We’ve all been there. Take one too many long showers during a busy work week, and suddenly, your hair has become your greatest enemy. So tangled that no comb can untangle it, its volume completely gone out the window… along with any attempt at styling, and, worst of all, the icky sponge-like texture that just won’t go away, giving you no hope that your hair will ever be dry again. Hygral fatigue, or the curse of over-moisturized hair, affects too many of us every day.

Fortunately, there is plenty of hope on the horizon. Treatment and prevention methods for hygral fatigue are a lot more accessible than you might initially think. On top of that, we’ll tell you everything you need to know to maintain your mane as luscious as it can be - no over-moisturizing involved!

Here’s what we’ll be covering:

Table of content:

What is Hygral Fatigue?

Hygral fatigue is damaged caused to your hair strands as a result of repeated swelling and deswelling, which can happen for a variety of reasons - from excessive use of hair dye and/or conditioner to consistent blow-drying or hair straightening. Even something as simple as overdoing it with the amount of shampoo you utilize or how much friction you apply to the scalp during the hair-washing process can trigger hygral fatigue. 

When this occurs, your hair follicles suffer due to the weakening of the hair’s outer layer of protection - known as the hair cuticle. The weaker your cuticles, the more space there is for water to infiltrate the follicle’s cortex, the inner layer of your hair.

As a reaction to all of this, your hair may start exhibiting signs of hygral fatigue such as:

• Taking on a porous texture, making it feel ‘permanently wet’ when touching it;
• A frizzy, unwavering nature when trying to style or brush it;
• In extreme cases - consistent hair loss and permanent damage to the structural integrity of your hair follicle.

In a nutshell, when suffering from hygral fatigue, your hair expands and contracts constantly due to unnecessary moisture. If the resulting hair stretching reaches the cut-off point of 30% of its original size, then the damage to the hair follicle becomes irreversible, and hygral fatigue can only be kept in check, rather than completely treated. 

Why is Hygral Fatigue so Damaging in the Long Run?

“But why is a little added moisture such a big deal anyway? After all, my hair will just grow back and the hair follicles will get renewed, right?”  

Not exactly. Unfortunately, the infiltrated water causes permanent damage to the hair shaft that you cannot simply ‘shake off’ until your hair grows back with time, wiping the slate clean and erasing any sign of over-moisturization. 

Seeing as the inner cortex of the hair follicle is taking the brunt of the excessive moisture, hygral fatigue is not activating at a surface level. To put it simply, the issue stems from the very root of the tree, affecting its growth and development throughout its lifespan, rather than being something that can easily pass if you throw away one of the bad apples. 

In time, the irreversible damage caused by hygral fatigue can manifest in highly unfavorable ways. On the one hand, due to the severely weakened follicle integrity, you may be exposed to a multitude of other hair-related health problems throughout the years. On the other hand, dryness and brittleness can become frequent occurrences - since your hair is retaining an unhealthy amount of water in its cortex, there will be none to spare for your cuticles. Ironic, isn’t it?

Treating Hygral Fatigue

“Alright, but what are my options to actually undo the damage caused by all that excessive moisture?”

I’m glad you asked. The best thing you can do to combat hygral fatigue and maintain healthy hair is to change up your hair-washing routine. 

First things first, make sure that you are applying your shampoo and conditioner gently, massaging them into your scalp with little-to-no force. Forcing the cleansing chemicals into your hair follicle rather than allowing them to be absorbed naturally is often a likely culprit for hygral fatigue. 

Now onto what you are actually using to wash your hair. Argan-oil-based natural hair products can do wonders in terms of revitalizing your hair’s integrity, restoring its natural glow in the process. Our Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo & Conditioner products specialize in cultivating the scalp’s long-term health through their nourishing blend of vitamins, sealing in the moisture, and greatly reducing the chance of hair breakage and split ends. 

Alternatively, for sensitive hair/scalp, oil-based natural hair care products can liberate the scalp from dandruff, clear up any impurities, and restore the scalp to its natural pH levels. For this exact reason, we highly recommend the ACV Shampoo and Coconut/Avocado Oil Conditioner package. Through the combined effects of vitamins and mineral compounds that the two products employ, your hair shaft will return to its regular, non-overly moistured self in no time!

Preventing Hygral Fatigue

“Say I’ve gotten rid of this hygral fatigue problem; how do I prevent it from bothering me again?"

Glad you asked once again, we have a couple of solutions for that too. Anyone who has previously suffered from overly dry or brittle hair and damaged hair cuticle can tell you just how helpful the right oil can be during a hair emergency such as hygral fatigue. 

Whether you were to choose the onion-based Black Seed Hair Oil or the multi-purpose Castor Oil, your hair would greatly benefit from either. Offering natural nourishment through a cold-pressed formula, both of these oils have the end goal of strengthening your hair follicle’s protective layer and flatten the hair cuticle, thereby preventing any excessive moisturization in the future. 

Rounding it All Up

Hygral fatigue is a deceptively easy condition to develop if one is not aware of just how much moisture their hair follicles might retain, and unfortunately, the damage from the excessive moisture can indeed cause long-term damage to your hair’s integrity. 

On the upside, there are plenty of things you can do to help remedy its effects or to prevent it from occurring in the first place and to maintain healthy hair. No matter what happens, treating your hair with better care can be as effortless as changing your brand of shampoo or wearing a swim cap at your local pool. 

With all that being said, you now have all the tools you need to make hygral fatigue a thing of the past. Say goodbye to overly-moistured hair, and hello to the revival of your luscious mane!

Explore the WOW website for more natural hair care products.