Shampooing offers a wide range of essential benefits for your hair as long as it’s done right. Going for weeks or months without washing your hair results in dirt buildup, which can be detrimental to your hair. Additionally, too much hair shampooing can be worse for your hair. In this guide, we shall examine some reasons why hair squeaks after shampooing.
Is Squeaky Hair Good
As consumers, we are bombarded with advertisements that promote the notion that dense, foamy bubbles indicate cleanliness. We are convinced that a head full of viscous shampoo lather will leave our hair “squeaky clean.” But suppose I disclosed to you that the succulent foam and the chemicals behind them damaged your scalp and hair?
Sulfates, such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, are foaming elements and detergents used in most standard shampoos today. It has been demonstrated that sulfates deplete hair of its moisture and lipids, causing hair to become dehydrated and fragile and even contributing to hair loss.
Therefore, having “squeaky clean” hair indicates that the hair has lost the necessary natural oils for health and skin. Sulfates are so harmful to hair and skin that dermatologists use them to induce skin irritation to test products designed to alleviate it. A concentration of only 1% Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is enough to irritate the scalp, whereas conventional detergents contain concentrations between 10 and 15%.
What Causes Squeaky Hair
1. Too Much Shampooing
When you wash your hair with regular, non-conditioning shampoo and conditioner, you strip the hair of its natural oils and conditioners. According to a recent survey, two-thirds of women assume squeaky hair translates to cleanliness. That squeak is a plea for help: Squeaky hair indicates poor cleaning; it may indicate that it has been overcleaned, stripped of its natural oils, or damaged.
Damaged hair becomes more porous, allowing water to penetrate and loosen the cuticle. Because there is less oil in your hair. As a result, it feels squeaky to the touch.
2. Age and Hair Type
Due to the natural creases in its structure, curly hair tends to be more susceptible to dryness, notably at the ends. The scalp’s natural oils have a more challenging time traveling down the hair shaft; therefore, the ends are exceptionally dry.
In addition, as we age, our scalps generate lesser natural oils, causing our hair follicles to become drier. Although you cannot miraculously prevent this change from occurring, anticipating it will allow you to boost your hair’s moisture content to combat it, search for conditioning shampoo formulations that contain moisturizing agents to counteract this increased dryness.
3. Your Hair Maintenance
Chemical treatment methods, such as permanent straightening and bleaching, can damage the hair’s integrity leaving it feeling and looking dry. Additionally, heat styling products cause your hair to lose moisture, causing it to appear and feel dry.
If you place a drop of water on the heated plate of your straighteners, it will sizzle and evaporate; consider the effect this would have on your hair. Consistently blow drying with high heat has the same effect.
Dying, bleaching, and chemical styling are all chemical processes that alter the structure of your hair. As a result of these processes, your hair becomes weaker over time, loses its color, and has its cuticles swollen, giving it a dry, damaged appearance.
The overall look of your hair may also be affected if you do not use the appropriate hair care products. Some products are designed to thoroughly nourish and hydrate hair strands, whereas others help to add volume to thin, limp hair.
The latter may not provide the necessary moisture support for dry hair. You will benefit more from products designed specifically for your hair’s type and demands.
4. Environmental Conditions
These include an arid hot climate, constant exposure to the sun and wind, and constant contact with chlorinated or saltwater.
5. Underlying Health Problem
If you believe you have taken every possible measure to optimize your hair care, but you’re still experiencing dry, brittle hair, it may be time to dig deeper.
Consult a medical professional to determine whether there is an underlying health issue. Your hair may become drier and fragile if you lack a vital nutrient such as calcium. Hormonal imbalances can also inflict devastation on hair health. Your doctor is best positioned to determine whether your thin, brittle hair is a symptom of a larger issue.
How To Fix Squeaky Hair?
Fewer Washes, the Better
A lot of people make the rookie mistake of shampooing their hair daily. The process rids your hair with the protective oils that safeguard it from drying out. If possible, reduce the frequency of your hair washings to a couple of times or twice a week. In weeks, your hair will appear and feel less dehydrated and brittle.
The scalp may take a few months to acclimate if you’re used to shampooing your hair more frequently. During the initial few weeks, your scalp may produce excess sebum. If you can be patient, the body will ultimately adjust to the new schedule and create less oil between washes.
Use dry shampoo to revitalize your hair in between baths. Powder, along with essential oils, are combined in a simple mixture. While a dry shampoo does not clean hair, it absorbs oil and imparts a pleasing fragrance, giving the appearance of freshly bathed hair.
Use Hot Oils
Olive oil is among the most widely used home remedies for parched hair. In addition to olive oil, the following oils may also be used with success:
- almond oil
- coconut oil
- castor oil
- corn oil
- Jojoba oil
These oils have abundant vitamin E and antioxidants and aid in sealing the outer hair layer or scalp with hydration, thereby repairing the damage.
To make this home remedy, you must:
- Warm half a cup of oil (warm but not boil)
- Massage it into your hair for a few minutes.
- Warmly wrap the hair in a cloth.
- Leave for thirty to forty-five minutes or overnight.
- Afterwards, shampoo and cleanse the hair.
This treatment will add lustre and strength to dry hair.
Air Dry as Much as Possible
Using a hair dryer creates dried, fragile, and damaged hair.[4] It causes more broken ends and unimpressive hair if done too frequently. Even though you may be compelled to use a hair dryer, try to give your hair a break and let it air dry for a minimum of five days per week. Even better if you can avoid using your hair dryer for longer.
Use a low, tepid, or cool setting on your hair dryer rather than a high, hot setting. To allow your hair to air-dry, pat it tenderly with a cloth. It will become frizzy if you massage it too vigorously. Comb it out with a wide-toothed comb and, if desired, apply hair oil or your ideal styling cream.
References:
- https://www.marrakbymeb.com/blogs/hair-recovery/the-squeaky-clean-myth
- https://mynewstouse.com/stories/squeaky-clean-hair-is-a-cry-for-help,3533
- https://www.pantene.co.uk/en-gb/hair-tips/dry-hair/what-causes-dry-hair/
- https://www.webmd.com/beauty/dry-hair-causes
- https://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Dry-Hair
- https://www.teenvogue.com/story/washing-your-hair-wrong
- https://hair.allwomenstalk.com/fantastic-tips-on-how-to-fix-dry-hair/
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321850#home-remedies
Meet Mike O’Connor, (a DIY enthusiast), living in Cincinnati, a city ranked as the noisiest in the USA.
As a work from home dad, I have a first hand experience of how noise can truly affect your well being.
Soundproofing isn’t something that should be taken as a hobby, it should be a skill that every homeowner should be equipped with.
Most of the work documented on this blog comes from purely first hand experience, and the products recommended work as indicated.