How To Improve Your Hair Texture Naturally – 10 Ways

Hair texture is defined as the thickness or width of each hair strand and the following can be classified into three categories: fine, medium, or coarse. Constant exposure to pollution, dust, poor diet, and stress can change and affect your hair texture over time. On top of that, changing your hair color, bleaching, or straightening it for a long time can result in brittle and dry hair. Fortunately, there are a couple of remedies that can improve hair texture and avoid further damage to your hair. In this article, we explore some of the home remedies and foods that can improve your hair texture naturally.

Why Does Your Hair Change Texture?

To achieve gorgeous hair we end up putting our locks through a lot. While some color their hair, a few others perm, smoothen, or straighten their locks. Exposing your hair frequently to chemical treatments and blow-drying makes it dry and brittle over time. If you want to know what causes these unwanted changes and how you can improve hair texture and aid shine enhancement, keep reading!

You may notice your hair changing texture with time because of:

• Hormonal imbalances (1)
• Poor diet
• Aging (2)
• Medications like painkillers, acne drugs, beta-blockers, etc.
• Chemical hair treatments like coloring, perming, and bleaching
• Stress
• Iron deficiency
• Pregnancy (3)

Any of these factors could be responsible for your changing hair texture. However, irrespective of what is causing your hair texture to change, you can adopt a new hair care routine to improve it. You can incorporate a few home remedies into the same. Learn more about them below.

How To Improve Your Hair Texture Naturally

1. Coconut Oil
2. Aloe Vera
3. Onion Juice
4. Amla Oil
5. Green Tea
6. Olive Oil
7. Eggs
8. Vitamins
9. Essential Oils

Home Remedies To Improve Your Hair Texture

Most of the remedies discussed below help promote hair growth. Using these remedies and oil treatments regularly may reduce further damage and restore healthy and shiny hair. This will help you create a healthy hair care routine and transform your hair texture in the long run.

1. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil works as a natural conditioner with its moisturizing properties. It can penetrate hair shafts and prevent protein loss (4). This may help improve your hair texture and prevent breakage and split ends

Zaiby, a lifestyle blogger, shared her experience of applying coconut oil for 3 months on her hair and was amazed by the results. She said, “They are so smooth and silky soft even though I wash them with hot water (i)”

You Will Need

1 tablespoon of cold-pressed coconut oil

What You Have To Do

1. Take a tablespoon of coconut oil and massage it into your hair.
2. Leave it on for 30 to 60 minutes.
3. Wash it off with a mild cleanser.

How Often You Should Do This

You must do this 1 to 2 times a week.

2. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera gel is full of nutrients like vitamins A, B12, C and E that are beneficial for your hair. It can be used to prevent hair issues like hair loss and dandruff. Include aloe vera in your scalp care routine to prevent infections that can affect hair health (5). It helps in deep conditioning, strengthening, and moisturizing dry and brittle hair.  It can also protect your hair from UV damage and prevent conditions like seborrheic dermatitis (6), (7).

You Will Need

• Aloe vera gel (as required)
• A clean warm towel

What You Have To Do

1. Take a couple of aloe vera leaves and scrape the gel from the inside.
2. Blend well and apply the gel to your scalp and hair.
3. Wrap your hair with a warm and damp towel.
4. Leave it on for at least 15 to 30 minutes.
5. Rinse your hair as usual.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this 2 to 3 times a week.

3. Onion Juice

Onion juice contains sulfur, which is important for healthy hair. It gives hair its strength and helps with elasticity improvement. Thus, the deficiency of sulfur can result in dry and brittle hair (8). Onion juice also nourishes the hair follicles, aiding hair regrowth and preventing thinning (9).

You Will Need

1-2 tablespoons of onion juice

What You Have To Do

1. Take one to two tablespoons of onion juice and apply it to your scalp.
2. Leave it on overnight.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this 2 to 3 times a week.

4. Amla Oil

Amla oil contains vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that provides nourishment to your hair and also helps with graying (10).

You Will Need

1-2 tablespoons of amla oil

What You Have To Do

1. Apply one to two tablespoons of amla oil to your scalp and hair.
2. Leave it on for 30 to 60 minutes before washing it off with water.

How Often You Should Do This

You may do this 1 to 2 times a week.

5. Green Tea

Green tea contains many beneficial polyphenols that are excellent for hair growth stimulation. It can also prevent hair loss and make your hair healthy (11). However, there are no scientific studies to prove the efficacy of green tea in improving hair texture. The current studies prove its effect only on hair growth.

You Will Need

• 1 teaspoon of green tea
• 1 cup of water

What You Have To Do

1. Add a teaspoon of green tea to a cup of water.
2. Bring it to a boil in a saucepan.
3. Simmer and strain.
4. Allow the tea to cool a little before drinking it.

How Often You Should Do This

You must have green tea twice daily for the desired effects.

6. Olive Oil

Olive oil is loaded with vitamin E and antioxidants, which work wonderfully in enhancing hair growth and texture. Olive oil helps in moisturizing and conditioning your hair naturally (12).

You Will Need

1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

What You Have To Do

1. Take one or two tablespoons of olive oil and apply it to your scalp and hair.
2. Massage for a few minutes.
3. Leave it on for 30 to 40 minutes.
4. Wash your hair with a mild cleanser.

How Often You Should Do This

You must do this twice every week.

7. Eggs

The yolk of the egg is rich in fats and protein that are excellent for split end prevention and curbing brittle hair and breakage. It contains peptides that nourish the hair and aid hair growth (13).

You Will Need

• 1-2 eggs
• A shower cap

What You Have To Do

1. Whip one or two eggs.
2. Apply the mixture to your scalp and hair.
3. Cover your head with a shower cap.
4. Leave it on for at least an hour.
5. Wash your hair with a mild cleanser.

How Often You Should Do This

You must do this once a week for optimum benefits.

Note: To avoid the egg stench, you can add a few drops of any essential oil to the mix.

8. Vitamins

Deficiencies in certain vitamins can also damage your hair texture (14). Vitamins A, C, D, and E are necessary for moisturized and damage-free hair.

These vitamins not only nourish your hair but also help with split ends and hair loss. Increase your vitamin intake by consuming foods like carrots, spinach, kale, citrus fruits, eggs, fish, milk, and nuts.

9. Essential Oils

a. Lavender Oil

Lavender oil can help prevent hair loss with hair growth-promoting activities. It can also increase the number of hair follicles, thus increasing the density of your hair (15). This may help promote your hair health.

You Will Need

• 6 drops of lavender oil
• 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil (or any other carrier oil)

What You Have To Do

1. Add six drops of lavender oil to one to two tablespoons of any carrier oil.
2. Mix well and apply it to your hair and scalp.
3. Massage gently and leave it on for 30 to 60 minutes.
4. Wash your hair with a mild cleanser.

How Often You Should Do This

You must do this at least once a week.

b. Rosemary Oil

Rosemary oil promotes hair growth. It enhances the hair texture and increases the density of hair and is also apt for treating hair loss (16). This remedy is beneficial for people with fine and brittle hair.

You Will Need

• 6 drops of rosemary oil
• 1-2 tablespoons of any carrier oil

What You Have To Do

1. Add six drops of rosemary oil to one or two tablespoons of any carrier oil.
2. Mix well and massage it into your scalp and hair.
3. Leave it on for 40 to 60 minutes.
4. Rinse your hair with a mild cleanser.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this 1 to 2 times a week.

Your diet also matters when it comes to enhancing the health of your hair. Eating right with required nutrition will improve the efficiency of the above remedies. Given below are some foods that will soften texture to help you achieve healthier hair.

10. Fenugreek

Fenugreek seeds exhibit anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties (17). Some research suggests they may also help treat dandruff (18).

You Will Need

• 2 to 3 tablespoons of fenugreek seeds
• 1 to 1.5 cups of water

What You Have To Do

1. Soak the fenugreek seeds in water overnight.
2. Blend the soaked seeds into a smooth paste the next morning. You also may add a little water to produce a thicker paste.
3. Apply this paste to your hair and scalp. Ensure your hair is dry or slightly damp prior.
4. Leave the fenugreek paste on your hair for about 30 to 45 minutes.
5. Rinse your hair with lukewarm water.

How Often You Should Do This

Once or twice a week

These are some effective home remedies that help improve hair health. Let’s now explore certain food options that can help enhance hair texture.

Best Foods For Better Hair Texture

Nutrients (and their foods sources) that are known to help in improving the texture of the hair are (19):

• Vitamin A-rich foods like carrots, eggs, dairy products, poultry, and fish.
• Foods that are rich in iron like fish, poultry, nuts, beans, grains, raisins, and spinach.
• Omega-3 foods like flaxseed, walnuts, and fatty fish.
• Foods that are rich in biotin or vitamin H like oysters, eggs, avocados, soybean, oatmeal, legumes, and mushrooms.

It is time to take a few tips to prevent damage to your hair strands.

Prevention Tips

• Always choose a shampoo that is formulated foryour hair type.
• Consider using pH-balanced products to keep your hair and scalp healthy.
• Condition your hair after every shampoo.
• Use hair masks, packs, and products that boost hydration and keep hair healthy.
• Comb your hair carefully.
• Avoid using blow dryers and heat styling.
• Do not rub your hair too hard while towel drying.
• If you have dry and rough hair that is prone to frizziness, use a frizz control hair serum.
• Use damage repair hair products to restore excessively treated, colored, frizzy, or dry hair.Hair texture can be affected by daily pollution and dirt, stress, iron deficiency, hormonal imbalances, chemical and heating hair treatments, medications, and aging.

Quick Tip

Always use microfiber towels. Their synthetic fibers are light, gentle and avert the need to rub or wring your hair.

Types Of Hair

The hair types fall under categories 1 to 4. Within these categories, the amount of curl in the hair strands is represented with a letter ranging from ‘a’ to ‘c’.

Type 1 Hair

This type of hair is naturally straight and has no curls. It is usually shiny and oily due to lack of curls. Within the Type 1 category, there are Type 1a, Type 1b, and Type 1c subcategories.

• Type 1a is completely flat hair.
• Type 1b has comparatively more body than Type 1a and is not completely flat.
• Type 1c is generally straight with a few areas that bend slightly.

Type 2 Hair

If your hair is naturally wavy, forming an “S” shape, it falls under the Type 2 category. This type is not as oily as Type 1 hair, but it is neither too dry. Type 2 hair is further categorized as Type 2a, Type 2b, and Type 2c.

• Type 2a hair has several loose beach waves all over the head.
• Type 2b hair is wavier than Type 2a and more defined and tightly drawn than the former.
• Type 2c hair is often very tightly drawn, so much so that it forms loose spiral curls.

Type 3 Hair

This hair type is naturally curly and forms a defined “S”. Type 3 hair is known to form ringlets without having to use any hair products or tools and is usually dry. Under the Type 3 hair category, there are Type 3a, Type 3b, and Type 3c types.

• Type 3a hair forms smooth curls that may even be silky to touch.
• Type 3b hair consists of springy and spiraled curls. Many half-black women possess this hair type.
• Type 3c hair is very tightly drawn, coily, and highly textured.

Type 4 Hair

Type 4 hair is tightly drawn but does not form ringlets like Type 3. Also, this type of hair hardly changes shape whether it is dry or wet. Due to the shape of this hair type, you will notice that its hair strands are extremely dry. Type 4a, Type 4b, and Type 4c types come under this hair category.

• Type 4a hair is usually tightly drawn and forms tight coils or cylindrical curls.
• Type 4b has a crimpy pattern, even more than cylindrical curls.
• Type 4c is almost “Z” shaped and has a zigzag pattern. It has little to no defined sections.

Quick Tip

Hair texture also depends on porosity. High porosity hair absorbs and loses moisture fast, leading to frizz. Such hair needs intense moisture to stay healthy.

Infographic: 5 DIY Remedies To Improve Hair Texture

Frequent styling with hot tools, pollution, stress, poor diet, and an unhealthy lifestyle can wreak havoc on the hair. So, the next time you complain about your frizzy, unkempt hair, know where it’s coming from. Want to bring your dry, damaged hair back to life? Whether you have fine, medium, or coarse hair, to get healthier-looking locks, check out the infographic below for some easy DIY remedies.

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Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does hair texture change with age?

Yes, your hair can change in many ways with aging, including changes in its texture.

Does shaving your head change your hair texture?

Shaving can neither change your hair texture nor make it grow faster or darker.

How to test your hair texture?

A relatively easy way to test your hair texture is:
• Wash your hair.
• Air-dry it.
• Cut a sewing thread that is 6 to 8 diameters long.
• Pull out a dry hair and place it next to the thread.
• Compare the hair strand to the thread.
• Thin hair – If your hair strand is thinner than the thread
• Medium hair – If the hair strand is as thick as the thread
• Thick hair – If the hair strand is thicker than the thread

Can hair texture be changed permanently?

You cannot change your hair texture permanently by using natural methods. However, chemical procedures like perms work by restructuring the bonds in the hair strands to change your hair texture for a longer period. But it is important to note that the results of these procedures will have no effect on your hair that grows out.

Does shampoo change hair texture?

The ingredients in some shampoos may temporarily change the texture of hair and make it appear drier, softer, thicker, or smoother. It largely depends on the type of shampoo used and whether it suits your hair type.

Image: Dall·E/StyleCraze Design Team

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Learn 8 easy tips to keep your hair naturally healthy and looking great! Get the best advice on how to keep your hair healthy and strong. Scroll down to watch the video.

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Vd. Naveen SharmaBAMS, Ayurveda Specialist

 

Dr. Naveen Sharma is a renowned Ayurveda specialist with an experience of 10 years. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery(B. A. M. S) from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, in 2007. He has a professional membership with AYUSH. Dr. Sharma’s specialties include cancer, liver disorders, autoimmune disorders, lifestyle disorders, migraine, hair fall, PCOD...more

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Shaheen holds a postgraduate degree in Human Genetics and Molecular Biology from Bharathiar University. She is a Geneticist with proficiency in Biotechnology, Immunology, Medical Genetics, Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Genetic Counseling. Her passion for writing and her educational background have assisted her substantially in writing quality content on topics related to health and wellness for over three years. In her free...more

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Anjali is an associate editor at StyleCraze. She specializes in hairstyles and hair and skin care and has written over 200 articles in these domains. She has 7 years of experience, and her philosophy about hair and skin care is simple: if you love and care for it, it will be healthy. She has taken it upon herself to show...more

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