My nephew has the driest hair I've ever seen.  His hair is very short (about 3/4" inch) and he has quite a bit of dandruff as well.  Actually he's always had dandruff but I haven't noticed the dry hair until this past weekend.

I oiled his hair with two drops of jojoba oil and it looked better.  He washes his hair every other day, likes very hot showers, doesn't condition at all and sometimes uses gel to make his hair in front stand straight up.  I told him to put conditioner on his hair every time he washes .....

Honestly - I can't think of anything more.   Has anyone else heard of such short hair being so dry ?  Is this a health problem maybe (not enough protein etc.).  

I wouldn't worry too much about it. It sounds like you've nailed the problem right there: the hot water and the lack of conditioning. If your nephew gets started on a regular conditioning routine and cuts down on the hot water on his hair, he should be okay. At that length, it's easy for him to "redeem" himself to his hair. And if anything, he'll have a fresh head of hair after a month or two anyway.

If you're worried about his scalp and hair, maybe you can talk him into a deep prewash oiling treatment. A heavy oiling with coconut oil or another cheap affordable one. Then he can shampoo it out in the sink with warm/tepid/cold water, and condition of course, before actually showering.

Anais