Elasticity is defined as your hair’s ability to bounce back from tugging and pulling.
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Every time you comb, brush, and style your hair, it is being manipulated. If you’re constantly struggling with breakage and undefined curls, you could be suffering from lack of elasticity, also called bounce for looser curl patterns. “Hair elasticity is an important factor in better understanding the overall health and upkeep of our hair,” as stated in this article. When you hair lacks elasticity, it is more prone to having breakage; it also has difficulty withstanding damage from manipulation. Dryness is one of the main causes of breakage, so it is especially important to keep your hair moisturized daily.
These ingredients will give you hair more definition, bounce, and elasticity with regular use.
1. Water
Water is with a doubt the most abundant ingredient in most natural hair care products, and for good reason. Water is a hydrator and our hair needs this moisture in order to bend and stretch. When you apply water to your hair, you’re providing the necessary moisture it needs. Read why curly hair loves water as a natural moisturizer.
2. Coconut oil
As natural light to medium emollient, coconut oil is another ingredient that gives your hair elasticity. Remember that coconut oil is a penetrating emollient and that can easily enter the hair shaft to protect you hair from protein loss, hydrated fatigue, and damage. Coconut also protects your hair from losing too much moisture and becoming dry. Read more about coconut oil here.
3. Olive oil
Although it’s identified as a medium to heavy emollient, olive oil provides your hair elasticity. It can easily penetrate and coat the hair shaft to hold and lock moisture. Olive oil works great for hot oil and deep conditioning treatment. Olive oil also helps to prevent hair thinning and loss. Use it once a week as in your deep conditioning treatment if your curls are feeling extremely dry and lack definition.
4. Argan oil
Popularly used in many commercial hair care products, argan oil is another ingredient that helps to give your hair elasticity. Although it’s expensive, argan oil has been found to help solve natural hair woes including elasticity issues and frizz. As mentioned in this article, argan oil is rich in fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamin E to retain moisture and add shine.
5. Hydrolyzed protein
Commonly found in hair reconstructing treatments, Hydrolyzed protein is an ingredient to jumpstart the bounce back into your curls. It strengthens the hair cuticle, maintaining elasticity down the length of the hair. Before heat and chemical styling, do a hydrolyzed protein treatment to protect your hair from becoming weak and damaged. When using hydrolyzed protein, consider how often you need it–this ingredient is much stronger than the typical deep conditioner, so use sparingly. For more on hydrolyzed protein, check out this article.
This article has been updated with additional resources.
