Here’s the thing, the aisles in the beauty department are increasing. What was once just a small shelf in the departmental store for hair products has grown into an entire section that boasts varied products for the hair. Some claim to replenish your hair’s moisture. Others promise to give back your hair’s lost proteins. And then some products claim to hydrate your parched hair. While all that sounds fancy and promising, many of us are lost when it comes to knowing what our hair needs. If you are among them as well, here is a handy guide on how to differentiate between hair that is damaged, dehydrated or in the need of some proteins.

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If your hair strands are brittle, fragile, limp, sticky or simply fall a lot, your hair may be going through a protein deficiency. Your hair majorly is made up of proteins. Like the rest of your body, they do build up your hair. Without them, your hair is prone to breakage.

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Healthy hair is always flexible. You can play around with it as much as you want without the fear of causing any damage to it. So, if you've noticed that your hair breaks when you try to bend it then it's probable that it is damaged.

Good hair is supposed to be soft and shiny. You shouldn't have to struggle while brushing or combing your hair. So, the bottom line here is that if it feels like straw, then it's dry and it won't take long to get damaged too.

This one is a no brainer to be very honest, but even then if you notice that you've ended up with some severe split ends then it's time to get a trim. The longer you delay your haircut the worse your hair will get and you'll have to chop off major lengths to restore your hair's condition.

If your hair has been tangling up easily or seems weak or dry, chances are they are dehydrated. Split ends and an inability to hold your heat style are also tell-tale signs of dehydrated hair. This usually happens to due to an excess of chemical treatments and ironically exposure to more heat tools.

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We’re not talking about the greasiness one feels after sweating. Often times, after a nourishing treatment, the hair feels coated or heavier. Although rare, this is the case of hair getting more protein than it requires. This happens when more protein-heavy products.

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We have kept the easiest for the last. If your hair is starting to feel itchy and dry, it’s because your hair has a lack of moisture and a good cleanse. To rectify this, begin by first shampooing hair with a clarifying shampoo. Continue by conditioning the hair with a moisturising conditioner.

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