth comb.

1. My hair is wiry and dull, it must be dry

Careful, there are a few subtle differences that you should know when it comes to hair vocabulary. Your hair can be dehydrated because the hair fibre is temporarily lacking in water, hence it is lacklustre. Dry hair, on the other hand, is due to a lack of sebum (lipids). To make sure you know the difference so that you can apply targeted treatments, enlist a hairdresser to assess your locks.

2. At least there is no chance I will have greasy hair

And yet, this is still possible. When sebum (produced in sufficient amounts) accumulates at the roots instead of hydrating the whole hair fibre, your hair becomes dry from the mid-lengths down to the tips... But your roots remain greasy.

3. My hair is dry because I coloured it

This is true, colouring does dry out your locks. However, it is not the only cause: harsh shampoos which strip the hair, repetitive straightening or blow-drying, prolonged exposure to the sun, chlorinated or salt water can also be the root cause of the problem.

4. Lemon juice is great for making my locks shiny

It is often recommended for boosting your hair's shine thanks to its anti-limescale properties, but... In fact it is not advisable, whether you have dry hair or not. Lemon contains citric acid, which is very drying for the hair fibre.

5. The more treatments I use, the more nourished my hair will be

No, your hair is not a sponge and it cannot absorb excess product. It is pointless pouring a whole bottle of mask treatment onto your locks. A small amount is enough to nourish your hair, as long as you leave it in long enough for the active ingredients to work.

6. I can repair my split ends with treatments

Unfortunately no, you can't. Once split ends have set in, they are irreversible. The only solution for removing split ends is to ask your hairdresser to trim them off.

7. You must brush your hair 100 times a day to get beautiful locks

No... Fortunately this is untrue, otherwise you'd be there all day! Quite the opposite, you might break the hair fibre with excessive brushing. Detangling your locks on a daily basis is fine, but going over your hair 2-3 times with a comb is enough.

8. Leaving a hair mask to soak in overnight makes it more effective

Besides making your pillowcase dirty, this is pointless. Hair mask formulations are designed to work within the space of a few minutes. For more heavy-duty repair abilities, opt for a leave-in treatment.

9. You should stop using heated appliances on weakened locks

Not necessarily. You should just cut down on their use. You can use a diffuser on your hairdryer and apply a protective thermo-active treatment before you use any heated straighteners, curlers or hairdryers.

10. Baby shampoo is a good option

Although its gentle formulation may be tempting, this type of treatment does not suit adult hair, as it does not wash it effectively enough and it does not strengthen the hair fibre.