Aftercare — What’s Making My Hair Dry?
One of the questions we’re asked most often at Wisteria Avenue is some version of “why is my hair so dry?” It’s rarely one single cause — more often it’s a combination of habits, products and treatments quietly working against your hair. The good news is that once you understand what’s behind it, dry hair is usually very fixable. Here’s an honest guide, from our team in Abingdon.
Start with your daily habits
Healthy hair begins with your routine, so that’s the first place to look. Do you straighten or heat-style frequently? Do you colour your hair? How often are you washing, and with what? Has your hair been lightened or bleached more than once? Working out what’s drying your hair is a bit like keeping a food diary — you look at the daily pattern, not just one thing. External factors play a part too: weather, humidity, heat and even hormonal changes all affect how your hair feels. But your habits and products are the parts you can most easily change.
Do I need to spend a lot on shampoo and conditioner?
Honest answer: not necessarily. If your hair is fairly low-maintenance and you’re not investing in colour, a modest shampoo and conditioner may serve you perfectly well — spending more won’t always do more if you’ve no real concerns to address.
Where it changes is when your hair genuinely needs nutrition — coloured, lightened, porous or dry hair does benefit from better products. Even then, you don’t need to spend a fortune. The key is matching the product to your hair, and the simplest way to get that right is to ask your stylist what they’d recommend for your hair type and lifestyle.
What’s wrong with cheap shampoo?
It’s less about the price and more about what’s in it. Some budget products can strip colour and leave hair feeling drier than it looks — you’ll know the feeling of hair that’s silky in the shower but dehydrated once dried. If your colour seems to dull faster than it should after a salon visit, your home products may be working against the result you paid for. It’s worth being mindful that the shampoo you use can quietly undo good salon work.
Understanding hair porosity
You may have heard a stylist mention “porous hair” or “hair porosity.” It simply means how easily your hair takes up and loses moisture. There’s an easy test: place a clean strand of hair in a cup of water — if it floats, your hair is in good shape; if it sinks, it’s more porous and losing moisture readily. Porous hair isn’t a disaster, it just needs more care for a while — and typically more than a basic high-street product can give it.
Over-bleaching
Over-bleaching is one of the most common causes of seriously dry hair — home dye kits gone wrong, colour over colour, repeated lightening. Bleach needs careful, skilled use: done badly it can leave hair brassy, and overdone it leaves hair dry, brittle and prone to breakage. If your hair has been over-processed, the route back is gentle care and the right products, not more chemistry.
The products we recommend
At Wisteria Avenue we use and retail JOICO, and there are a few products we genuinely rate for dry hair. For everyday care and moisture, JOICO Daily Care and the Moisture Recovery Shampoo and Conditioner are reliable choices that restore and maintain hydration. For protecting colour and taming frizz, JOICO Luster Lock helps lock in colour vibrancy, adds shine and guards against humidity, while K-PAK Smoothing Balm deeply nourishes colour-treated hair and adds slip to protect it during styling. All of these are available to buy from the salon — and your stylist can point you to the right one for your hair rather than leaving you to guess. A professional treatment alongside the right home care makes a real difference too.
Not sure where to start? Ask us
If your hair feels dry and you’re not sure why — or which products would actually help — just ask. Our stylists are happy to look at your hair, talk through your routine and recommend a sensible plan. Mention it when you book, or have a look at our price list and come in for a chat.
