Most of us can tell when our hair isn't as soft as it used to be. Changes in our diet, environment and routines can quickly cause our locks to lose their silky feel and lustre. And if your hair is falling flat, plagued by split ends, or feels rough to the touch, all the evidence points to dry or damaged hair.
Thankfully, you don’t have to make like a scarecrow and put up with straw-like strands. Dry or damaged hair can heal with some time and a few simple treatments – which we discuss here.
So, to discover what dry hair looks like, the difference between dry hair vs. healthy hair and how to treat dry hair back to hydrated health, read on.
What is Healthy Hair?
Is your hair healthy, or is there some underlying dryness to tackle? There are obvious signs of dry hair vs healthy hair – as long as you know what you’re looking for. Here’s how to tell if your hair is living its best life or needs a little extra help in the hydration department.
Characteristics of healthy hair include:
Healthy hair is shiny and silky-smooth.
This coveted shiny and smooth hair texture results from a healthy hair cuticle.
Healthy hair has good elasticity.
The strength of your hair is also known as its elasticity. It’s the ability of your hair to stretch out and return to its original shape, without breaking. It also helps your strands keep a tight curl, bounce around like in a Pantene commercial, or hold a blow wave.
Healthy hair sheds itself (but not too much).
The average person sheds about 125 strands per day. We want to shed hair because that means our mane is cycling through hair follicles at a normal rate, trading old locks for new ones. However, if you’re shedding this much hair by breakfast and your shower drain is looking too clogged, you may want to see a dermatologist to ensure there are no underlying issues.
Hair breakage is minimal.
Hair breakage is a sign of damage and strands in need of some serious TLC. If you notice fried ends on your strands or a brittle texture, you probably have a breakage problem caused by dry or damaged hair.
What is Dead Hair
Dead hair, often referred to as damaged hair, is hair that has lost its natural structure and vitality due to factors like excessive heat styling, chemical treatments, or environmental exposure. Since hair is made of keratin and is biologically "dead" once it emerges from the scalp, the term "dead hair" typically describes strands that are brittle, dry, split, or breaking—indicating extreme damage.
Understanding Dry vs. Damaged Hair
When hair begins to not look healthy as noted above, it could be either dry or even worse, damaged.
What is Dry Hair?
Dry hair is hair that lacks sufficient moisture and natural oils. Here are some signs that hair is suffering from dryness:
- Both your strands and scalp are dry - Signs of dry hair may include a flaky or itchy scalp as the result of your scalp not naturally creating enough sebum. Sebum is an oily material our bodies produce via the sebaceous glands.
- Dry hair is porous and more prone to frizz - An open cuticle causes hair to lose its moisture quickly. So, if your hair frizzes easily, you’re probably dealing with this issue. It’s important to keep hair prone to dryness as hydrated as possible.
- Your hair falls flat and lacks life - Lackluster tresses are a hallmark of hair dryness. Your hair should also have a bit of natural movement. Does your hair also look sad and flat? Consider starting a deep moisturizing routine ASAP.
What Can Cause Dry Hair?
There are many factors that contribute to dry hair, and some have nothing to do with your hair habits:
- Overwashing – Cleansing too often strips natural oils, leaving hair dehydrated and dull.
- Heat styling without protection – Frequent blow-drying or hot tools can dry out strands and damage the cuticle.
- Harsh shampoos – Sulfates and drying alcohols can disrupt your scalp’s moisture balance and lead to brittle ends.
- Activities in the environment – Swimming often in chlorinated pools, or even in the ocean with its salt water, can affect moisture levels.
- Medical conditions – Sadly, even one's own body can cause dry hair, due to nutritional deficiencies (such as vitamins A, B12, C, or D, and biotin/B7), or physical conditions such as hypothyroidism or anorexia.
What is Damaged Hair?
Damaged hair is hair that has lost its natural structure, vitality, and even more moisture. It’s the next step beyond dry hair.
It is sometimes referred to as “dead hair”, which is the even more extreme case of damaged hair.
Damaged hair can be manifested in several ways:
- Hair is dry and brittle - Your hair might constantly feel dry, almost like straw. This is because damage to the cuticle layer allows moisture to escape easily. Your hair might even feel a bit stiff and lose its natural bounce.
- Uneven texture - Your ends will sometimes seem noticeably thinner and more fragile compared to the rest of your hair. This uneven texture often points to damage, especially if you frequently use heat styling or put your hair through a lot of stress.
- Increased shedding - Is your hairbrush looking a little more full these days? Or are you noticing more strands swirling down the drain during your shower? Our hair naturally sheds, but if it seems excessive, it might be time to give your hair some extra TLC.
- Hair gets knotty and tangled - Damaged hair tends to be much more prone to tangles. If you're struggling to comb through your hair and it seems to get knotty very easily, that's another sign of damage.
- Loss of shine - We all love that healthy, vibrant shine, right? This dullness happens when the hair's surface gets roughened up and can't reflect light properly.
What Can Cause Damaged Hair?
Several factors can bring this about, and often are things you’d think were going to be harsher on hair in general:
- Chemical treatments – Bleaching, colouring, or relaxing breaks down the hair structure over time.
- Frequent heat styling – Repeated high-heat exposure weakens and breaks the hair shaft.
- Tight hairstyles – Constant pulling from buns or ponytails causes stress and breakage, especially at the roots.
How to Tell the Difference Between Dry vs. Damaged Hair
Damaged hair has many of the same symptoms as dry hair, except it's more severe and requires more intensive treatment. So, how to tell if your hair is damaged? The best way to test whether you have dry or damaged hair is to apply a moisturizing trifecta and observe the result.
If after using a good quality moisturizing shampoo, conditioner and hair treatment oil your hair is smooth, it’s likely just dry. If there’s little to no improvement? Your hair is probably damaged and needs to be repaired.
Treatments for Dry vs. Damaged Hair
Since these two conditions are different, the following are some great ways to address each:
How to Treat Dry Hair
If you’re fed up with your dry mane, don’t worry! There are many products and treatments ready to revitalise your Sahara-esque strands.
Choose the right hair products
Walking through the hair care aisle at your favourite pharmacy, it’s impossible to miss the many shampoos and conditioners claiming to solve your dry hair woes. However, many of these products just won’t cut it because they contain ingredients like sulfates or silicones, which can actually make dry hair worse.
Instead, make sure you invest in a high-quality shampoo and conditioner without any nasties. We can’t stress the importance of this in your quest for strands.
Treat your hair to some TLC
To breathe new life into hair that’s dry and dull, make a deep-hydrating treatment like our Like A Virgin Hair Masque part of your weekly routine. This little miracle masque helps heal split ends, tame frizz, and restore much-needed hydration to dry, damaged hair.
How to Treat Damaged Hair
Here are a few simple ways to treat damaged hair:
Use a repair mask
Swap out your regular hair mask for a heavy-hitter like our Sweet Repair Hair Mask, which is clinically proven to reduce damage by up to 65%. With Biomimetic Ceramides, Vegan Keratin Complex and Hyaluronic Acid, it helps heal hair from its deepest layer outwards.
Use a bond builder
These are a great way to intensively repair hair from within. Clinically proven to reduce hair breakage by 85%, our Bond Builder holistically repairs ALL three hair bonds for stronger, healthier, more resilient hair.
Turn down the heat
Avoid using your hair tools on high heat while your tresses heal, as it can cause further damage. It’s also a good idea to take a break and air-dry as much as possible. At least for a while.
See our blog post for more on fixing damaged hair and repairing damaged hair when you can.
FAQs About Dry Hair
What causes dry hair?
Dry hair often occurs when your scalp doesn’t produce enough natural oils or when your strands lose moisture from over-washing, harsh shampoos, UV exposure, or heat styling. Environmental factors, such as sun, wind, or low humidity, can make things worse.
How do you fix dry hair?
Use a hydrating shampoo and conditioner that replenishes moisture, and treat your hair weekly with a nourishing mask like Coco & Eve’s Like a Virgin Super Nourishing Coconut & Fig Hair Masque. Limit heat styling, and protect hair with a leave-in conditioner or oil.
How do I know if my hair is dry or just dehydrated?
Dry hair lacks natural oils, while dehydrated hair lacks water. If your hair feels rough, frizzy, or brittle even right after washing, it’s probably dry. If it feels limp or lifeless, it’s likely dehydrated and craving moisture balance.
Can dry hair become healthy again?
Yes, with consistent care. Hydration-rich products, gentle cleansing, and avoiding heat damage can restore softness and shine over time. Regular trims also help prevent split ends from worsening dryness.
FAQs About Damaged Hair
What are the main signs of damaged hair?
Look for frizz, split ends, breakage, dullness, or elasticity loss. Damaged strands may also tangle easily and feel coarse or fragile to the touch.
What causes hair damage?
Frequent heat styling, chemical treatments (like bleaching, colouring, or perming), UV exposure, and mechanical stress from brushing or tight hairstyles are the most common culprits.
How can I repair damaged hair fast?
There’s no instant fix, but regular use of strengthening masks rich in proteins, keratin, and natural oils can dramatically improve texture. Try leaving a reparative mask overnight once a week to deeply restore your strands.
Should I cut damaged hair or try to repair it?
If damage is only on the surface, targeted repair can help. But if your ends are split or severely compromised, trimming them prevents further breakage and allows healthier growth.
FAQs About Dead Hair
What does having dead hair mean?
"Dead hair" is a term we use to describe hair that's severely damaged, past the point of easily bouncing back. It often feels dry, brittle, and lifeless due to a compromised outer layer (the cuticle). This makes it prone to breakage, split ends, and a lack of shine.
Can you fix dead hair?
While severely damaged hair can't be magically revived, you can definitely improve its look and feel! Focus on babying your hair with gentle care and hydrating treatments like deep conditioning masks and bond builders. These help to smooth the hair cuticle and add moisture. In some cases, a good trim of the most damaged parts might be the best way to go.
How do I know if I have dead hair?
Look for signs like extreme dryness and brittleness, weak and thin ends, increased shedding and tangles, and a lackluster appearance. If your hair feels like straw, lacks shine, and breaks easily, even after moisturizing, it might be severely damaged.
Should you pull out dead hairs?
Pulling out those dead hairs can actually harm your hair follicles and potentially cause more problems down the road. It's much better to focus on gentle care, regular trims to remove damaged ends, and nourishing treatments to keep your hair as healthy as possible.
Edited By: Pip Jarvis and Iris
