People of all ages, irrespective of men or women, experience dry and brittle hair. Often you may hear of women having dry hair problems. Both genders are affected by these problems equally. It is noted that men with curly or thin hair are affected more by dry hair. This blog speaks about dry hair in men, its causes and how to solve it. Let us begin!
What Is Dry Hair ?
When your hair doesn’t get or is not able to retain moisture content, it may lead to the development of dry hair. The sebaceous glands that are present in the hair follicle produce sebum, which is a natural moisturiser. When the sebum can’t reach the tip of the hair, it leads to dryness. The problem of dry hair is more developed as you get older.
Hair consists of three main layers, which help to give its structure, colour and shine.
The three main layers namely;
- The medulla or medullary canal appears several months after birth. It is from one or two rows of nucleated cells.
- The cortex or cortical layer makes up the central part of the fibre. This layer gives mechanical and physical properties to hair. Melanin pigment which gives colour to hair is present in the cortical cells.
- The third layer is the cuticle which acts as a protective envelope. The healthy state of the cuticle surface determines the ease of combing, the quality of softness, untangling and the shining of the hair.
What Causes Men to Have Dry Hair?
Numerous reasons lead to dryness of your hair. They are
- Excessive exposure to the sun
The hair cuticle may become damaged if you spend too much time in the sun while working or playing. The UV rays also cause damage to the cuticle. The natural hair protection mechanism of your cuticle helps in retaining the moisture in your hair. But when your cuticle gets damaged, your hair will become dull, dry and start to break.
- Washing your hair with hot water
The effect of using hot water to wash your hair also damages the cuticle, thereby making your hair more vulnerable. It leads to hair fall and dryness. If you are one with the habit of using hot water to wash your hair, stop the habit. Always use cold or slightly warm water for your hair.
- Using heating devices on your hair
The use of tools to shape and style your hair with the aid of heat is extremely harmful to your hair. They may damage your cuticle and lead to dryness and make the hair brittle.
- Chlorinated water
The use of chlorinated water to wash your hair will reduce the amount of sebum production in your hair. It will dry out and make your hair brittle. The amount of chlorine in swimming pools damages your hair causing hair thinning, dryness and hair loss problems. Protecting your hair while going swimming and reducing the usage of chlorine will help you to overcome the situation to some extent.
- Excessive use of shampoos
The use of shampoo cleans your hair and scalp and it also removes all the dust, dirt and pollutants. Excessive use of shampoos reduces the production of natural oil sebum and causes a dry scalp. When your hair loses these natural oils, it will take some time to replenish leading to dry hair.
- The use of harsh hair care products
Nowadays people are widely using hair care products of different ranges. Hair care products are particularly available for men. Most of the products contain chemicals like paraben, sulphates, isopropyl alcohol, propyl alcohol etc reducing sebum oil production and thereby causing dryness.
- Hair dye
Another main problem is the use of colouring agents on your hair. Coloured hair needs more care than virgin hair. The bleaching agent that is used in these hair dyes causes hair damage to your hair by breaking the protein structure of your hair.
Health problems
- Anorexia nervosa
It is an eating disorder which is characterised by a persistent desire for thinness. Since they have a self-inflicted desire for thinness, they will be afraid of putting on weight. This condition may lead to malnutrition resulting in dry and brittle hair and even more severe complications.
- Hypoparathyroidism
The parathyroid gland present in your neck produces only a very small amount of parathyroid hormone if you are having hypoparathyroidism. It will reduce the amount of calcium in your blood which plays a major nutrient for the growth and development of your hair, bones, teeth and other tissues.
- Hypothyroidism
In this condition of hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones leading to dry and brittle hair, which is also an early symptom of this condition.
- Menkes syndrome
It is a rare genetic condition affected by the level of copper in your body. The cells are not able to absorb the required amount of copper in your body which will affect the hair’s health and cause dryness.
FINAL WORD
Dry hair is common in both males and females. There are several factors like environmental, lifestyle and medical conditions that lead to dry hair in men. Understanding all those factors contributing to dry hair in men will help you to avoid such situations and take care of your hair. Your comments are always valuable. Feel free to quote your comments.
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FAQs
Is it normal for men’s hair to be dry?
There are no peculiarities in drying men’s hair. Both men’s and female’s hair can become dry if their hair is subjected to the following conditions like
- Overuse of shampoos.
- Overexposure to sunlight.
- Use of heat-aided hair care devices.
- Health conditions like hypoparathyroidism, hypothyroidism etc.
- Frequent washing of hair in chlorinated water.
- Frequent use of hair colours etc.