Soft Hair: Everything You Need to Know

Having soft and voluminous healthy hair is everyone's beauty goal. But with age and external aggressors like heat, pollution, and chemicals, your hair loses its natural oils, leading to dryness.

While some people struggle with dry and brittle hair, others are looking for ways to maintain its soft texture. This article explains everything you need to know about your hair type and the best ways to achieve super soft hair. Read on to learn more.

Possible Reasons Your Hair Isn't Soft

1. Environmental Conditions

Environmental factors such as overexposure to the sun [1], extreme weather conditions, saline water, and pollution can make your hair dry and brittle. The dry winter air can also contribute to moisture loss, causing your hair to lose its shine and suppleness.

2. Chemical Treatments

Dyes and chemical treatments [2] can cause your hair to feel and look dry and weak. They can break down the protein bonds inside your hair to reform them into a new shape. Also, when your hair is chemically treated, the lipids that form the cuticle's protective layer are removed, leaving your hair dull and frizzy.

3. Hormonal Changes

Consuming birth control pills, pregnancy, and menopause also has adverse effects on your hair. While you can't control this, you can follow the right hair care practices to help keep your hair soft, smooth, and healthy.

4. Gray Hair

Your hair can lose its natural color with age. It grays out, and gray hair is far more coarse and brittle in texture because it lacks essential nutrients and oils.

5. Washing Your Hair Too Often Or Too Little

If you want to keep your hair soft and moisturized, wash your hair not more than two to three times a week, depending on your hair quality.

6. Heat Trauma

Heat styling tools can significantly damage your hair, especially when used regularly. It is essential to steer clear of straighteners, blow dryers, or curlers[3] if you want soft hair. The best way to dry your hair is to either allow it to air dry or towel dry.

Know Your Hair Type

While we may identify our hair as straight, wavy, or curly, very few of us know our hair type. Your hair type depends on its density, porosity, curl patterns, and styling needs. Broadly there are four types of hair, of which three are classified further.

Type 1: Straight Hair

This type of hair falls flat from the roots to the tips and does not have any natural curls.

Type 2: Wavy Hair

Type 2a

Gentle straight hair from the roots to the eyes and loose waves from eye level until the ends

Type 2b

Similar to 2a but the waves are more defined in type 2b

Type 2c

This has the most well-defined waves beginning from the crown to the tips

Type 3: Curly Hair

Type 3a

This type of hair has loose S-shaped curls throughout and is prone to getting frizzy

Type 3b

Spiral and more voluminous than type 3a

Type 3c

Tight and stretchy curls such that it goes back to being springy if you stop pulling it straight

Type 4: Coily Hair

Type 4a

Delicate with S-shaped coils

Type 4b

Zig-zag curls and should be detangled with fingertips

Type 4c

Very tight curls that are more prone to breakage and need extensive care

Why Should You Know Your Hair Type?

It is essential to know your hair type so that you can take proper care of it. Assume you are considering moisturizing your hair with coconut oil - it's vital to understand that the amount of oil that curly hair requires is more than what straight hair would. Type 4b hair is way more fragile than type 3c, and both require different brushes.

Understanding Soft Hair

Soft hair is characterized as properly moisturized hair. It is smooth enough for your fingers to run through from the roots to the tips. If your hair breaks while you run your fingers through it, it has turned fragile due to dryness.

Softness is an indicator of healthy hair. If you notice that your hair is losing its texture, it doesn't mean you have to settle for it. A balanced combination of a good hair care routine and a proper diet can help you attain softer hair.

Best Ways To Make Hair Soft

1. Essential Oils

Oils like argan oil, olive oil, or rosemary oil can be deeply moisturizing for your hair. Making oil a part of your hair care routine can help nourish it from within.

Olive Oil

Consuming olive oil has become significantly popular in the past few years. Its benefits are not limited to internal health but can also prove a lucrative option for external application. It prevents cuticle damage by acting as a blockade against moisture/water.

How To Use

1. Take 1 tbsp of olive oil in a bowl

2. Mix ½ tsp coconut oil to it

3. Apply thin and even layers to your scalp and hair

4. Leave it on for 30 minutes

5. Wash your hair with a suitable shampoo and lukewarm water

Apply this mix once a week. Do note that applying too much olive oil can weigh your hair down.

Argan Oil

Argan oil has remarkable moisturizing properties, and so it is added to a variety of hair care products such as shampoos, conditioners, and serums. But applying argan oil in its pure form would reap more benefits than otherwise.

How To Use

1. Take 1 tbsp of argan oil in a bowl

2. Add ½ tsp coconut oil

3. Apply thin and even layers to your scalp and hair

4. Leave it on for 30 minutes

5. Shampoo your hair and rinse

2. Proper Moisturization

Using the right moisturizing products is key to making your hair soft and maintaining its health. Certain oils are excellent moisturizers and can be used twice or thrice a week for maximum benefits.

Coconut Oil

1. Apply pure coconut oil [4] directly to your scalp and hair.

2. You can also mix essential oils into it. Or add some curry leaves in 2 tsp oil, heat it, and apply it to your scalp after it cools down.

3. Massage for a few minutes and wash it off in 45 minutes to an hour.

Almond Oil

The essential fatty oils in almond oil make it an excellent moisturizer. Its application makes the hair smooth and shiny. You can apply it directly to the roots and strands and massage your scalp before washing it off.

3. Revitalising Hair Masks

Hair masks are a great way of hydrating your hair and giving it an extra dose of nourishment. You can create a natural hair mask at home using a few humble ingredients from your kitchen to achieve soft hair and restore its health.

Yogurt And Oil Mask

• ½ cup plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 drops essential oil

How To Apply

1. Mix these ingredients thoroughly in a bowl

2. Apply this mix to shampooed hair

3. Cover with a shower cap and let it rest for 20 minutes

4. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water

Banana And Honey Mask

• 1 large banana
• 1 tbsp honey

How To Apply

1. Mash the banana thoroughly

2. Add honey and make a smooth mixture

3. Apply it to your hair, cover for 30 minutes.

4. Rinse off the mask with cold water

4. Mild Shampoos

A primary reason your hair turns brittle is the use of harsh products [5] and chemical treatments. Limiting these practices is very crucial to making your hair soft and healthy.

Choose mild shampoos for your hair type, and if you aren't able to get one go ahead with baby shampoo. Such shampoos are free from reliable cleaning agents like sulfates and use milder surfactants for cleansing properties.

You can also choose medicated shampoos under your doctor's supervision.

5. Avoiding Hard And Hot Water

Hard water [6] and hot water soak up the natural oils of your hair. It damages the cuticles and even the roots. You must opt for lukewarm water. If possible, go for cold water. It works best to make your hair softer and rinses excess chemical products from your head without stripping it of its moisture.

6. Balanced Diet

External care is necessary for hair care. But a nutritious diet [7] is vital to keeping your hair soft and healthy from within.

Like the body, your hair needs the right nutrients through wholesome food intake. It repairs brittle hair and prevents breakage.

Consuming nutrient-dense foods is vital to hair health. These include:

• Almonds
• Green leafy vegetables
• Tomatoes
• Walnuts
• Broccoli
• Kidney Beans
• Oatmeal
• Fatty fish
• Eggs
• Flaxseeds

Certain nutrients like Omega 3 or Omega 6, which the body doesn't produce, can be obtained from food or supplements.

Consult an expert before taking supplement capsules or tablets. Follow a proper nutrition plan which has enough protein to cater to your hair health. You can speak to a nutritionist to get a personalized diet chart.

What Can I Do If My Hair Is Too Soft?

In case your hair is too soft, here are a few things you must keep in mind:

1. Hair Care Tips

• Avoid washing your hair daily. Instead, wash it thrice or twice a week.
• Avoid using hair conditioners.
• Wash your hair with plain liquid castile soap
• Avoid creamy shampoos
• Choose shampoos that could add volume to your hair.

2. Hair Styling Tips

Keep Your Hair Short Or Go For Layers

Hair, which is soft and too long, falls flat. Go for shorter hair. Soft hair looks the most voluminous when it falls to the collarbone. If you wish to keep your hair long, ask a professional stylist if layers or bangs suit your look.

Choosing The Right Styling Products

In case you frequently use hair styling gel, hairspray, or mousse, your hair is likely to suffer from product build-up. And you must note, product build-up is particularly harmful to fine hair as it weighs down hair that lacks body.

3. Home Remedies For Soft Hair

Soft hair often faces product build-up. You can use apple cider vinegar to deal with it effectively. The vinegar will help break down accumulated residue, add body, and also help in fighting dandruff.

How To Use

1. Apply 2-3 tsp of apple cider vinegar using a cotton ball or dilute with an equal amount of water to spray across your scalp.

2. Leave it on for 20 minutes and rinse with cold water.

3. Repeat once every week.

4. Try Dry Shampoo

Have you tried dry shampoo for your 'overly' soft hair? It essentially is a substance that cleans your hair without any water and instantly adds volume and texture to your hair without making it dull or dry.

The Last Word

Soft, beautiful, and healthy hair is everyone's desire. Understanding the basics can play a critical role in achieving such hair. Once you know your hair type, you can choose the right hair care products, remedies, and hair treatments. Don't forget to follow a balanced, nutritious diet.

If you witness that your hair is still excessively dry after taking all measures, you must consult with your doctor.

At Vedix, we provide a customized Ayurvedic hair care regimen based on your doshas and hair type.

Know Your Dosha Now