Dull hair. Reasons and what to do if your hair becomes dull. Tips and recipes for shiny hair

Healthy, elastic and shiny hair - no matter what length - is what all women and girls want to have, and many men are also interested in this.

However, they often spoil our mood: we seem to take care of it “as it should” and use “advanced” shampoos, but many people’s hair becomes dull the very next day after washing. In summer, this problem becomes especially painful. When you have the opportunity to wear light clothes and shoes, you really want to look brighter and more attractive, but even the most beautiful dress and the best cosmetics will not help create a romantic image if your hair looks dull and faded.

Causes of dull hair

What to do if your hair quickly becomes dull? The simplest thing is to use the latest shampoos, gels and balms, which are often talked about in commercials. In this way, you can restore shine to your hair - temporarily, but then more and more care products are needed, and they become more and more expensive: the problem is masked, but does not go away.

It’s probably worth trying to determine the cause of hair dulling: consult a specialist, get tested for chronic diseases and blood composition. Perhaps you have a serious lack of vitamins and minerals in your body, and your hair is “sounding the alarm”, and you don’t even know it.

Hair can become dull due to problems with blood circulation or sebum secretion, poorly selected care products, the use of curling irons, hair dryers, flat irons, etc.

Poor or unhealthy diet is also a common cause of hair problems. When hair receives everything it needs from nutrition through the follicles, it usually does not lose its shine.

Dull hair: nutrition, love and care

To have shine, hair must be well nourished and feel good. If you lack vitamins and minerals, you can use the coolest shampoos, and the result will only be temporary.

So, for the health of the stratum corneum and shine, hair needs vitamin H; It is believed that there is little of it in nature, but this is not so: liver, corn, eggs, oat and barley cereals, sprouted wheat, many types of sea fish, chicken meat, almost all green vegetables (broccoli, spinach, etc.) are rich in it. some nuts and seeds. “Things are the same” with other nutrients, so if you wish, you can always find the necessary products for the beauty of your hair.

Of course, taking additional medications can also help, but in most cases the problem (or most of it) is solved by proper nutrition. You can and should get iron from food - a lack of hemoglobin almost always causes dull hair - and B vitamins, without which hair also “refuses” to shine - women lose a lot of vitamins during “critical” days, during pregnancy and breastfeeding. In general, we need all nutrients, but some are especially important for hair: in addition to the products listed above, you need to eat legumes, carrots, fresh fruits (dried fruits in winter), eggs, seafood, fresh milk, unrefined vegetable oils, yoghurts and cheese.

Overwork, lack of sleep and frequent stress quickly deprive hair of health and shine: you need to sleep 7-8 hours a day, and give up nervous overload - why do you need them?

If we talk about the complex effect, then a good scalp massage, which improves blood circulation and nutrition of the hair follicles, is also important for the smoothness and shine of hair. The massage can be done every time before washing your hair, for 7-10 minutes, applying castor or olive oil to your fingertips. Thoroughly combing your hair in different directions is the easiest way to improve its health, but we usually reach for a comb when we need to fix something. Choose a wooden comb or a natural hair brush and comb your hair 100 times in the morning and 100 times before bed: do at least this and you will soon notice an improvement.

Hair suffers greatly from unfavorable environmental conditions, and especially in cities: the air can be so dusty and polluted that it is clearly visible to the naked eye. And young people today love to go without a headdress, and not only from spring to late autumn, but also in winter, when the smog hanging over the city in a dense haze, combined with frost, deals truly devastating blows to unprotected hair.

Dyeing, bleaching, and various types of curls disrupt the biochemical structure of the hair, and hot rollers, hair dryers and straightening irons take away moisture, which is already sorely lacking. We strive to save time, and then “reap the benefits,” and our great-grandmothers, having long braids, dried their hair with linen towels. Chinese women still use silk napkins for these purposes - natural ones, of course - and very rarely encounter the problem of hair tarnishing.

Dull hair: treat your hair with care

Shiny hair means clean. And we try to choose expensive shampoos, considering them more effective, and we also change them more often, trying to find the best: after all, the store shelves amaze with their abundance, and advertising encourages us to try more and more new miraculous remedies. In fact, there is no need to change shampoos and conditioners often: this often leads to allergies, hair type “gets confused” and dandruff appears. It's worth changing your shampoo if it's really necessary: for example, if you've dyed your hair, and before that you washed your hair with a regular shampoo of your type, you'll need a product for colored hair. In most cases, you can use shampoo for 3-6 months in a row and longer if you like the result.

The pH level should be chosen according to your type: dry hair needs a pH of up to 5.0, oily hair needs a pH from 5.5 to 6.0, and if dry dandruff appears, you can try using baby shampoo.

And not everyone needs to wash their hair every day, as shown in American movies: normal hair needs one wash every 3-4 days, dry hair – every 5-6 days; oily hair, if necessary, can really be washed every day. However, if you try here, you can easily get by with one wash every two days: for example, make kefir masks before washing and reconsider your diet.

Hair balms and rinses must be used if you want to better protect your hair from environmental influences. And rinse your hair not with tap water, but with boiled water: it doesn’t require much effort, and your hair will make you happy.

Revitalizing masks against dull hair

Raw egg yolk is a proven remedy that nourishes hair, softens it and adds shine. One yolk (2-3 for long hair) is mixed with apple cider vinegar 1:1, add 1-2 tbsp. lemon juice, apply to hair along the entire length, leave for 15 minutes; then rinse your hair well with warm (not hot!) water, without shampoo.

A good mask is with yolk, honey, castor oil, fresh aloe pulp (1 tbsp each) and cognac (1 tsp). Do it once a week for a month, for 2 hours; insulate your head under the film: the result promises to be amazing.

Softness and shine: mix the pulp from one banana in a blender with natural yogurt and olive oil (1 tbsp each). Keep for 20-30 minutes. Masks with oil are washed off with shampoo according to your hair type.

Just like skin, hair looks better when it's shiny. Shiny hair- healthy hair, says Elizabeth Tanzi, MD, Dermatologic Laser Surgery Institute in Washington, DC. Hair reflects light, creating natural highlights, and makes the face glow. To keep your hair shiny, you need to properly care for it, using not only shampoo, but also masks and balms. We should also not forget about proper balanced nutrition.

A little about the structure of hair

Under the skin there is an invisible part of the hair - the root, the visible part is called the shaft. The hair root is located in the hair follicle, or follicle. It expands at the bottom and forms an onion. The root is slightly thicker compared to the shaft, and is located at a slight angle to the surface of the skin. The rod consists of a large number of thread-like structures, or keratin multifibrils. The outer layer of the shaft (cuticle) is made up of dead keratin cells, which are flat scales. These scales are arranged in layers, covering one another. They are attached to each other using a lipid layer, which protects the hair from harmful environmental influences.

Why does hair shine

When the keratin scales of the shaft fit tightly, the hair reflects the sun's rays, so shiny hair, they look even and smooth. However, if the lipid layer collapses, the scales begin to break and bristle, the hair does not shine and is harder to comb.

Oily and fatty are different things

Look for shampoos that contain silicones or natural oils that will nourish the scalp and hair follicles. This advice comes from Francesca Foucault, MD, a dermatologist in New York City.

Wash your hair more often

Contrary to popular belief, frequent (even daily) hair washing will not strip hair of its natural oils that cause shine. Just choose the right type of shampoo that suits your hair texture and adds volume.

Cold for shine

Heat splits the cuticle, resulting in uneven, matte hair color. To achieve shiny hair When finishing washing your hair, rinse your hair with cold water. Even five seconds will be enough. Also, when blow drying, it is better to use the cold setting.

Head massage

A daily head massage will help improve blood circulation and metabolism. Hair roots will receive more nutrition. This will not only give them health and beauty. Shiny hair will be .

Hair conditioners

Conditioners not only make combing easier and increase hair volume, they also give it elasticity and shine. It is enough to apply a few drops of conditioner to your hair and leave it on for a couple of minutes. The main thing is not to forget to rinse your hair thoroughly after application, otherwise it may take on a greasy appearance.

Hair masks are perhaps the oldest and most proven method. Women have used them since ancient times, so a lot of different recipes for masks have accumulated. If there is no time and If you want to use trial and error to select a recipe that suits a specific hair type, you can simply contact a beauty salon. The cosmetologist will recommend a suitable product for a specific hair type. However, as a rule, the effect of a mask from a well-known manufacturer and a homemade natural mask is not very different.

Nourishment for shiny hair

Don't forget that proper hair care starts from the inside. To maintain shine and health of hair, it is necessary to consume a large amount of foods containing proteins (chicken, mushrooms, fish, cheese) and vitamin B (eggs, nuts, cereals, bran). Edible gelatin is also very useful. By following these simple tips, you can make your hair healthier and shinier, without using such radical methods as or going to cosmetologists.

Do you want to make your hair shiny? There are ways to add shine to any hair type. You can use special hair masks or care for your hair in a certain way. Keeping your hair shiny requires constant care to keep it healthy and strong.

Steps

Hair masks

Egg mask. The yolk nourishes the hair (it won't look dull), and the white cleanses it. As a result, after one use of this mask, your hair will look very shiny.

Break one egg into a small bowl.
Wet your hair.
Apply egg to hair. Using a wide-tooth comb, comb your hair down to the ends.
Wait 15 minutes.
Wash your hair with shampoo (as usual). Rinse them with cold water for maximum shine.

Apple cider vinegar mask. Apple cider vinegar conditions hair and enhances shine. It also balances the pH of your hair, cleanses it and makes it soft. Once your hair dries, it won't smell like vinegar.
- Wash your hair with shampoo (as usual), but do not use conditioner.
- Make a mixture of 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon water and apply it to your hair; comb them.
- Wait 5 minutes and then rinse your hair with cold water.
Avocado mask. Avocado contains fats that nourish hair and give it shine. Use a ripe avocado to make it easier to apply to your hair and to help it penetrate your hair better. Use an avocado mask if your hair is dry and needs moisture.
- Grind the avocado until smooth (you can use a blender for this).
- Wet your hair.
- Apply avocado from roots to ends of hair.
- Wash your hair with shampoo (as usual). Rinse them with cold water
Honey mask. Honey moisturizes and cleanses hair, making it ideal for adding shine to hair.
- Mix 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup water.
- Wet your hair.
- Apply the mixture to your hair.
- Wait 15 minutes (at least).
- Wash your hair with shampoo (as usual). Rinse them with cold water.
Deep conditioning of hair. Use a deep conditioning treatment once a week to keep your hair healthy, strong and shiny. Buy conditioner at the store or make your own using olive or coconut oil.
- Wet your hair.
- Apply 1-3 tablespoons of coconut or olive oil to your hair and comb through from roots to ends. Cover your head with plastic wrap or a shower cap.
- Leave the oil on your hair for 1 hour or even overnight.
- Wash your hair with shampoo (you may need to wash it 2-3 times to completely remove the oil). Rinse your hair with cold water.
Hair care
1. Apply leave-in conditioner to damp hair. Hair may become dull when dried out. So use a good leave-in conditioner to keep dry hair shiny. Apply a little of this conditioner to damp hair and comb through.
  
  Dry your hair naturally. Using hair dryers and other devices causes hair damage, stiffness and dullness. Dry your hair naturally and after a few weeks or months you will notice that your hair has become soft and shiny.
  - Avoid using heat styling or curling tools. Hair straightening irons, curling irons and other tools dry out your hair and make it dull.
2. Use oil to condition your curls (after you have dried your hair naturally). This treatment will instantly add shine to your hair and protect it from damage. Use just a little oil (but this depends on the length of your hair). You can buy a special hair oil or use one of the following oils:
  - Olive oil
  - Argan oil
  - Almond oil
  - Jojoba oil
  - Castor oil
  - Coconut oil
3. Use shine serum. This serum contains silicones and other ingredients that instantly make hair shiny. Most serums can be applied to either damp or dry hair.
  - Don't use serums every day. Silicones, which give hair shine, accumulate in the hair over time and make it dull. Use shine serums on special occasions.
  - Make sure the serum you choose does not contain alcohol as it can dry out your hair.
4. Get rid of frizz. Curly hair looks dull. If your hair is straight or wavy, avoid frizz by doing the following:
  
  Trim your hair regularly. Removing split ends will make your hair shiny in the long run. Ask your hairdresser not to use chemicals or heat styling tools.
Healthy hair
1. Use products made from natural ingredients. Washing and styling your hair with chemicals can cause damage to your hair. Look for hair products (shampoos, conditioners, etc.) that do not contain the following ingredients:
2. Do not subject your hair to frequent chemical treatments (dying, bleaching, perming), as this leads to damage - it becomes dry and brittle.
  - If you want to color your hair, use natural dyes, such as henna (which also nourishes the hair).
  - Use honey or chamomile tea as a natural hair lightener.
3. Follow a diet and lead a healthy lifestyle. No matter how you take care of your hair, it will not be shiny if your body is not healthy. Follow a diet and consume enough water to keep your hair in great condition. Try to eat the following foods:
  - Fish, beef, poultry, eggs, legumes and other foods high in protein. Hair is made of protein, so its deficiency immediately affects it.
  - Avocado and nuts. They contain healthy fats that strengthen your hair and make it shiny.
  - Nutrient-rich plants such as spinach and kale are especially beneficial for healthy hair.
4. Drink plenty of water. When the body is dehydrated, hair becomes dull and brittle. Drink 8 glasses of water a day.
  - Also eat foods that are rich in liquid, such as watermelon, berries, apples, cucumbers, lettuce and cabbage.
  - Drink tea, preferably herbal.
5. Protect your hair from external factors. Sun, extreme temperatures, and pollution can all degrade the appearance of your hair. Protect them with the following measures:
  - Wear a hat in strong sun. The sun can easily damage your hair if you don't protect it.
  - Wear a swimming cap in the pool. Chlorine dries out hair and leaves residue. If you swim without a cap, wash your hair immediately after swimming.
  - Don't go out into the cold with wet hair. Your hair may freeze, causing it to frizz.

Women rarely think about the fact that dull hair cannot be compensated by any haircut or the best hairstyle. Hair loses its vibrant shine not only due to exposure to chemicals.

Unfortunately, we generally live in a not very favorable ecological environment, and even those girls who have “never done anything” with their hair can hardly boast of its special shine or silkiness.

This affects the quality of nutrition, the water we drink and wash our hair with, atmospheric influences, the sun's rays, and so on and so forth. In short, there are too many reasons.

And therefore one should help one’s nature. After all, shiny, silky, well-groomed hair is not only a desirable detail of appearance, but also one of the significant indicators of a woman’s class factor.

But do you know WHY your hair is shiny or not shiny? Why do they get tangled or silky? Many people probably don’t quite understand what it’s all about.

Let's study a little about the anatomy of hair. The outer layer of hair is covered with scales. Next comes the cortical, or keratin, layer. It is in this layer that the pigment (coloring substance) and air bubbles are contained.

The thicker the cortex, the more elastic and stronger the hair, and the more air bubbles, the lighter the hair. Gray hair has no pigment at all. In the center is the core, also called the medulla of the hair, it consists of completely keratinized flattened round cells.

The quality of the hair is affected by the condition of all three layers, but especially the scaly and cortical layers. Most nutritional procedures are aimed specifically at preserving the integrity of the latter.

As for the scaly layer, it is not difficult to guess that the more integral the scaly layer is, the more tightly its scales adhere to each other, the more shine there is on the hair and the less opportunity it has to get tangled.

With a good scaly layer, hair that has more melanin pigment in its structure will have a higher reflectivity (darker hair). Straight hair also has a more pronounced shine compared to curly hair (natural or curled).

Straight hair is round in cross-section, African hair is strongly flattened. Slightly curly hair has an ellipsoidal cross-section. Perm is based on this principle.

We’ll talk further about what processes occur in the hair when using it, but now we can say that, performed on intact hair by a competent specialist, it does not necessarily have to ruin your hair, especially if you provide it with regular care.

Hair that is not taken care of, but is tried to give it at least some kind of appearance with the help of occasional treatments - the same dye or perm - usually looks very deplorable. Under a microscope, such hair looks like an “old toothbrush.”

The scaly layer is severely damaged, in many places there are no scales at all, and those that exist are bristling in different directions. Such hair not only lacks shine, it becomes very tangled, and the scales of neighboring hair cling to each other.

As a result of mechanical, thermal or chemical action, it breaks easily (the protective scaly layer is missing in many places). It is impossible to restore such hair.

You can only try to take into account the experience of your thoughtless experiments, treat your hair as much as possible, and best of all, get a short haircut and provide your hair with rational, competent care. What does it include?

First of all, nutrition (biological effects). Both internal and external. Your food should contain more vitamins A and B. External nutrition includes the use of all kinds of balms, rinses, conditioners, herbal decoctions, and oil masks.

Secondly, a gentle mechanical effect on the hair. Gently drying hair after washing, combing.

Thirdly, gentle thermal effects. Not very hot water, careful use of electric curlers, hot rollers, hair dryer.

Fourthly – thoughtful chemical influence. Before dyeing, bleaching or perming your hair, consult a professional.

Fifthly, attention to the environmental impact - sun, air and... water. Alas... The sun dries your hair, the air contains dust and harmful impurities. Water - rainwater and from the pool (with chlorine) is also completely useless. Rinse them off with at least tap water and be sure to use only shampoos and conditioners for washing.

The sixth factor is hygiene. Combs must be clean and washed regularly.

And one moment. If you don’t have conditioner on hand, rinse your hair with a vinegar solution at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 1 liter of water. A slightly acidic environment neutralizes the alkaline reaction in the hair after washing with shampoo or (even more so) soap.

The scales of even healthy hair, without neutralization, become brittle when wet (this is why many women only get tangled when their hair is wet). After rinsing, the scales will press tightly against the keratin layer, and, accordingly, the hair will be more shiny.

Often the reason for dull hair is simply that you dry your hair incorrectly. If you use a hair dryer with a nozzle that is too wide or direct the air in a chaotic manner, the hair scales will fluff up and your hair will look matte.

So, remember the 3 rules of blow-drying for shiny hair:

1. Narrow nozzle - the air flow should be dense and clearly directed.

2. Dry your hair by holding the nozzle at an angle and downwards, from the roots to the ends. It is this movement that will smooth out the scales and make your hair shiny.

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3. Always finish styling with cold air.

2. Coconut oil

Coconut oil is a universal remedy for the beauty of skin and hair. To make your hair shiny, prepare a mask of coconut oil - heat it a little in a steam bath and apply the warm product to your hair. To enhance the effect, you can wear a shower cap. And then just wash your hair as usual.

3. Avocado mask

Avocado is a real storehouse of vitamins and healing oils. An avocado mask is a recipe that even Jennifer Lopez uses regularly! Mash the fruit of a ripe avocado with a fork, add a couple of drops of lemon juice and distribute the pulp evenly over the entire length of the hair. A healthy shine after washing is guaranteed!

4. Rinse with beer

“Live” light beer is a great way to give your hair a dazzling shine. Clean, wet hair should be rinsed thoroughly in beer. To get rid of the smell, you can apply conditioner after the procedure. In addition, beer not only gives a cosmetic shine effect, but also actually nourishes the hair, thanks to its yeast content. Brilliant!

5. Lemon juice

Let us note right away that this method is not suitable for girls with dry hair, because lemon juice tends to dry it out. But at the same time, lemon juice really knows how to add shine to hair - just distribute it over the entire length, leave for 10-15 minutes, and then rinse with cool water.

6. Gelatin masks

On the Internet you can find a lot of recipes for “gelatin hair lamination” - and this, of course, is absolute nonsense. You won’t be able to laminate with gelatin, but it’s easy to give your hair a beautiful light shine. Dilute 3 tablespoons of gelatin with 4 tablespoons of boiled water. Place the mixture in a steam bath and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Let it cool and apply the product to your hair, leave for 40 minutes and rinse.

7. Nettle rinse

“Grandma’s” recipes are sometimes very effective! You've probably heard that you need to rinse your hair with nettles after washing, but you haven't tried it. Dry nettle can be bought at a pharmacy - pour boiling water over it, let it brew and rinse your hair. They will finally start to shine!

8. Basil infusion

Another useful homemade conditioner recipe for shiny hair is basil infusion. This seasoning is good not only in Italian dishes, but also as a folk remedy for our hair. The recipe is as follows: pour two tablespoons of dry basil with a glass of boiling water and let cool. Every time after washing your hair, rinse your hair with this infusion - and you will be happy.