By Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd, M.D.
A series of common hair styling tricks and tools can be detrimental to your follicles. Make sure your hair gets the food you need to stay healthy.
Hair dryers, curling and straighteners: All or many are on the daily list of style solutions that people take advantage of in the ongoing quest for that elusive day of good hair. And why not? They have proven to be useful over the years for fashion styles and colors.
But is getting the look we want is worth the potential damage they were doing to our hair when we apply these styling tools? Two of the most damaging aspects of our daily beauty regimen involve high heat and over-processing. In other words, we inflict damage on our hair every time we leave the hairdryer or coloring.
People love the fluid and dry look they get when using a hairdryer. Women, in particular, use blow dryers and excessive heat, which dries and damages the hair. Meanwhile, excess processing can damage hair texture, manageability and sensation due to aggressive chemicals in many highlights, dyes and straighteners. Eliminate those two and eliminate many of the ongoing problems that affect your hair. It is also important to note that your hair can be damaged by everyday behavior, such as not properly protecting the hair and scalp from sun damage, poor nutrition or smoking.
The age also has its toll: as the skin becomes dry and thick, the oils produced in the scalp decrease as the years go by. Let's take the example of a teenager whose skin and hair create a lot of oil. Her hair has a good sheen. As the oil your scalp produces decreases over time, less of it travels through your hair, and with it, the soft, shiny look we desire.
Because hair dries with treatment and age, you will need to wash it less frequently; Getting rid of natural oils is no longer necessary. Once or twice a week is usually enough for women, unless they often exercise and their hair gets sweaty. Also try to limit the use of your hair dryer once or twice a week, and when you have to use it, use a lower setting and do not apply hot air too close to your scalp and hair. Hair and ends will be less likely to be damaged.
A quality conditioner used once per week while showering also can restore some of the moisture to your hair and give it a more silky feeling. Hot oil treatments like argan oil are becoming popular again to help recover the shine that is lost in recent years. And while we can't turn back to those hands of time, limiting our hairs exposure to the high heat, restricting the harsh chemical treatments and breaking from the custom of excessive washing, we can keep our hair healthy, shiny and look its best.
Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd, M.D., is a Miami-based dermatologist who practices in both a private practice and academic setting. She has been featured as an expert dermatologist on hair care in numerous broadcast, print and digital media outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, WebMD, O, Allure and Prevention magazines. An internationally recognized expert in skin of color, Dr. Woolery-Lloyd also serves on the Board of Directors for the Skin of Color Society and has served on the Diversity Task Force for the American Academy of Dermatology.
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