Dull hair is typically characterized by a lack of moisture, luster, and body.
This may be due to various reasons such as the wrong use of hair products, not having enough nutrients in the diet, or excessive use of harsh chemicals and techniques.
The good news is that there are a number of ways to revive dull-looking hair.
By adopting different methods as well as home remedies and applying the appropriate types of products, one could find that their previous lifeless beauty becomes healthier, shinier, and easier to style.
Don’t know where to start? Not an issue. We asked the experts for tips on how to make dull hair shiny.
What causes dull hair?
Characteristics associated with dull hair include lack of shine, rough texture, frizzled outlook, heaviness etcetera.
What causes dull hair? There are several reasons why your locks may lose their luster:
- Improper ways to care for it
- Not eating right
- Overexposure to sun or heat styling
- Processing with harmful chemicals
- Dry or cold environment
- Using too many products or not using the right ones
Also, many pregnant women experience common complaints like dry and brittle-looking hair. However, these situations normally resolve themselves once their hormones have stabilized after birth.
Cures for dull hair
At some point in every person’s life, they will face this problem with their hair.
Weather, good nutrition, overall condition of your body – all these things might affect the health and liveliness of your head covering.
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When it comes to solving this problem according to specialists’ opinions there are six most useful ways which will save you from having a dull look whatever happens.
1. Clarify your hair with baking soda
“Hair can become dull over time because it has buildup and residue on it from using products,” she advises.
So what does clarifying do?
It helps remove any buildup of product on the hair, residue from hard water, and any pollution that’s been collected on your hair and scalp.
These elements mentioned above can build up on the hair and scalp’s surface, clogging the natural flow of oils and nutrients to the hair shaft. When this happens, your hair can become weak and lose its shine.
Clarifying treatments eliminate product buildup as well as environmental residues that could be blocking your hair follicles from absorbing their required nutrients and natural oils for it to look healthy.
You can either buy a clarifying shampoo or use one of these recipes:
According to Rivera, if you have thick, coarse hair you should try out this baking soda treatment three times a month. Those with finer hair might want to space their treatments further apart.
How to Use:
- Add 2-4 tablespoons of baking soda into a cup or shallow dish (use 2 tbsp for shorter locks; 4 tbsp for longer ones) then mix water in until it turns pasty.
- Massage the baking soda paste into your roots & scalp then move towards the ends of your strands ensuring that you rub it into each strand.
- Distribute throughout using a wide-toothed comb.
- Leave the paste in your hair for around five minutes before rinsing your hair well and conditioning it with your favorite conditioner.
2. Revitalize dry hair with oil
If you find that your hair is a bit on the dry side, celebrity hairstylist Michelle Parkes, who owns Core Salon, said you can increase the moisturizing effect of your conditioner by adding penetrating oils such as coconut or Moroccan argan oils.
She suggested Cococare 100% Coconut Oil or 100% Natural Moroccan Argan Oil, which are purchased online.
Moroccanoil Treatment is another popular product that contains argan and linseed oils to nourish and strengthen hair. Buy it here.
Instructions for use:
- Add some oil of choice into any amount of conditioner you want. Use more if necessary because everybody’s hair texture is different until you achieve what works best for you.
- In the same way, we use conditioners normally
- Keep it on slightly longer than your usual conditioner so it can soak in then rinse it out completely
Additionally, if your hair tends to be very dried out or frizzy, consider using only the oil by itself without combining it with a regular conditioner.
For an extra deep conditioning treatment, Parkes recommended applying the oil all over wet strands before bed and putting a towel over her pillowcase to avoid getting oil everywhere.
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“Cover head or wrap head when there’s still a lot of water on your head like immediately after showering,” she explained lastly “Rinse them off the next morning and see how they look.”
3. Add shine using spray
To get shiny locks quickly, Parkes advised using a spray-on shine product. These products help to soften frizz while boosting radiance.
You could ask your stylist what she thinks about this or try Cococare Coconut Oil Hair Shine or Giovanni Shine of the Times Finishing Mist from Amazon.com!
Instructions for use:
- Do your hair as you normally would.
- Spray this slightly on your hair. A little bit goes a long way; if you apply too much, it will make your hair look oily.
- Use the spritz throughout the day to control frizzies and put more shine on them
4. Take Supplements
Sometimes dull or dry hair can be treated internally as well, according to Ona Diaz-Santin, stylist and owner of 5 Salon & Spa, who suggested that people should take a vitamin and mineral supplement like Viviscal which is available online.
Like other OTC hair vitamins with biotin in them as well, natural silica plus key vitamins and minerals are essential for promoting healthy hair growth.
5. Take care when using heating equipment
Your fine hair may be damaged by hot straighteners; “If you turn up the heat all the way on your hot tools then you’re going to burn fine hair,” Rivera explained. “Never use too much heat,” she added.
Based on one studyTrusted Source, blow-drying causes more damage along the length of your locks compared to letting them air-dry naturally does.
To avoid exposing your mane to too much heat at once keep moving the dryer around and hold it six inches away from your scalp.
Use heat styling tools less often to minimize the damage as well as turning down the temperature setting whenever you can.
According to Rivera, hair care professionals should use heat styling products that employ infrared technology because they warm up hair from deep inside outwards thereby sealing in moisture.
6. Humidifier
During winter, indoor heating may make your hair look duller and more lifeless than normal. Similarly, dry indoor air also worsens several health conditions such as flu, allergic reactions, or even dry skin.
To fight against the drying effect of indoor heat, hair experts suggest using a humidifier. By putting some water in the air, a humidifier may help hinder your locks’ loss of moisture and have a drab appearance.
The bottom line
There are several reasons behind having dull hair. For instance, product buildup, environmental assaults, and over-styling can all contribute to visibly parched tresses.
Thankfully there are ways of adding more shine and natural luster to one’s hair.
For example, trying home remedies for shiny hair will be useful.
Similarly investing in products that enhance glossy appearance is beneficial too coupled with eating foods that nourish your scalp are possible solutions for this problem.
Also, it might be a good idea not to apply too much heat or have frequent chemical treatments on it so that it can stay healthy and shiny for longer periods.
If after some time you don’t see any positive results regarding the healthiness or shininess of your hair, have an appointment with the nearest salonist who can guide you on how best you can care for your type of hair.