Why Does Your Hair Change Texture?
To achieve gorgeous hair we end up putting our locks through a lot. While some color their hair, a few others perm, smoothen, or straighten their locks. Exposing your hair frequently to chemical treatments and blow-drying makes it dry and brittle over time. If you want to know what causes these unwanted changes and how you could improve your hair texture naturally, keep reading! You may notice your hair changing texture with time because of:
Hormonal imbalances (1) Poor diet Aging (2) Medications like painkillers, acne drugs, beta-blockers, etc. Chemical hair treatments like coloring, perming, and bleaching Stress Iron deficiency Pregnancy (3)
Any of these factors could be responsible for your changing hair texture. However, irrespective of what is causing your hair texture to change, you can adopt a new hair care routine to improve it. You can incorporate a few home remedies into the same. Learn more about them below.
How To Improve Your Hair Texture Naturally
Home Remedies To Improve Your Hair Texture
Most of the remedies discussed below help promote hair growth. Using them regularly may reduce further damage and restore healthy and shiny hair. This will help you create a healthy hair care routine and transform your hair texture in the long run.
1. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil works as a natural conditioner with its moisturizing properties. It can penetrate hair shafts and prevent protein loss (4). This may help improve your hair texture and prevent breakage and split ends 1 tablespoon of cold-pressed coconut oil You must do this 1 to 2 times a week.
2. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera gel is full of nutrients like vitamins A, B12, C and E that are beneficial for your hair and scalp. Its antibacterial properties may help refresh your hair and strip off excess sebum to give you bouncy locks (5). It helps in conditioning, strengthening, and moisturizing dry and brittle hair. It can also protect your hair from UV damage and prevent conditions like seborrheic dermatitis (6), (7).
Aloe vera gel (as required) A clean warm towel
Do this 2 to 3 times a week.
3. Onion Juice
Onion juice contains sulfur, which is important for healthy hair. It gives hair its strength and elasticity. Thus, the deficiency of sulfur can result in dry and brittle hair (8). Onion juice also nourishes the hair follicles, aiding hair regrowth and preventing thinning (9). 1-2 tablespoons of onion juice Do this 2 to 3 times a week.
4. Amla Oil
Amla oil contains vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that provides nourishment to your hair and also helps with graying (10). 1-2 tablespoons of amla oil You may do this 1 to 2 times a week.
5. Green Tea
Green tea contains many beneficial polyphenols that are excellent for promoting hair growth. It can also prevent hair loss and make your hair healthy (11). However, there are no scientific studies to prove the efficacy of green tea in improving hair texture. The current studies prove its effect only on hair growth.
1 teaspoon of green tea 1 cup of water
You must have green tea twice daily for the desired effects.
6. Olive Oil
Olive oil is loaded with vitamin E and antioxidants, which work wonderfully in enhancing hair growth and texture. Olive oil helps in moisturizing and conditioning your hair naturally (12). 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil You must do this twice every week.
7. Eggs
The yolk of the egg is rich in fats and protein that are excellent for curbing brittle hair, breakage, and split ends. It contains peptides that nourish the hair and aid hair growth (13).
1-2 eggs A shower cap
You must do this once a week for optimum benefits. Note: To avoid the egg stench, you can add a few drops of any essential oil to the mix.
8. Vitamins
Deficiencies in certain vitamins can also damage your hair texture (14). Vitamins A, C, D, and E are necessary for moisturized and damage-free hair. These vitamins not only nourish your hair but also help with split ends and hair loss. You can get enough of these vitamins by consuming foods like carrots, spinach, kale, citrus fruits, eggs, fish, milk, and nuts.
9. Essential Oils
a. Lavender Oil
Lavender oil can help prevent hair loss with hair growth-promoting activities. It can also increase the number of hair follicles, thus increasing the density of your hair (15). This may help promote your hair health.
6 drops of lavender oil 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil (or any other carrier oil)
You must do this at least once a week.
b. Rosemary Oil
Rosemary oil promotes hair growth. It enhances the hair texture and increases the density of hair and is also apt for treating hair loss (16). This remedy is beneficial for people with fine and brittle hair.
6 drops of rosemary oil 1-2 tablespoons of any carrier oil
Do this 1 to 2 times a week. Your diet also matters when it comes to enhancing the health of your hair. Eating right will improve the efficiency of the above remedies. Given below are some foods that will help you in achieving softer and healthier hair.
Best Foods For Better Hair Texture
Nutrients (and their foods sources) that are known to help in improving the texture of the hair are (17):
Vitamin A-rich foods like carrots, eggs, dairy products, poultry, and fish. Foods that are rich in iron like fish, poultry, nuts, beans, grains, raisins, and spinach. Omega-3 foods like flaxseed, walnuts, and fatty fish. Foods that are rich in biotin or vitamin H like oysters, eggs, avocados, soybean, oatmeal, legumes, and mushrooms.
It is time to take a few tips to prevent damage to your hair strands.
Prevention Tips
Always choose a shampoo that is formulated for your hair type. Condition your hair after every shampoo. Comb your hair carefully. Avoid using blow dryers and heat styling. Do not rub your hair too hard while towel drying.
To get a clearer understanding of your hair texture, here’s a detailed look into the different hair types.
Types Of Hair
The hair types fall under categories 1 to 4. Within these categories, the amount of curl in the hair strands is represented with a letter ranging from ‘a’ to ‘c’. Type 1 Hair This type of hair is naturally straight and has no curls. It is usually shiny and oily due to lack of curls. Within the Type 1 category, there are Type 1a, Type 1b, and Type 1c subcategories.
Type 1a is completely flat hair. Type 1b has comparatively more body than Type 1a and is not completely flat. Type 1c is generally straight with a few areas that bend slightly.
Type 2 Hair If your hair is naturally wavy, forming an “S” shape, it falls under the Type 2 category. This type is not as oily as Type 1 hair, but it is neither too dry. Type 2 hair is further categorized as Type 2a, Type 2b, and Type 2c.
Type 2a hair has several loose beach waves all over the head. Type 2b hair is wavier than Type 2a and more defined and tightly drawn than the former. Type 2c hair is often very tightly drawn, so much so that it forms loose spiral curls.
Type 3 Hair This hair type is naturally curly and forms a defined “S”. Type 3 hair is known to form ringlets without having to use any hair products or tools and is usually dry. Under the Type 3 hair category, there are Type 3a, Type 3b, and Type 3c types.
Type 3a hair forms smooth curls that may even be silky to touch. Type 3b hair consists of springy and spiraled curls. Many half-black women possess this hair type. Type 3c hair is very tightly drawn, coily, and highly textured.
Type 4 Hair Type 4 hair is tightly drawn but does not form ringlets like Type 3. Also, this type of hair hardly changes shape whether it is dry or wet. Due to the shape of this hair type, you will notice that its hair strands are extremely dry. Type 4a, Type 4b, and Type 4c types come under this hair category.
Type 4a hair is usually tightly drawn and forms tight coils or cylindrical curls. Type 4b has a crimpy pattern, even more than cylindrical curls. Type 4c is almost “Z” shaped and has a zigzag pattern. It has little to no defined sections.
Does hair texture change with age? However, natural ingredients like essential oils, cocnut oil, green tea, and aloe vera can greatly improve your hair texture. These ingredients come with hair health-boosting properties that strengthen, nourish, and replenish your hair, maintaining your hair texture. Add these home remedies to your daily hair care routine to revitalize and fortify your hair texture and boost hair health. Yes, your hair can change in many ways with aging, including changes in its texture. Does shaving head change hair texture? Shaving can neither change your hair texture nor make it grow faster or darker. How to test your hair texture? A relatively easy way to test your hair texture is: • Wash your hair. • Air-dry it. • Cut a sewing thread that is 6 to 8 diameters long. • Pull out a dry hair and place it next to the thread. • Compare the hair strand to the thread. • Thin hair – If your hair strand is thinner than the thread • Medium hair – If the hair strand is as thick as the thread • Thick hair – If the hair strand is thicker than the thread Can hair texture be changed permanently? You cannot change your hair texture permanently by using natural methods. However, chemical procedures like perms work by restructuring the bonds in the hair strands to change your hair texture for a longer period. But it is important to note that the results of these procedures will have no effect on your hair that grows out. Does shampoo change hair texture? The ingredients in some shampoos may temporarily change the texture of hair and make it appear drier, softer, thicker, or smoother. It largely depends on the type of shampoo used and whether it suits your hair type.
