Home remedies for dry hair

By Melanie Lasoff Levs 

Here are five ideas for things you can use at home to help with dry hair. Most of these items are probably already in your refrigerator.

Life wreaks havoc on your hair, but often, deep conditioning and other fancy salon treatments can wreak havoc on your wallet. How can you fix dry hair woes at home? Try these natural ingredients — alone or combined — for softer, more manageable locks. 

 Many of these home remedies for dry hair work best when left in for at least 30 minutes before rinsing out completely. To keep hair shiny, it is best to rinse with cool water.

Olive oil 
Massage warm olive or coconut oil into your scalp and coat your hair with it. Slip on a shower cap for about 45 minutes before rinsing.

Vinegar 
Simply adding a teaspoon of vinegar to your final hair rinse can be effective in treating dry tresses. You could also mix 2 cups of water with one-half cup of vinegar, massage it into your hair after you shampoo, and leave it in for several minutes — up to an hour — before rinsing.

Avocado 
Mixed with banana, mayonnaise or by itself, avocado serves as a strong "mask" to seal moisture into hair follicles. 
  
Full-fat mayonnaise 
About 1 tablespoon spread evenly throughout your hair should do the trick; cover your head with a shower cap and then rinse the mayonnaise out after 30 minutes.   

Egg 
Several home dry hair remedies include raw eggs, which contain protein and lecithin that strengthen hair and add shine. Beat two eggs together, or one egg and some plain, full-fat yogurt, and massage into hair. Leave on for about 15 minutes, and use cool water (not warm or hot, lest you create a hard-boiled mess on your head) to rinse.   

How else can you treat dry hair at home? Prevent the problem by wearing a cap while swimming, drinking plenty of water, spacing out your hair treatments (such as coloring or blowing dry), and using a rubber-tipped brush or wide-tooth comb to brush hair when it’s wet. Shampooing less frequently also can prevent dry hair, as shampoos strip hair of natural oils.