When it comes to hair, retaining moisture can feel like rocket science, but it doesn’t have to be. Myavana has researched this topic extensively, and we want to share our findings with you. Our research indicates that retaining moisture depends on how well the hair absorbs water. Damaged hair lacks about 20% of its ability to absorb water, and the inability to retain moisture can lead to dryness and hair breakage. Simply put, healthy hair absorbs and retains water much better than damaged hair.
So, what are the challenges of moisture retention? How can we fix this issue and begin to improve our hair journeys? Myavana has the solution for you!
What are the Top 3 Challenges of Moisture Retention in Dry Hair?
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Porous Hair struggles to retain moisture, and dehydrated hair causes breakage.
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Resistant Hair includes dehydrated hair. Dehydrated hair is dull and difficult to manage during styling and regular hair maintenance.
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Product Selection plays a major role in hair moisture. Dehydrated curls lack definition.
What causes the Top 3 Moisture Retention Challenges in Dry Hair?
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Chemical changes are anything that changes the hair’s chemical composition by rearranging the hair bonds into a new structure. Chemical changes include permanent hair treatments, relaxers, and smoothing keratin treatments.
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Physical changes include changing the hair’s physical composition by dry styling, wet styling, and cutting.
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Color changes include bleach, permanent color, and high-volume peroxide developer (30-40 vol).
What are the Top 3 Product Solutions for Moisture Retention?
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Detox, clarify, and deep cleanse the hair. Make sure that you are starting with a clean foundation before applying products; this will help you avoid product build-up and increase the absorption rate of moisture benefits.
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Medium weight, moisturizing shampoo & conditioner creates a solid foundation for moisture. Choose moisturizing shampoos and conditioners that not only moisturize the outer layers of the hair, but also nourishes the inner layers. This will help to smooth the cuticle and trap the moisture from the inside out.
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Moisture-based creams, lotions, and tonics are also great for moisture. Check the ingredients in your hair products. Products with water as the first or second ingredient are the best for moisture. Moisture creams are the heaviest in molecular weight and provide the maximum moisture infusion. If you don’t need a product that’s super heavy in moisture, opt for the lotions and tonics, they are light to medium weight.
What can I do to Infuse Moisture?
Focus on your regimen. We recommend regularly cleansing and conditioning the hair on a weekly basis. You should also be applying moisture infusing treatments bi-weekly or monthly.
You can also utilize techniques like steam therapy, ceramic fusion heat styling, and dry sets with cream-based products (rollers, rods, twists). The tools you use to manage the hair are also important in retaining moisture. Check out our previous blog post here for a detailed list of hair tools.
Now that you have the information you need to improve your hair journey, we hope you implement it into your regimens.
To keep up with Myavana, follow us on Instagram @myavanahaircare! Also, if you would like to have an analysis done on your own strands, shop the Myavana Hair Kit on our website.
Thanks for reading, see you next time!