How to moisturize dreadlocks.

If you have arrived at this article, you want to make sure that your dreadlocks are healthy and lush. Nobody likes to have hair or their scalp feel dry, itchy, and brittle.

With the right understanding of how your hair works and the right moisturizing technique and products, you will be able to guarantee that your dreadlocks will look and feel luxurious. And we are sure that you will get many more admirers of your dreadlocks.

Table of Contents

How does the moisture in your hair work?

You hair will naturally produce oils to keep moisture in your hair. Ideally, your hair will produce enough natural oils to maintain the moisture in your hair.

If the hair doesn’t get enough moisture or the moisture is being extracted from external or environmental factors, that is when the hair will start to feel dry and brittle. (Source)

Understand how Humectants can affect the moisture in your hair.

You need to understand when and how to apply products that contain Humectants to your hair.

The most used Humectants are:

Glycerin,
Sodium PCA,
panthenol,
Honey,
Propylene glycol,
Hydrolyzed protein.
Sorbitol.

Source

What are some of the things that can affect the moisture in your hair?

Age

As your body ages, the amount of oil that gets produced declines. You may find that your hair simply isn’t getting enough moisture because your body isn’t producing enough of it.

Climate and the environment.

The natural elements from the sun, wind, or dry air can affect the moisture in your hair.

Humidity is a huge issue and will affect the way your hair behaves.

In a humid environment, dry hair and especially porous dry hair will become waterlogged. The cortex will swell, the scales of the hair will rise. This phenomenon is going to be responsible for frizz.

When this occurs, you need to use products that will prevent additional moisture being absorbed into your hair.

When the air is very dry (low in water vapor), the water present in the hair will come out of the hair fiber to reach the atmosphere. This is why, during dry and cold weather, the hair tends to be dry and brittle.

When this occurs, you need to use products that will retain the moisture within your hair.

You will need to calculate the Dew Point to know the exact step you should take to moisture your hair.

You can use the following guidelines to work out the products that you need to use.

Feel free to try different products according to the humidity rate to optimize your hairstyle and the health of your hair.

Low / dry dew temperatures: <-1 ° C

Avoid humectants,
Your hair may suffer from dryness: use a moisturizer,
Wear a protective style like vanilla or mat,
Use styling creams or light-maintenance gels,
If you wear a stretched style, do not forget to apply an emollient (oil and butter …) to trap moisture in your hair.

Average dew temperatures: between -1 ° C -1 and 4 ° C

Some hair tolerates humectants, others do not,
Use emollients,
Perfect for wearing stretched styles or twist-outs / braid-outs.

Perfect dew temperatures for curly or frizzy hair: between 4 and 16 ° C

Perfect dew point: your loops will be defined and hydrated,
Perfect for a wash and go,
Humectants can be used to draw water into your hair,
If you are wearing a stretched style, consider using a medium or heavy hold-up anti-humectant or gel to preserve your hairstyle, avoid shrinkage and reduce frizz,
Moisturize your hair with your leave-in conditioner,
Use emollients.

High / wet dew temperature:> at 16 ° C Depending on the hair, try not to use moisturizer,

Use a strong hold gel to preserve your hairstyle,
Avoid stretched styles or twist-outs / braid-outs.
Try to avoid humectants and opt for an anti-humectant.
Use emollients.

Source

The products that’s used in your hair.

Using the incorrect products can damage your hair and even prevent the hair from absorbing the moisture that it needs to remain soft, healthy, and elastic.