Heat, chemicals, sun, wind and illness can leave your hair dry and brittle. Very curly hair may also be more prone to dryness and breaking. Dry hair looks and feels less than beautiful. Restoring hair to a soft, healthy luster requires you to treat it gently and with time and proper care, you can transform dry, brittle hair into a shiny, healthy mane. To keep your hair looking great, protect it from sun, wind and harsh chemicals and avoid exposing it to too much heat from hair dryers, hot rollers and other appliances.
Brushes
Brush your hair with a soft bristled brush. The Connecticut Department of Children and Families, which publishes a guide on caring for ethnic hair, recommends using a brush made of natural boar's bristles. A good hair brush smooths hair without being too rough on the strands or tangling and pulling them out. Boar's bristles absorb dirt and oil, just like your hair.
Washing
Wash your hair with a gentle shampoo. Look for a shampoo made for dry or damaged hair. Don't wash your hair too often because washing removes natural oils from the your hair that coat the hair shaft and help protect the hair.
Oil
Dress the hair with a little oil after washing. Reader's Digest suggests using a little olive oil, castor oil or even butter, while the Connecticut Department of Children and Families suggests using almond, rosemary or lavender oil. The oil will smooth the hair shaft and let it lie flat, as well as add moisture and protection. Pour a teaspoon of oil on one hand, rub your hands together, then work the oil into your hair.
Cutting
Trim your hair once a month. Regular trims will remove dry, damaged hair and help prevent split ends. If your hair is very damaged, you can cut off as much of the damaged hair as possible and treat emerging hair more gently to prevent more damage.
Styling
Avoid direct heat from hot rollers, flat irons, curling irons and blow dryers. If you must use a blow-dryer, use a cool setting and a diffuser attachment to keep the heat from focusing on the hair.
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