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If your hair feels like straw, it’s likely dehydrated. In other words, it isn’t retaining enough moisture to stay healthy. Some women describe dry and brittle hair, while others notice their hair feels like straw. Either way, as we explain in this article, you probably need to take steps to prevent your hair from drying out.
Symptoms of straw-like hair
Straw-like hair feels rough, dry, and lifeless, often signaling damage or severe dehydration. Recognizing the symptoms:
1. Extremely dry and rough texture: Straw-like hair feels coarse and stiff when touched, lacking any softness or slip. This happens when the hair cuticle is damaged and moisture escapes. Even after conditioning, hair may still feel dry, signaling deeper dehydration or protein imbalance that surface products alone cannot fix.
2. Lack of shine or natural luster: Healthy hair reflects light, but straw-like hair appears dull and matte. The raised, damaged cuticles scatter light instead of reflecting it. This symptom often worsens after frequent heat styling, chemical treatments, or sun exposure.
3. Excessive frizz and flyaways: Straw-like hair struggles to lie flat and often produces constant frizz and flyaways. Because it lacks moisture, hair absorbs humidity from the air, swelling unevenly. This results in an unpolished appearance that is difficult to even with styling products or oils.
4. Increased breakage and split end: When hair resembles straw, it becomes fragile and snaps easily. You may notice short broken strands, thinning ends, or split tips. This occurs because the hair shaft has lost elasticity.
5. Tangling easily when wet or dry: Straw-like hair tangles quickly, even with minimal movement. Rough cuticles catch on each other, forming knots that are difficult to detangle. This often leads to more breakage during brushing and can make washing or styling feel frustrating and time-consuming.
6. Poor response to styling products: Hair with a straw-like texture absorbs products unevenly or not at all. Creams ad oils may sit on the surface without improving softness. This symptom indicates internal damage, where hair lacks the moisture balance needed to properly respond to nourishing or smoothing treatments.
So, why does my hair feel like straw?
A lack of moisture is the leading cause of the straw-like feeling of your hair. Any of the following things can cause your hair to draw out and feel like straw:
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Washing your hair too often with a shampoo that contains harsh ingredients such as sulfates and parabens.
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Using the hottest setting on your hair dryer and holding your dryer too close to your scalp. Also, excessively using curling irons and hair straighteners can also contribute.
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Failing to lock the moisture into your hair with a standard or leave-in conditioner.
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Spending too much time in the sun without protecting your hair from its rays by wearing a hat or scarf.
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Following a diet that isn’t rich enough in nutrients and minerals essential to your hair’s health and growth.
For most people, straw-like hair is caused by one or numerous of the above issues. However, in some rare cases, your hair might feel like straw because of a medical condition. For instance, hypothyroidism occurs when your thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough hormones, which can lead to dry and brittle hair in some people.
What can I do to prevent my hair from feeling like straw?
As long as an underlying medical condition doesn’t cause your dry and brittle hair, you can take some simple steps to hydrate your hair:
1. Change how often you wash your hair. If you wash your hair more than three times per week, you’re possibly causing it to dry out. Stick to washing your hair 2-3 per week for the best results.
2. Switch to a hair dryer with adjustable heat settings and limit your use of hair straighteners and curling irons. Laifen SE is an ionic hair dryer with adjustable temperature settings, which can dry your hair effortlessly without dehydrating.
3. Invest in a high-quality conditioner that locks moisture into your hair. You can also use a leave-in conditioner if you prefer. We recommend using a leave-in conditioner immediately after washing your hair.
4. If you spend a lot of time outside in the sun, cover your hair with a hat or a scarf to prevent it from being damaged by the sun’s UV rays.
Is straw-like hair normal?
Many people struggle with dry and brittle hair, but it’s not something you need to put up with. Making some simple changes, as explained above, will renourish your hair and prevent it from drying out in the future.
However, if you try the above tips and still notice that your hair is particularly dry, we recommend visiting a stylist who can help you work on some other solutions.
They will also advise you if they believe you need to see a medical professional to treat a potential health issue that’s causing your hair to dry out.
Choosing a shampoo for straw-feeling hair
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You must prioritize moisture and repair over deep cleansing.
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Prefer formulas labeled hydrating, nourishing, or repairing, with ingredients like glycerin, aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, or argan oil.
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Avoid harsh sulfates, which strip already-depleted moisture and worsen roughness.
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A shampoo with mild surfactants cleans without damaging the cuticle.
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If hair is chemically treated or heat-damaged, choose a bond-repair or protein-balanced shampoo.
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Wash less frequently, use lukewarm water, and always follow with a rich conditioner to restore softness and flexibility.
Final words
If you’re someone with straw-like hair identifying the potential cause of the dryness in your hair is a critical first step. You can then try any of the tips above to improve the moisture content in your hair and to prevent it from drying out in the future.
We also recommend reading our FAQs below if you feel that your straw hair might be caused by something else.
FAQs
Q1: Why does my hair feel like straw after shampooing?
This is probably because you’re using a shampoo with too many chemicals. Sulfates and parabens are harmful chemicals in shampoo that can cause your hair to dry out. We recommend switching to natural, chemical-free shampoo as a viable alternative.
Q2: Why does my hair feel like straw after bleaching it?
Dry, brittle hair after bleaching indicates that your hair has lost some of its essential oils and lipids during the bleaching process. Your hair can recover after bleaching, but it takes time. You should use a leave-in conditioner and apply a hair mask regularly to rehydrate your hair.
Q3: Why does my hair feel like straw after coloring?
Often, some chemical ingredients in hair coloring can cause your hair to dry out. The likes of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia can dry out your cuticles, which may cause you to experience straw-like hair for a period after coloring it.
Q4: Why does my hair feel like straw after deep conditioning?
Deep conditioning can lead to straw-like hair if you use too much product when conditioning it. Often, excessive protein can cause your hair to feel dry and brittle, so bear this in mind.
