Dry hair lacks the oil and moisture it needs to give it sheen and a soft texture. As a result, hair that's dry will be brittle and dull and have a straw-like texture. Most of us will get dry hair at one point or another--either due to over-processing or exposing it to sun, wind and chlorinated swimming pools.

The use of hard water for bathing can cause dry hair and a dry scalp. Are you aware that hard water can trigger scalp eczema or dandruff, thinning hair, and dry flaky skin? You need to be careful when you go to a salon and have your hair treated. It could be possible that hard water is used.

One of the main things that causes dry hair is the sun. You know how your skin drys out after you spend some serious time outside? Well, the same thing happens to your hair. It's not quite as obvious or painful but it's true. The nasty UV rays that cause sunburn and skin cancer also cause dry and damaged hair.

The primary causes of dry hair can be narrowed down to two incidents: One, lack of sebaceous gland production - sebum oils produced by skin glands or two, over-styling and heat damage. Sebaceous glands produce hair oils - sebum - and are associated with all glands of the skin, including the scalp.

Heat is the number one enemy of your hair. It causes the moisture in the strands to evaporate. Thus, one of the most important parts of caring for your dry hair is being aware of not subjecting your hair to too much heat. This is to lock in the moisture as much as possible.

Dry hair, scalp and dandruff are the end results of certain elements that rid the natural oils your body is producing so that the oils can reach your hair and skin. Nobody is born with damaged hair, so you must think about this when trying to recapture or get back your healthy scalp.

The scalp and hair however, were not designed to withstand a consistent stream of hot air more than 40 degrees Celsius. We are talking of course of the humble yet violent blow dryer. The blow dryer may have been useful to Hollywood stars, theater actors and hair stylists for the past few decades, but the fact remains that it damages the hair.

Eat healthy. This is probably the best thing you can do to bring back life to your hair. Hair is dry because there is not enough sebum produced in hair follicles. To maintain the natural moisturizing abilities of the scalp, it is advisable to include fish such as salmon or try some flaxseed oil in your diet. Food rich in zinc, like oysters, is also good for the hair.

Environmental causes of dry hair basically include anything that happens to your hair that comes from the earth. The most common one is easily the sun. Powerful, unfiltered UV rays can have some very negative effects on the hair and scalp. You should treat your hair like you treat your skin. Use a shampoo or hair care product with UV protection.