Are Ceramides Good for Hair?

Between external aggressors like environmental changes, pollution, heat damage and colour treating, hair can easily become distressed or damaged. If you’re experiencing breakage, dullness or coarseness, you can turn to ceramides in hair products to fortify your strands and promote healthier, shinier hair. To understand how ceramides benefit hair, we’ve enlisted the expert advice of Dercos, hair care and scalp health specialists.

 

What are ceramides for hair?

 

Ceramides are naturally occurring lipids (oils) found in the hair cuticle and epidermis – the outermost layer of the skin.¹ Ceramides make up about 50% of the lipids in the stratum corneum (outer layer of the epidermis)² and are crucial in maintaining a healthy skin moisture barrier³. So, in comparison to skincare, what do ceramides do for hair? Ceramides play a similar role, acting as a protective barrier for the hair cuticle, thus preserving the health and hydration of the hair shaft.⁴ Ceramides help strengthen your locks, preventing breakage and split ends, while keeping the hair shiny and smooth.

Ceramide benefits for hair

 

Since ceramides are an essential component of maintaining hair strength and structure, all hair types can benefit from the use of ceramides in hair products. However, those with dry, damaged or frizzy hair will find the use of ceramides particularly effective in improving the texture and appearance of hair. Continue reading as we illuminate the many advantages of using ceramides for scalp and hair health, including:

 

1. Works to repair damage
2. Helps strengthen the hair fibres
3. Retains moisture in the scalp and hair
4. Improves the look and feel of hair

 

Helps repair cuticle damage

 

There are a number of factors that can damage the hair and impact our natural ceramides, including bleaching and colour treating, UV exposure, continual use of heat styling tools, harsh hair care chemicals, or even over-washing. The cuticle is the outermost layer of the hair and comprises flat overlapping cells in a ‘scale-like’ fashion.⁵ Ceramides shield the cuticle with a protective layer but when the hair is damaged, we lose this natural protection and the cuticle scales become ‘lifted’. This leads to dryness, fizziness and breakage. By incorporating ceramides in hair products, we start to replenish this protective coating which then repairs hair strands and minimises breakage.

 

Strengthens the hair fibres

 

We know that ceramides for hair are incredibly nourishing to the cuticles - did you know that using ceramides also strengthens the overall hair shaft? When we deplete our ceramide barrier and cuticle scales start to lift, the inner structure of the hair fibre – the cortex –

becomes exposed to daily damage. The cortex contains keratin proteins and lipids⁵ which make up the structure of the hair and determine the strength and elasticity of your strands. When we use ceramides, we’re safeguarding the hair against external aggressors. This means we can reinforce the hair structure, fortify at the root, and reduce breakage - a leading cause of hair loss.

 

Hydrates the hair and scalp

 

In skincare, ceramides help reinforce your skin’s protective barrier and lock in moisture. If we think of the scalp in the same way, ceramides play an important function in keeping this area balanced; a disrupted scalp may trigger conditions such as dandruff. Using ceramides for hair supports our strands with a protective layer, helping to seal moisture in the cuticles and minimise transepidermal water loss from the hair cuticle.

 

Promotes shiny, smooth strands

 

Dullness is a common side effect of damaged hair. Dull hair lacks those natural, light-reflecting properties and has an overall lacklustre or frizzy appearance. Like we mentioned above, cuticle scales in damaged hair are lifted, however when using ceramides for hair repair, this eventually smooths out the cuticle scales again. The result is softer, smoother strands that naturally reflect light – bringing that glossy shine back to your hair.

 

How to use ceramides for hair care

 

Much like its many iterations in skincare, ceramides play well with other hair care ingredients, making it readily accessible in a variety of hair products. You can easily integrate ceramide-infused formulas into your regular hair care routine, including shampoos, conditioners, hair serums and deep conditioning masks. For example, Dercos Energising Fortifying Conditioner is formulated with ceramides to help support the scalp moisture barrier and reduce hair fall caused by breakage. Simply leave in for 2 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.

 

 

Now that you know all about ceramides for hair strengthening, consider how vitamin E can help with hair growth

 

 

¹https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24656726/

²https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5504780/

³https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17587886/

⁴https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7992683/

⁵https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4201279/