The winter season calls for holiday celebrations and the beginning of another year, but it also means damage to your skin and hair. Once the cold and dry months start, you’ll tend to notice the dryness and cracking of your skin, hair, and scalp.
Your crowning glory needs an extra dash of TLC during the winter months as they’re more susceptible to frizz, breakage, and split ends. These types of damage happen to your hair because the cold, dry air lifts your hair’s cuticle, inhibiting moisture from entering into your hair shaft.
Before stepping into the cold season, prepare and protect your hair health with these easy tips:
1.Shampoo Isn’t Your Best Friend, Conditioner Is
Every beauty magazine, website, and even your dermatologist will advise you not to shampoo your hair frequently, and there’s nothing wrong with that. As much as you’d like to wash away dirt and product buildup on your hair, shampoos can strip the natural oils off your scalp.
Using shampoo on your hair daily can increase dryness and irritation. Instead, reduce the frequency to twice to thrice a week, given that your hair isn’t too greasy, which is less likely during the cold weather.
After washing your hair with shampoo, you can moisturize and condition your hair by following up with a conditioner. Choose conditioners specifically concocted for dry, curly, and color-treated hair like those enlisted on sites like Mom Curls.
2.Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize!
Conditioners alone can’t beat the cold and dry air, especially if your hair and scalp are naturally on the dry side. Along with your conditioner, use an oil-based hair treatment to boost your hair’s moisture. You can massage this oil treatment into both your scalp and hair, but make sure to wash it off after a while.
Ideally, you can have a deeply moisturizing hair treatment once a week. Applying heavy oils like olive and coconut oil on your hair everyday encourages nasty product buildup which can lead to attracting more dirt clogging your pores, causing dandruff, and developing a bad smell.
3.Invest In A Humidifier and Air Purifier
Cold, dry air is indeed frustrating, but there’s a quick fix for that: invest in a humidifier, and use it in places where you usually spend time. As mentioned earlier, the stale, arid air prevents moisture from embracing your hair, resulting in frizz, split ends, and breakage. You can combat this dryness present in the surroundings by increasing the humidity, which humidifiers are specifically known for.
Because your winter hair is susceptible to dryness, it can easily get irritated by indoor chemicals and allergens. Adding an air purifier is also a great choice as it helps eliminate these pollutants that can dry out and irritate your scalp.
4.Keep Your Hair Covered Outdoors
The cold air is even harsher outside because of its lower temperature and the presence of snow, wind, and rain. Your well-moisturized hair can be no match for the harsh, chilly winds outdoors, so make sure that it’s not exposed to the air by sporting winter headwear like beanies.
Moreover, you’ll have to be more careful with your choice of hat fabric. Because most cozy hats are made of cotton and wool that are abrasive to your hair, you can prevent further damage by lining your hat with a gentler fabric such as satin or silk. You can also avoid static hair by spraying dry oils on.
Lastly, never make the mistake of going out with wet hair without any protection!
5.Reduce Damage With A Maintenance-Free Hairstyle
The health of your hair should always be more important than its appearance. Besides, you can’t achieve bouncy and shiny hair without taking care of your scalp and hair health. Hence, don’t get a hairstyle that requires frequent touch-ups throughout the day. Combing, styling, and running your fingers through your hair contribute to brittle and breakage-prone strands.
After washing and conditioning your hair, decide on a simple and maintenance-free hairstyle that can stay beautiful as it is. In this way, you’ll have to touch it less during the day and minimize possible damage.
6.Avoid Heat and Chemical Styling Unless Necessary
As much as you’d want to stay stylish even during winter, put down your blower, curler, and chemical treatments. Most people try to cover up their hair disaster by styling them vigorously, but they’re unaware that heat and chemical styling make it worse.
Unless necessary, refrain from heat styling as it’ll only draw moisture out of your hair and scalp, making your strands more vulnerable to breakage. If you’re always running late in the morning and have to blow-dry your hair, taking a shower at night is better to let your tresses dry overnight.
Takeaways
Packing up with moisture is the golden rule when it comes to maintaining healthy hair in the winter. Before your hair shines from the outside, its beauty should come from the inside which is the scalp. Along with these tips discussed, taking care of yourself, especially your diet and nutrition, is also crucial to having a crowning glory full of life. Finally, don’t splurge on expensive hair products and start investing in your overall health.