Product buildup is another common factor behind lifeless, flat hair — sticky hairspray, dried mousse, and dry shampoo are just a few potential culprits. Not only does product residue make your hair look (and feel) gunky, its actual weight can add up significantly.
Why Is My Hair So Flat With No Volume? Flat hair is often the result of hair that has been weighed down, as buildup in the form of product residue, dirt, excess oil, and other impurities can pull and flatten your strands over time.
Product buildup, environmental factors, and overstyling can all contribute to hair that looks dry and lifeless. Fortunately, there are ways to add more shine and natural luster to your hair. Using basic home remedies, trying shine-boosting products, and nourishing your hair from the inside may all help.
Typically dry hair appears flat and dull, think no shine. Dry hair is also usually more difficult to manage and when you touch it, it has a noticeably brittle texture i.e. knots and tangles, etc. If your hair isn't maintaining a blow-dry this can also be a sign that your hair is lacking hydration levels.
Tangling, knotting, frizz, dullness, breakage: these are all signs of very dehydrated hair. The good news? There are easy ways to treat and prevent not just the annoying symptoms of dryness, but the dry, dehydrated hair itself.
The Tip: Shampoo your hair with volumizing shampoo, then rinse clean like normal. Next, condition your entire head – roots to tips – with volumizing conditioner. Before you rinse the conditioner out, squeeze a bit of shampoo into your hands, then add a little water and work it into a lather.
"Sudden thinning hair can be a symptom of anemia (low red blood cell count), hormonal issues especially related to events like pregnancy, or a thyroid disorder, which are all very common in women," says Peredo. If any of these are the case, hair loss won't be the only symptom present.
Sudden hair loss is typically a sign of two conditions: telogen effluvium or alopecia areata. Telogen effluvium is commonly caused by stress, which increases the natural rate of hair loss. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition that causes your body to attack its hair follicles, resulting in hair loss.
Flat hair often rears its head among fine-haired folks. Sebum, hair products, dirt, and other impurities tend to weigh down thin hair strands. The flatness is even more pronounced for those with fine, straight hair as these residues can travel effortlessly from the roots to the tips.
Massage your scalp and stimulate growth. Use hair volume products such as Nexxus Mousse Plus Volumizing Foam after shampoo-condition from root to tips then blow dry. It works because the aerated, Keratin protein and ceramides-enriched hair foam mousse protects hair styles from humidity.
Anything that damages the hair cuticles can lead to dry, dull, and lifeless hair. Dry or damaged hair has separate and uneven hair cuticles and looks dull, rough, and lack luster. Dirt, excess oils, dead skin cells, product build-up, and dandruff flakes can make hair dull.
Hair that needs moisture often feels dry, brittle or rough. It may look dull and tangle easily, and it might be prone to split ends.
Washing your hair too often. Using a harsh shampoo. Blow-drying your hair too often. Heat damage from straighteners or a curling iron.
Biotin. Biotin is an essential B vitamin (meaning we need to consume it daily) that's known to be important in hair and nail growth. "When patients have a biotin deficiency, they suffer from thinning, dry hair, and dry skin," says Zeichner.
You can use products that have ingredients to hydrate and moisturise your hair. Avocado, coconut, olive and almond oils; aloe vera, shea butter and glycerine can help hydrate and moisturize your hair. Ensure your conditioners include some of these ingredients too in order to lock the water content in your hair.
A professional hair stylist will be able to diagnose your hair's condition in more detail, but in general, damaged hair breaks easily when pulled and has visible split ends (due to fragile bonds), while dry hair is often accompanied by white flakes of skin and a coarse, rough texture.