One of the biggest issues black women face with their hair is lack of moisture. This is an even bigger issue during the cold months of the winter. After all this time you would think we’d have it all figured out– but many of us are still struggling with dry, brittle hair. The problem is that dry, brittle hair breaks easily and before you know it your hair goals are out the window! So that’s why I wanted to share with you 5 secrets to combatting dry natural hair. These keys also work for relaxed hair too.
#1 MOISTURIZE LIKE CRAZY
You’re probably tired of people telling you to “add moisture to your hair” but the reality is that without the proper moisture, it won’t be healthy and will not continue to grow. It’s not enough to only moisturize in the morning, especially when it’s cold. Your hair is dry so you need to give it some TLC. Thicker, kinky/coily hair is naturally dryer than straight or loose wavy hair because the natural oils on your scalp (sebum) have to work so much harder to get down the hair shaft. The solution is to find a product that you can use to daily add moisture back to your hair. I like to moisturize in the morning when I’m getting ready and then again at night before I wrap up my hair. That works for me but you may need more, depending on your hair type. A great moisturizing lotion, spray or curl defining cream will work as long as it’s not a butter. Butters will seal in moisture– but you need a water based product.
#2 USE the LCO Method
So a lot of people are familiar with the LOC Method which stands for Liquid/Leave-In, Oil and then Conditioner but I’m proposing you that you use the LCO Method (Liquid/Leave-In, then Conditioner and finally Oil). The way it works is you add moisture to your hair in the form of a liquid or leave-in. This liquid can be water, a leave in conditioner or a moisturizing product that has water as the first ingredient. Next, you would apply a cream or conditioner. That cream can be a creamy product can also provide your curls with definition and hold, so pick a styling cream that works for your hairstyle. Finally, after adding the liquid and the cream you seal all that moisture with an oil. One oil we highly recommend is the VoiceOfHair PureFix Hair Elixir, which is a blend of 25 natural oils that work together to seal in moisture while stimulating hair growth.. If you’ve been using the L.O.C. method then switching to the L.C.O method will GREATLY help you retain moisture.
#3 DEEP CONDITION REGULARLY
Deep conditioning is so important when your hair is dry. However, I think many people get it wrong because they think that as long as they put conditioner on their hair, they don’t need to deep condition. Think of deep conditioning as a way to press reset on your hair and seal moisture back in. Start with a nourishing and moisturizing conditioner or hair mask. My favorite is VoiceOfHair Quench & Repair Conditioner.
#4 CLEANSE YOUR HAIR REGULARLY
Hair that is kept clean will actually be more moisturized. This is because when you cleanse your hair (with a clarifying shampoo, followed by a hydrating shampoo and conditioner) you are actually removing the product build up from your hair and allowing the moisturizing products to do their job. Many naturals like to co-wash their hair- and that is fine if you’re washing your hair multiple times in a week. However if you are constantly adding conditioner and moisturizing creams and oils to your hair and you never clarify your hair then those oils and conditioners are just being layered on top of each other. If you want to moisture to get into the follicle, the best thing to do is to remove the build up on a regular basis.
#5 INCREASE YOUR WATER INTAKE
This may seem obvious, but healthy hair truly does start from within. 
Dehydration occurs when your body starts to lose more fluids than you take in. Normal bodily functions will begin to suffer because the body isn’t getting enough water to carry them out and this is why you start to see hair loss. When a person is suffering from dehydration, hardly any of their water supply is getting to their hair. That is a big NO NO because moisture is essential to hair growth. When your water supply is low in your body, your body is so smart that it will begin to ration out water to the most vital parts of your body (such as your brain and heart). As a result, your scalp doesn’t get the nutrients it needs to stimulate your follicles. Why am I telling you all this? Because you can do something about this. Make a goal to drink a minimum of 8-10 glasses per day. I personally try to drink 1/2 my body weight in ounces. For example, if I weighed 140 lbs I would try to drink 70 ounces of water. Here’s a conversion calculator if you need to convert ounces.
These are just a few tips! I hope they helped. Let me know what other methods you’ve used to keep your hair feeling moisturized!
This article was fist published on January 25, 2018 and was updated on December 27, 2021.
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This was very helpful thank you very much.
Really interested in following you Really need help with my hair
I level a lot of women especially on this side ofbrthe World I live ,(Lagos Nigeria) Don’t take care of there hair at all ,As a Hair styliest I try my best to Educate them on the does and fonts of keeping healthy hair
This was very informative. Thank you so much.
Thank you for reading it!
Im 56 yr black woman with diabetes and high blood pressure. My hair is breaking off terrible. Can you recommend any other thing?
Hello Melvina,
Thank you for sharing your hair troubles! Have you tried our products?
Feel free to check out our line as well as our reviews from customers in similar situations as you have stated.
voiceofhaircare.com
Let me know if you have any questions [email protected]
Thanks for sharing this valuable info with us. As a practicing writer, I can state that I was attempting to include some facts and sparking ideas within my writing clinic intuitively.
I think it’s necessary to spice up your writing in case you would like to grab the viewers’ attention.
However, you did great, thanks
THanks for the feedback!
Best products to use?
We recommend the VoiceOfHair PureFix Hair Elixir to use with the LOC Method (Liquid, Oil, Cream)! It’s all natural and has great hair growth properties. VoiceOfHairCare.com
I think im going bald its hereditary but now my scalp looks dry and hair brittle and losing alot in comb. List LCO products that may help
Brandelyn, what recommendation can you provide to women 62 and over post menopause to retain moisture for natural hair.
Hi Carol I like to do LCO Method- where you first apply water or a leave in conditioner (L), then applying a cream product like a styling cream (C) and then followed by the hair elixir oil to seal it in (O). Also, if you wear protective styles like braids, sew-ins or wigs you can apply it to your scalp to relieve/stop itching by rubbing it in. I personally do this when I braids and it soothes my scalp and keeps my hair and edges growing! For short hair styling, you can use it as a finishing oil to add shine. Make sure to apply it to your hands first and then redistribute throughout! Here’s an article on how to use the LCO Method for Maximum Moisture: https://voiceofhair.com/how-to-use-the-lco-method-to-acheive-moisturized-hair/
Me interesa el producto, que valor tiene por favor. Mil gracias!
You can purchase the products here: https://voiceofhaircare.com/collections/our-products
How to hydrate your hair? Do I need a steamer?
Hi there,
We strongly suggest using the LCO (liquid or leave-in conditioner, cream, and oil) method for moisturizing your hair! You can also do a steam treatment as well !
My hair is 4C, 1/2 Grey and the back half black. Nothing so far has provided softness without frizz or a ton of product buildup. I cannot find a style that works. It doesn’t hold a curl and I need help.
Hi Missy,
Thank you for your comment and sharing your hair struggles! Have you tried using our product line? voiceofhaircare.com
It sounds like our Purefix Elixir Oil and 3-in-1 Leave In Conditioner would achieve the look and feel you desire. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].
I’m not sure of my have texture because it’s very tight and nappy and crunchy and dry. I am natural but i can’t do anything with it I consider myself a 5c and I have a lot I breakage and can’t figure out the products to moisturize and make my hair not so crunchy and dry and not shiny please help
Hi Glenda,
Here are a few common tips that may be helpful:
HOW TO COMBAT DRY HAIR If you only apply oil to your hair and do not add moisture (water or water based products first) your hair will become dry and brittle and can break. The oil alone will not take your hair out and alone it cannot grow your hair. Oil can be used to seal in moisture but you MUST apply moisture first.
HOW TO USE IT: If you are looking to use it for natural styling, you can use it as part of the LOC Method or I like to do LCO Method- where you first apply water or a leave in conditioner (L), then applying a cream product like a water based styling cream (C) and then followed by the hair elixir oil to seal it in (O). Also, if you wear protective styles like braids, sew-ins or wigs you can apply it to your scalp to relieve/stop itching by rubbing it in. I personally do this when I wear braids and it soothes my scalp and keeps my hair and edges growing! For short hair styling, you can use it as a finishing oil to add shine. Make sure to apply it to your hands first and then redistribute throughout!
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO SEE RESULTS: Our hair grows 1/2” per month (on average and that is only if you are getting all of the proper nutrients your body needs, not on medication, not experiencing any shock to your immune system, not experiencing menopause or other hormonal changes etc.) so the results do take time but all of my customers who have seen results have been patient and used it consistency, along with a healthy hair regimen.
Hi Glenda,
We understand how frustrating it can be to deal with dry and brittle hair, especially when you’re not sure which products to use.
We recommend trying the Voice of Hair Nourish and Grow Bundle, which includes our Moisturizing Shampoo, Moisturizing Conditioner, Leave-In Cream, and PureFix Hair Elixir.
Our Nourish and Grow Bundle is suitable for all hair types, including natural hair with a tight curl pattern like yours. It will help moisturize and nourish your hair, reducing breakage and making it easier to manage.
My ends of my hair are terrible and I’ am trying to grow my hair on the sides where i have hair breakage at.
Hi,
Our products help hair grow healthier and retain length, which can give the appearance of fuller hair. However, this product cannot make new hair follicles appear where there were never any to begin with.
On average, most people are born with about 100,000 hair follicles and the thickness of the hair is determined by the density of those hair follicles. We have had some customers successfully use our elixir to help their hair grow back in after experiencing hair loss, however, results will vary depending on what caused the hair loss to begin with. You can read some of the experiences from other customers here: https://voiceofhaircare.com/pages/testimonials
Hi Mary,
We understand how frustrating it can be to deal with hair breakage and damage, but we’re here to help you achieve healthier hair.
To address the damage to the ends of your hair, we recommend trimming them regularly to prevent split ends from spreading further up the hair shaft. You can also apply our PureFix Hair Elixir to the ends of your hair to help nourish and protect them from further damage. Our hair elixir contains natural oils and plant-based ingredients that help repair and protect hair from environmental stressors.
For the hair breakage on the sides, we suggest being gentle when brushing or styling your hair and using a wide-tooth comb or a detangling brush. Additionally, you can try protective styling, such as braids or twists, to minimize manipulation and prevent further breakage