How to Moisturize Dry Hair and Split Ends

Esther November
Even short hair or thinning hair looks better when it's properly moisturized and taken care of. Whether it's the brutal heat of summer frying your scalp or the bitter winter wind making your hair feel crunchy, you can still manage to moisturize your hair. Healthy-looking hair starts with a healthy scalp, so follow these tips to keep your scalp moisturized and your hair looking great.

Olive Oil and Other Home Remedies

Massaging olive oil through your hair is probably the most inexpensive way to moisturize dry hair and help split ends. CoolMensHair.com recommends conditioning with olive oil every two weeks, or every week at the most. Work the oil through your hair, including the ends. Then wrap your hair in a plastic bag or towel for half an hour before washing the oil out.

Other foods that will moisturize dry hair and split ends include mayonnaise, eggs yolks, yogurt and avocados.

Hot Oil Treatments

If you have really damaged hair, Free Beauty Tips suggests a hot oil treatment. A hot oil treatment can seal the hair shaft to lock in moisture and prevent further damage. You can buy a hot oil treatment at the drugstore and follow the instructions, or you can have a professional do it at a salon.

Shampoo and Conditioner

For men who want to moisturize dry hair and split ends, the kind of shampoo and conditioner used matters. Look for everyday shampoos and conditioners made especially for dry hair. It's even better if the shampoo contains naturally moisturizing ingredients like olive oil, avocados, aloe and cocoa butter.

What to Avoid

When it comes to moisturizing dry hair and split ends, what you don't do is just as important as what you do to your hair. You can reduce or eliminate many factors that cause your hair to dry out and split in the first place. Wise Geek's list of don'ts includes blow-drying, dyes, over-washing, swimming pools and salt water.

Being mindful of the different factors that cause dryness in hair means you can pinpoint causes and take steps to reduce dryness before it starts. For example, you might not want to blow-dry your hair if you swim often. Or you might decide to wash your hair less often after dyeing it. Taking steps to moisturize dry hair is great, but the less damage you do to your hair to begin with, the better the results will be.

Published by Esther November

Esther November is the pen name of a short fiction writer who has also written over 300 non-fiction articles for web and print media. She also teaches writing online for Ashford University.  View profile

  • If your hair is dry, it might be hungry! Condition with olive oil, mayonnaise, eggs or avocados.
  • Over-washing your hair can cause dryness.
  • Both salt water and chlorinated pool water are bad for your hair.
A hot oil treatment can help seal in moisture and prevent further damage.

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