Re: Advice for \"Super Dry Hair?!?!\"
It may also be a good idea to supplement her diet with Omega-3 oils which can be found in Fish Oil supplements...or just add foods high in Omega oil acids, eg oily fish like salmon, mackeral, to her diet. I don't know how old your daughter is but
here's a good source of children's omega oil supplements. And if she doesn't mind, perhaps she could apply a light penetrating oil (like jojoba, avocado or coconut) to her hair at night and sleep in a plastic cap. In the morning, her hair may feel less dry.
Does she wash her hair often? Perhaps you could add an extra wash in between her washes but only use conditioner instead of shampoo. I would wet the hair, apply conditioner to the hair not scalp...leave it on for a while, then rinse. That may seal in some of the moisture. (I specify "not the scalp" because I believe residue on the scalp may block pores that are so needed to remain open for sebum to pass through and reach the hair that needs it. That's also the reason I don't like applying anything to the scalp). While hair is still wet, she could apply a serum like John Frieda's Frizz-Ease and air dry. The serum will seal in the moisture. (The only thing with serums is I think they are so sealing that unless you wash them off, any moisturizer you apply afterwards may not penetrate. So either she could wash her hair more often or just do the serum thing the day before her wash day and just use oils and the plastic cap thingy on other days. In which case she'd just spray her hair with water to make it damp then apply the serum.)
I agree with Spagirl that a moisturizing treatment may help. Just make sure you make it a deep conditioning treatment. That is, apply a good conditioner* and then put a plastic cap over her head, then either have her sit under a warm dryer or wrap a warm towel over her head. Or she could just tie a scarf and sit out in the sun. As long as her hair gets warm enough for the cuticle scales to lift and allow conditioner to penetrate her hair strands where they are most needed. Rinse her hair with cool distilled water or water with a few drops of apple cider vinegar. (I usually put my solution in a basin/bucket and submerge my head in it. Then I massage my scalp to ensure all residue is removed. I kinda just let my hair hang in there while I concentrate on the massaging.) The ACV will seal her cuticle and enhance shine. Then apply one of those penetrating oils while her hair is still damp. Just remember that moisture and a sealant will keep her hair from drying. And her hair doesn't have to be greasy. It will feel soft and shine if it's moisturized. S-Curl may follow the oils after her hair dries, if you feel a need for more moisture. (When I use S-curl and the cap idea, I can go a whole week without reapplying!
* About conditioners, since her hair is also breaking, it might not hurt to use a reconstructor. (That's a protein conditioner with moisture in it, like GPB. The protein with strengthen her hair.) Then follow that with a moisturizing conditioner, if you like. In both cases, make it a deep conditioning treatment. Some people find LeKair Cholesterol or UBH Conditioner suffice for both strengthening and moisturizing.
