One of the main complaint that folks have about their hair is a lack of moisture.  But what does "moisture" mean?

Have you ever noticed that your hair appears longer, frizzier and more elastic during spring/summer months?  Well for those who live in humid climates, your chosen location is probably why.  Our hair becomes longer in higher humidities and shorter in lower humidities.

So the next time you're complaining about how "thick" the air is with humidity, take stock of what's going on with your hair.  Generally, curly hair frizzes up while straight hair losses style and goes limp.   Believe it or not, by going from dry to humid climates, your hair can actually change in length by as much as 3 percent.

Now you know why your hair appears shorter even though you haven't changed routines or had a cut.

Why does my hair act this way when it's humid?
Well it's time to get a little technical.  You've all studied the Anatomy of Hair section right?  Then you know that hair is made up of keratin.  Keratin is a coil-like protein.

Now for a hot second, try to remember being in Jr. high school (middle school for us young folks) and picture yourself in science class.  Go back...go back...wow, some of you are taking a mighty long time to get there :)

The coils/turns found in keratin are held together by polypeptide and hydrogen bonds.  The polypeptides provide strength and are difficult to destroy.  Hydrogen bonds on the other hand are relatively weak and break down in the presence of water (H2O).

When the air is "thick"-humid or you wet your hair, the H-bonds break and allow the coils to stretch and as a result your hair lengthens.  As your hair dries, the bonds reform.

I can hear so many folks out there going "oooooooooooh."

See, now you know why we suggest styling your dreadlocks and hair while it is still damp.  Doing so will minimize stress and breakage because while wet, your hair can withstand the manipulation of the stretching (see Is Your Hair Healthy to the right).
    
How products can damage your hair
Ok, on a humid day what's the first thing that people with straight/relaxed hair reach for?  Hair spray, gel or some styling aid that will keep the hair from going limp or frizzing up.

The application of product to your hair coats the cuticle layer.  By constantly coating our hair with product, we inhibit the natural infusion of moisture resulting from humid conditions.  So, by applying too much product, the protection you meant to supply your hair actually results in damaging it.

Without moisture, our hair becomes brittle, dull and lifeless.  But hold on a sec.  There's two sides to every coin.  Coating your hair isn't necessarily a bad thing.

See our hair produces a natural element of protection called sebum.  With African hair types, the ability for sebum (natural hair oil) to readily distribute itself is more difficult than with straight hair.  The kinks, bends, twists and turns of African hair means that oils have to work a little bit harder to get to the ends.

Have you ever noticed that right after a shampoo and set your hair is clean but it doesn't have that "umph?"  But then after a few days, as your hair technically becomes dirtier, it begins to look its best?  This is because when you wash your hair, you wash away sebum.  With the protective coating gone, the sebum has to rebuild itself.

Straight-hair types can get oily in a matter of days so they generally wash their hair more frequently. But with African hair it takes a little longer so many of us can go 1-2 weeks without shampooing.  Regardless of your hair type, most of us wash our hair when the sebum on our hair's cuticles (along with hair products) has become so thick that it causes our hair to feel heavy and lifeless.

Now if you constantly use product on your hair, this in combination with regular sebum production has turned that natural protective coat into a straight jacket.  Facts are the more sebum, the more your hair attracts dust, dirt and lint.  This in combination with the layer the product form causes your hair to become heavier.  So when the layers over our hair become too much to bear, we wash away the sebum/products and start again.

So here's the dealyo...protective layers and product residue are not the enemy.  Build-up of these elements is.

You don't want to use so much of something that you suffocate/strangle your hair.  Hair is by nature porous so the thicker the protective coating, the harder it is for our hairs' pores to open up, breath and take in moisture from the air and/or products we use.

So in reality, over-application of product inhibits hair health and growth.

Is Your Hair Healthy? Take The Test 1. Gently pluck one strand of hair from each of the following areas of your head: (nape of neck, crown, sides and front) 2. Beginning with the hair at the nape, wrap the strand around your forefingers so that your fingers are approximately an inch apart. 3. Begin slowly, but firmly pulling the hair. 4. Is it stretching?  Record results. 5. Repeat on each strand of hair individually and record the results. Interpreting the Results Healthy hair will have elasticity.  This means that whenever you pull on your hair (even when it's attached to your head), your hair should stretch. This occurs because the cortex layer in a healthy head of hair is strong and elastic. With damaged hair, the cortex is weak and brittle.  This type of hair will break under pressure. The concept of elasticity (or stretch) is important in styling.  The more you manipulate your hair, the more it's stretching back and forth. If your hair breaks on the first tug, it's time to consider some corrective therapy.

Healthy Hair Solution:  How to use moisture and products to your advantage
First, find quality product lines.  You'll need at least 3 different shampoo & conditioner combinations.  Why?  Because your hair naturally builds-up a tolerance for the products you use.  The only way to get the maximum effectiveness out of a line is to occasionally rotate it's use.  So overall, you should rotate your shampoo-conditioners every 3-4 months.  Some people use certain products based on the season.  For example during hot dry months, a product that address these conditions would be best.  Then as temperatures cool, switch to another line.

Second, avoid over-application of product.  This is why stylists no longer tell you to oil your scalp.  Some say oil your hair but even that requires more detailed instruction :-P

Once applied, the product should do its work.  This with the natural production of sebum will form a protective layer in the positive sense.  When you feel you need more product, apply it sparingly.  There's no reason to saturate your hair because not only does it still have residue from the first application, but the sebum is still accumulating as well.

The point is finding the right balance of natural oils and product.  The next few times you wash your hair, take notes on how it performs throughout the week.  When did it look/feel it's best and ask yourself why?

Understanding how your hair produces sebum as well as how it responds to various products will better help you determine a healthy hair regimen.

Third, what happens when you add a pot of water to heat?  It boils and evaporates.  The same concept occurs when you use heated styling tools.  The more heat, the more natural moisture that's going bye-bye.  So minimize your use of curling/flat irons, blow-dryers, etc.

Last for dreadheads, think about what was said here.  Unfortunately, there are those of us who sit nightly applying and reapplying product to our hair.  Considering that many of us go 3+ weeks without a shampoo, think about the detriment you're doing to your hair and dreadlocks overall.

Keep in mind that just because you have dreads, doesn't mean that your hair has completely and totally changed it's composition.  Dreads still need moisture and love.  Infuse them with it and watch them grown.

"How do you I do this?" you ask.  Well first, understand that if you're trying to avoid product build-up, then you shouldn't be applying any product on a daily basis.  Once a week should be fine  and when it's time for a second application, the use of the product should be VERY light.  Meaning, you're not resaturating your hair.

If your dreads have lost their brilliance, then true, the products may bring them back to life but remember what was said here about OVER-protecting your hair.  Use a clarifying shampoo to help remove the build-up.

So naaniFAM, I hope I've given you the tools to be your own Moisture Detective.  With a little experimentation and a keen eye, you can improve the health of your hair in no time.