The ideal head of hair should feel soft, well-moisturised without being oily, slippery enough to minimise tangles and strong enough not to break without a good reason. Sadly, even people blessed with such hair occasionally find themselves sadly crunching crispy ends of hair. If the “crunch” is not caused by physical damage, it can usually be reversed fairly easily.
Protein Treatments Can Cause Crunchy Hair
People generally divide into two camps: those whose hair loves moisture and those whose hair loves protein. (Occasionally people find their hair likes both – often dependent on factors like the weather.) A large number of commercial and natural hair care products contain protein – it is often added to conditioners, and is present in most haircare herbs such as henna and shikakai. Raw egg treatments and placenta masques also add protein to hair.
If your hair doesn’t like protein, the best way to remove it is to clarify the hair with a clarifying shampoo or baking soda, and then add plenty of moisture back in with a conditioner or natural alternative such as oiling. Learn to check labels for protein – the higher up in the list of ingredients, the more protein the product has. It may not be necessary to eliminate protein from your hair care regime entirely, but you may like to scale back.
Product Buildup Can Cause Crunchy Hair
Many commercial hair care products contain silicones, which coat the hair and mask physical damage. Without the occasional clarifying treatment, silicones can build up on the hair shaft and prevent moisture getting in. This results in dull, breakable hair which often has a definite crunchy feel at the ends. If the hair feels coated, it is likely to be a victim of buildup. Using a clarifying shampoo or adding a few teaspoons of baking soda to regular shampoo will remove the buildup: this should be followed by a moisture treatment.
Over-Oiling Can Cause Crunchy Hair
Oiling hair can be a great way to add moisture to hair clarified after becoming crunchy. However, using too much oil on dry hair or too heavy an oil can cause crunchy hair. Coarser hair can tolerate heavier oils: if in doubt, err on the side of lightness. Use oil as a pre-wash treatment or very sparingly on damp hair after washing, and the crunchiness should go away.
Damage From Dyes and Heat Can Cause Crunchy Hair
Processed hair that has been subjected to blowdrying, perms, chemical dyes, straightening and bleach is very likely to become crunchy and fragile. This hair needs to be babied with a lot of moisture or simply trimmed away. If there is too much damage to trim away all at once (for those who do not want to dramatically change the length of their hair), trimming a quarter of an inch fairly frequently and moisturising the hair very well in the meantime may help to transition the damaged hair away.
Sarah Tennant - Sarah Tennant is a onetime English major who lives in New Zealand with her husband and two small children. Her interests range from ...
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