Dry hair could be caused due to natural factors, hair products - and even by oiling it too often, says Yatin Deshpande

Every second woman I meet complains that she has dry hair. And she also adds that regardless of the frequency with which she oils her hair or conditions it, it remains dry and dull. They are all desperate for a solution. But what they don't understand is that the solution is linked to the fact that there are different types of dry hair and each has to be handled separately.

The dryness could be natural, or caused due to excessive use of hair products. Products like shampoos, which act only on the surface of the hair or by colouring agents, which penetrate the hair shaft, could also cause it. For that matter, even over-oiling the hair could cause dryness!

A question of genes: This is a common problem with women who have dry skin. This type of hair lacks elasticity - you can check this by stretching a single strand of your hair till it snaps. Hair that has a fair amount of moisture in it will not break very easily, whereas dry hair will snap without much resistance. However, only a professional could judge the quality of your hair by this simple test, so don't use this as a parameter to decide if your hair is dry.

If you're one of those who started off with normal hair and have gradually found it becoming drier, then you probably have abused your hair to the extent that it has lost its natural moisture and elasticity. In this case, a lot can be achieved by changing the way you treat it.

For instance, colouring your hair makes it drier. So don't keep the colour on for longer than specified by the manufacturer. Every extra minute can make a difference, so see that you wash it off by the time specified to avoid any damage.

If you are perming or straightening your hair, remember that the products used for these procedures are chemicals that penetrate the hair and should therefore be used with great caution. Weak hair, for instance, cannot take a stronger formulation of a perming or straightening product that stronger, healthier hair can. This is why it is important to go to an experienced hair technician, who can judge exactly what strength or formulation of the product should be used on your hair. Too much of a strong formulation used could lead to dryness or even irreversibly damaged hair.

Contrary to popular belief, oiling your entire head of hair right down to its ends doesn't really help. Strange as it may seem, too much oil can actually make your hair drier than where it started off. Let me explain. If you've heavily oiled your hair right down to the end, along the entire hair shaft, you will find that one application of a shampoo is usually not enough to remove it. So you use a second or even a third application. What happens now is that all too often, the natural oils secreted by the body are removed along with the externally applied oils, leaving your hair drier than before. What you really need to do is massage some oil into your scalp, to stimulate circulation and encourage the scalp to secrete its own oils.

Hair needs to moisturised just like skin does. So how do you do that? With a good moisturising and protective agent like aloe vera. Use shampoos and conditioners that contain it and monitor the difference they make to your hair. If you have coloured hair, use shampoos or conditioners that are formulated specifically for coloured or treated hair.

Finally, use products that say pH-balanced, which mean that they have the same acidity level as the hair. PH refers to the acid or alkaline level of a substance. It is calculated on a scale of one to 14. Numbers below seven denote acidity, those over seven show alkalinity. Most shampoos range between a pH factor of five and seven. Medicated varieties have a pH of about 7.3, which is near neutral. Sebum has a pH factor of between 4.5 and 5.5, which is mildly acidic. Bacteria cannot survive in this pH, and maintaining this protective layer keeps the scalp and hair at their best.