Skin
Dry Hair
Restore dry hair with unsaturated fatty acids in the diet (flaxseed oil, sesame oil, wheat germ oil), an avocado-jojoba-wheat germ hair treatment, avoiding heat styling, and using only mild shampoos with cool-water rinses.
Also known as: brittle hair, dry brittle hair, damaged hair
📝 At a glance
Likely root causes: Harsh shampoos that strip all oil from scalp and hair.; Heat styling (curling irons, blow dryers).; Overexposure to wind and sun..
First thing to try: Diet: Include unsaturated fatty acids in the diet — wheat germ oil, flaxseed oil, sesame oil, corn oil, or soy oil (use unheated).
See a doctor if: See a doctor if symptoms are severe, persistent, or worsening, or if you are unsure — natural supports are meant to complement, not replace, professional care.
🔎 Start with the cause
Lasting relief rarely comes from covering a symptom. First find what is feeding the problem, change what you can, and then help the body do what it was designed to do — heal.
Likely root causes
- Harsh shampoos that strip all oil from scalp and hair.
- Heat styling (curling irons, blow dryers).
- Overexposure to wind and sun.
- Lack of essential fatty acids in the diet.
- Poor overall nutrition.
- Swimming without a cap (chlorine and saltwater dry hair).
- Washing too frequently or with hot water.
Change what you can
- Diet: Include unsaturated fatty acids in the diet — wheat germ oil, flaxseed oil, sesame oil, corn oil, or soy oil (use unheated).
- These provide the internal oil your hair needs.
- Avocado hair treatment: In a bowl, mix 1 peeled avocado, 1 tsp. jojoba oil, and 1 tsp. wheat germ oil.
- After shampooing, rinsing, and drying your hair, apply the mixture and massage in.
- Cover hair with a plastic bag.
- Leave for 15-30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
- Repeat weekly.
- Alternatively: Pour sesame seed oil or flaxseed oil on your hair and massage it in.
- External care: Shampoo only with mild shampoos.
- Wash with warm, not hot water.
- Always rinse with cool water (stimulates circulation).
- Shampoo less frequently (not daily).
- Snip split ends every 6 weeks.
- Avoid heat styling tools (curling irons, electric curlers).
- Wear a bathing cap when swimming.
- Protect from wind: Avoid exposing hair to whipping winds — they fray ends.
🌿 Then assist nature: remedies & protocols
With the cause being addressed, these are the actual things people do for this — ranked by the community. Vote ▲ on what helped you and ▼ on what didn't, and open How to do it for the steps. Each shows two quick signals: Evidence (how much science backs it) and Gentleness (how safe and in keeping with whole, natural health).
★ Start here — our first-line pick, pinned for safety
This gentle washing routine is the safest and most foundational step for most cases of dry hair.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Hot water and harsh cleansers strip natural oils from the hair and scalp; milder washing habits let those protective oils stay in place.
- Wash hair with a mild shampoo, focusing mainly on the scalp rather than the full length.
- Use warm, not hot, water when washing.
- Apply conditioner through the length of the hair after shampooing.
- Finish with a cool water rinse to help smooth the hair's outer layer.
- Wash less frequently if hair is very dry -- every few days rather than daily.
A few minutes each wash · 2-3 times a week, or as needed
Caution: See a doctor if dry hair comes with noticeable hair loss, scalp sores, or other skin changes. Sudden, dramatic changes in hair texture along with fatigue or weight changes could point to a thyroid issue worth checking with a doctor.
When to get help: Significant hair loss, scalp pain, sores, or signs of infection on the scalp should be evaluated by a healthcare provider.
Source: Dermatology hair-care guidance
Comments & experiences ▾
Also helps — ranked by the community (vote to reorder)
These protective habits support the gentle washing routine and help prevent hair from becoming drier over time.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Repeated heat and weather exposure damages the outer layer of the hair shaft, so reducing this stress lets hair retain more natural moisture.
- Limit the use of curling irons, straighteners, and blow dryers, or use them on the lowest heat setting.
- Wear a swim cap when swimming in chlorinated or salt water.
- Wear a hat or scarf in strong sun or wind.
- Use a wide-tooth comb on wet hair instead of a brush to reduce breakage.
- Trim split ends every 6-8 weeks.
Ongoing daily habit · Every day, and with each wash
Caution: See a dermatologist if hair remains dry and brittle despite consistent gentle care, since an underlying skin or health condition could be involved. Avoid switching to many new products at once, which can make it hard to tell what is helping.
When to get help: See a doctor for scalp burns from styling tools, sudden hair loss, or scalp infection signs like pain, swelling, or pus.
Source: Dermatology hair-care guidance
Comments & experiences ▾
This weekly treatment is a supportive extra step alongside gentle everyday washing habits.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Plant oils can coat the hair shaft and help reduce water loss, giving dry hair a softer feel and reducing breakage.
- After shampooing and conditioning, mix the oils (and mashed avocado, if using) into a smooth paste.
- Apply the mixture through damp hair, focusing on the mid-lengths and ends.
- Cover hair with a shower cap and leave on for 15-30 minutes.
- Rinse thoroughly with warm water.
- Repeat about once a week.
20-40 minutes including rinse time · Weekly
Caution: Do a small patch test first if you have sensitive skin, since plant oils can occasionally cause irritation. Rinse thoroughly to avoid a greasy buildup that can weigh hair down.
When to get help: See a doctor for scalp irritation, sores, or signs of an allergic reaction such as swelling or hives.
Source: Traditional hair-care notes
Comments & experiences ▾
How the numbers work: a weighted voting system — trusted published sources cast endorsement votes for each protocol, and your ▲/▼ adds to them. Not medical advice.
🩺 When to see a doctor
- See a doctor if symptoms are severe, persistent, or worsening, or if you are unsure — natural supports are meant to complement, not replace, professional care.
🌿 The seven pathways to health
Seven pathways for your dry hair — tap the circle to check one off (saved on your device), or ask Remy for help.
“Disease is an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health... In case of sickness 1cause should be ascertained, 2go to work intelligently to remove the disease. 3Unhealthful conditions should be changed, 4wrong habits corrected. 5Then nature is to be assisted in her effort 6to expel impurities and 7to re-establish right conditions in the system.”
🌿 Overview
Dry hair lacks the natural oils that keep it supple and manageable. The causes are typically external (harsh shampoos, heat styling, overexposure to wind and sun) or internal (inadequate essential fatty acids in the diet, poor nutrition). Dry hair often has split ends and may be brittle. The treatment addresses both external care and dietary improvement.
Dry hair looks dull, feels rough or brittle, and is prone to frizz, breakage, and split ends. It happens when the hair loses moisture and its protective outer layer is damaged — commonly from frequent heat styling, harsh shampoos, chemical treatments and coloring, sun and wind, hard water, and over-washing, and sometimes from nutritional or health factors.
Gentle care restores and protects hair: washing less often and with a mild, moisturizing shampoo, using conditioner and occasional deeper treatments, limiting heat styling and using lower temperatures, protecting hair from sun and chlorine, and not brushing wet hair roughly. Healthy fats and a nourishing, varied diet support hair from within, since hair reflects overall nutrition. Most dry hair improves with kinder routines over time. If hair becomes suddenly dry, brittle, or starts shedding noticeably alongside other symptoms (such as fatigue or skin changes), it is worth a medical review, as occasionally hair changes reflect a thyroid or nutritional issue.
Common signs
- Hair that is dry, brittle, or stiff.
- May have split ends.
- Hair that breaks or frays easily.
- Hard to manage.
- May be exacerbated in dry or windy climates.
🍃 Supporting foods & habits
The gentle, everyday foods and supports that help in the background — secondary to the active remedies above. Vote on what helped you.
Massage warm coconut oil into the hair before washing to deeply moisturize dry, brittle strands.840
How the numbers work: this is a weighted voting system — every published book or article recommending a remedy counts as an endorsement vote, and your ▲/▼ counts too. Not medical advice. *Ties are broken by our editor score (sources, safety, simplicity, cost, lifestyle fit, eight-laws alignment).
🍽️ Eating to help
Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.
Include wheat germ oil, flaxseed oil, sesame oil in the diet. Ensure adequate protein. Eat brewer's yeast, kelp, and dulse (for minerals). Vitamin A (from carrot juice and vegetables) supports scalp health.
⚖️ Good to know
- Sudden dramatic change in hair texture or widespread hair dryness along with hair loss may indicate thyroid disease (hypothyroidism) — see a physician if suspected.
- Avoid silicone-based hair products — they coat the hair and create an illusion of moisture without addressing the underlying problem.
⚕️ What a doctor may offerConventional treatments for this condition — for your information.Show ▾
RemedyRank's heart is natural healing — and honest information. Here is what conventional medical care commonly involves for this condition, listed to inform, never to promote. Decisions about treatment belong with you and your own physician.
Dry hair is managed with gentler hair care and by addressing any underlying cause.
Commonly offered
- Gentle washing, conditioning, and less heat styling–
- Avoiding harsh chemical treatments–
- Checking for causes (thyroid, deficiencies) if severe–
- Trimming damaged ends–
Worth knowing
- Sudden dry, brittle hair with other symptoms may signal thyroid issues — check.
- Hair loss with breakage warrants evaluation.
- Avoid over-processing.
👍/👎 shares whether a treatment helped you — community experience, not medical advice. For full professional details, see the sources under “Learn more” below.
📚 Learn more
Sources for further reading. These open in a new tab.
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