“THE BEAUTY OF NATURAL HAIR CARE: NATURE'S FORMULA FOR LUCKY LOCKS.”

LAVERA HAIR CARE FOR DULL, LIFELESS HAIR

Women with longer hair, in particular, often struggle with lifeless, brittle hair. The explanation is simple: The longer your hair, the more sebum your scalp needs to produce to maintain the hair's natural moisture content. Often, little or no sebum reaches the hair-ends, which means that sooner or later they will dry out.

However, dull, lifeless hair – unlike damaged hair – is not completely unhealthy. Unlike very dry, damaged hair, where the hair itself is in a poor condition, only the outer layer of dull, lifeless hair has a problem. Luckily, all layers of dull, lifeless hair are still intact; only the outer cuticle is damaged and weak. This is why hair lacks healthy radiance and shine.

Characteristics of dull, lifeless hair:

• Hair lacks shine, brilliance and colour, and looks washed out
• Dull, lifeless hair is less resilient due to the weakened outer cuticle
• Hair is brittle and looks frail
• Split and extremely dry ends

Possible causes of dull, lifeless hair:

• Washing hair too often with water that is too hot
• Dry air from heating systems in winter or exposure to intense sunlight
• Daily styling with a blow dryer, hair straighteners or curling iron, particularly if they are too hot
• Frequent dyeing and aggressive styling products
• Vitamin or nutritional deficiency (zinc, biotin, vitamin B) as a result of a strict or unbalanced diet
• Excessive emotional or physical stress
• Using the wrong hairbrush or hair clips that are too tight
• Very hard water

You can find further hair care tips and information about lavera's active organic extracts for combating dull, lifeless hair here.

LAVERA HAIR CARE FOR FINE HAIR

Why do some people have 'thinner' hair than others?

Let's start with the scientific aspects: hair consists of two components. The inner part of a strand of hair, known as the cortex, is made of proteins that are often referred to as keratins. They account for approximately 80% of hair. The outer layer is called the cuticle. It is a good indicator of how healthy your hair is. Healthy hair has flat cuticles that form a smooth surface and reflect light, thus causing hair to shine. In fine hair, the cortex is thinner. Normal hair has a diameter of 0.05 to 0.07 mm; hair with a diameter of 0.02 to 0.04 mm is referred to by experts as fine hair.

Characteristics of fine hair:

• Hair diameter between 0.02 and 0.04 mm
• Very soft
• Limp and less voluminous
• Particularly sensitive 
• Split ends occur easily 

Possible causes of fine hair:

There are a number of different causes of fine hair. Improper nutrition or hormonal changes may be the culprit, although it's just as possible that genetic factors are to blame. If you have thin hair, all you can do is make use of the right styling tips and the proper care to create more volume.

As a rule of thumb, "less is more". Volume shampoos with mild surfactants and cleansers clean your hair and scalp very gently, strengthen weak hair structures and lend volume.

You can find other care tips and information on lavera's active ingredients for giving fine hair more volume here.

LAVERA HAIR CARE FOR COLOUR-TREATED HAIR

Why does colour-treated hair need special care?

Let's take a closer look at the hair strand itself. Hair consists of two layers; the inner layer is known as the cortex. The cortex is the primary component of hair and is surrounded by a protective layer known as the cuticle. The cuticle looks like a pine cone, but it is transparent, so the colour pigments in the hair's cortex shine through the cuticle.

When you dye your hair, chemical substances in the dye open up the cuticle so that the new colour pigments can penetrate into the hair and destroy or change its natural colour. The new colour pigments cling firmly to the hair and remain there permanently. This process can irritate sensitive scalps, but it mostly damages the hair's protective cuticle. The formulas of today's hair dyes are generally comparatively gentle, but they still attack the entire structure of the hair. Semi-permanent hair colours merely set the colour onto the outer layer of the hair, which is why they can be washed out.

Improper care of colour-treated hair can lead to:

• Dry, brittle, frail hair structure
• Dull colour with no shine

You can find further care tips and information about the innovative organic active ingredients in lavera products for colour-treated hair here.

LAVERA HAIR CARE FOR OILY HAIR

Many of us are familiar with this problem, and we know how frustrating it can be: your hair feels fresh, healthy and shiny after you wash it, but just a short while later, you start to notice your roots feeling greasy; your hair becomes lank and looks unkempt. This problem not only makes people uncomfortable; it may also make them depressed and cause them to lose confidence in themselves.

Characteristics of oily hair:

• Greasy roots
• Oily, stringy appearance
• Lank hair with no volume 

Possible causes of oily hair:

All of us have sebaceous glands under our scalps that produce oil and protect our hair and scalp from the weather. The oil also makes our hair naturally shiny. That's it is recommended that you brush your hair with 100 strokes per day, so that the oil can be evenly distributed across the entire length of your hair. But remember, this is only good if your scalp is normal. If you have oily hair, your sebaceous glands produce too much of a good thing – the oil quickly spreads from your scalp through your hair, making it appear greasy, lank and unwashed. 

Hormonal changes during your period or a pregnancy can cause your sebaceous glands to produce too much oil, as can stress or an unhealthy diet. On the other hand, a healthy, balanced diet can help to regulate your scalp's sebum production. An overproduction of sebum can also be the result of a genetic predisposition as it may depend on the number of sebaceous glands on the scalp. 

If hair quickly becomes oily without the influence of stress or hormones, it is a problem that can't be entirely eliminated, but it can be moderated with the right hair care products, tips, and tricks. 

Learn the best way to care for your oily hair and find out which of lavera's organic ingredients are most effective here.

LAVERA HAIR CARE FOR SENSITIVE SCALPS

It itches, burns and the skin feels tight – many people complain of an itchy, sensitive scalp. The scalp is often neglected by hair care products, despite the fact that it protects and strengthens the roots of our hair – that's what a healthy scalp does, anyway.

Characteristics of a sensitive scalp:

• Your scalp has an adverse reaction to many shampoos or other hair care products
• It tends to be flaky and red, and often burns
• It itches or even feels tight

Causes of a sensitive, itchy scalp

There are many different reasons why your scalp might be sensitive; it's not always easy to find the specific cause. If you have a sensitive scalp, the first thing to test would be whether you are allergic to a certain hair care product; this is usually the culprit. Using the wrong shampoo is one of the primary causes of a sensitive scalp. The scalp's natural acid mantle is damaged by aggressive cleansing agents, making the scalp extremely sensitive to external factors. However, people with extremely dry skin or eczema who have undergone dermatological treatment also often complain of having an itchy, hypersensitive scalp.

What many people forget is that the scalp has the same structure as the rest of the skin on our bodies, which means that it is just as sensitive. Our hair offers little protection from sunburn, intense heat or extreme cold. Strong wind, salt water, and chlorinated water can also irritate the scalp. All of this can lead to the scalp drying out, resulting in itchy and flaky skin. 

You can learn more about the possible causes of sensitive scalp and which lavera care products and organic ingredients work best here.