Some days, you may feel like your hair is dragging you down. From the hard-to-manage tangles to the flat appearance, heavy hair can be a nightmare.
Don’t fret, there are many solutions to rid yourself of heavy hair. With a few new hair-care practices, you will be on your way to light, free-flowing tresses over 45.
What Is Heavy Hair?
Heaviness may be the result of hair being weighed down by-products or scalp buildup. Heavy hair can feel sticky and become flatter, less voluminous, and straighter than normal.
To reach a solution it is important to identify the culprit of your heavy hair.
Common causes of heavy hair include excessive buildup, overusing heavy products, over moisturizing, and a lack of protein.
How to Get Rid of Heavy Hair in Over 45
1. Cleanse Your Scalp
Your scalp needs a detox to get rid of heavy hair. Scalp buildup contributes to hair becoming dull, flat and heavy.
A scalp cleanser or exfoliator will remove excess oil, buff away dead skin cells, and clear the product buildup from your hair follicles.
A healthy scalp is essential in supporting healthy hair growth. Choose a scalp cleanser, like the one from Better Not Younger, that contains clarifying ingredients like activated charcoal and lactic acid.
Activated charcoal helps cleanse the scalp by removing sebum and unclogging your pores. Lactic acid gently exfoliates the scalp and helps to maintain your hair’s pH level.
2. Invest in a Clarifying Shampoo
If residue is left on your scalp, it can cause hair to look dull, heavy, and limp. A clarifying shampoo is formulated to remove scalp buildup from products, hard water deposits, and sweat.
In comparison to a regular shampoo, a clarifying shampoo provides a deeper clean to help hair return to its normal appearance.
It also improves moisture in the scalp by unclogging pores, allowing them to absorb moisture more efficiently.
Many clarifying shampoos contain sulfates to create a lathering effect and remove impurities from the scalp. However, sulfates are harsh chemicals that can make your hair dry and brittle.
Consider looking for clarifying shampoos with natural ingredients that support scalp health like apple cider vinegar, aloe vera, and lemon juice.
3. Use a Pea-size Amount
Using too much of heavy products like leave-in conditioners or styling creams can easily weigh your hair down. Overusing a product will leave behind more residue and make hair appear lackluster.
Also, for those that have curly hair, too much product will take away your curl definition.
It is best to only use a pea-size amount of heavy styling products to ensure your hair remains as light as possible.
4. Choose Lightweight Formulas
Heavy hair products often contain many oils and butters. If there are multiple oils and butters in the first five ingredients of a hair product it is likely to be on the heavier side.
On the other hand, lightweight products are typically water-soluble and thin in consistency. The most concentrated ingredient in a lightweight formula should be water or aloe.
Water is the lightest way to moisturize the hair.
Additional ingredients to look for are natural extracts, milks, and hydrosols. You can use products with oils and butters in them, just ensure there aren’t numerous in the top five ingredients.
5. Boost Your Protein Intake
Understanding your protein-moisture balance can be helpful in getting rid of heavy hair.
Protein- moisture balance occurs when your hair has adequate hydration, nutrients, and strength to avoid damage. A lack of protein can lead to weak hair that’s prone to breakage.
To test your hair’s moisture-protein balance, stretch a few strands downwards and then release them. If your hair bounces back to its normal length, your hair has an appropriate balance.
If your hair breaks or feels weak, your protein-moisture balance is probably off.
Generally speaking, if your locks are relaxed, damaged, and frequently heat-styled you probably need to boost your protein intake.
To do so, you can use products that include high levels of protein that will reintroduce moisture into your hair.
You can also consume protein-rich foods like lean meats, seafood, eggs, dairy products, nuts and legumes.
6. Get the Right Haircut
Next time you visit the salon, try adding layers to remove excess weight and give your strands some movement.
Your stylist can use a bulk-removing cutting technique to give your hair a lighter appearance without snipping away too much length.
Wrapping Up
It’s not too late to achieve a weightless, luscious mane. Your hair-care regimen needs a scalp exfoliator and clarifying shampoo to slough away the gunk blocking your hair follicles.
Furthermore, a boost in protein and the right haircut will be the perfect pick-me-up for heavy locks.