With its cold temperatures and bitter winds, winter weather can make it difficult to keep your hair feeling healthy and lustrous. If you’re prone to breakage, a dry scalp, or split ends, keep reading to learn winter hair treatment tips.
It can be difficult to protect your hair during the winter months when the air is cold and dry. And, during the winter months, we also crank up the heat and break out the space heaters. These heating elements sap moisture from the air. No matter where you go in the winter, it seems like you’re constantly exposed to drying elements.
When your hair is exposed to dry air, it loses moisture. Excess moisture loss can make your ends splinter and your hair shafts break. That’s why you need a proper winter hair care routine that adds moisture back into your hair and keeps it looking radiant.
Wearing hats in the winter is a great way to protect your hair from the cold air while also keeping your scalp warm. The fabric of the hat prevents the harsh winter air from penetrating the hair shaft and wicking away moisture. Once you’re inside, you can take the hat off, just make sure you use a material that doesn’t build up too much static!
One of the best winter hair care tips is to simply drink more water. Since cold weather and heating elements wick moisture away, you can add it back to your system by drinking a few more glasses of water a day. This is not only good for your hair, but for your health as a whole.
Most shampoos strip away your hair’s natural oils. During the winter months, this drying effect becomes more pronounced when you go outside or are exposed to heating elements. To combat this, you can either use less shampoo or wash your hair less often. Both methods will dry your hair out less.
Using more conditioner is another great winter hair care tip that helps you fight dryness since conditioners replenish your hair and scalp’s essential oils. You can either use a greater amount of conditioner when you shower or condition on days that you don’t shampoo to add moisture back into your hair. You can also use a leave-in conditioner to moisturize your hair throughout the day.
As mentioned earlier, heat has a drying effect, and that’s true for scalding hot showers, too. To perform the best winter hair care, try taking lukewarm showers. It may be cold getting out, but your hair will thank you for it in the long run. If you’re really opposed to cooling down your entire shower, try turning the temperature down just when you’re submerging your head under the stream of water.
Your hair is most vulnerable when it’s wet, so you need to take the time to gently dry it in the winter. You can towel dry your hair or dry it with an old cotton t-shirt. Both methods will soak up the moisture in your hair, but the cotton shirt will be more gentle.
Speaking of drying your hair, avoid blow drying or heat styling. As mentioned before, excessive heat dries your hair out further, which can make it more fragile and prone to breakage. If you’re really in a pinch and need to dry your hair fast, use a blow dryer with a cool air function.
Another way you can perform winter hair care is by incorporating highly-moisturizing products into your routine. Hair masks are basically high-powered conditioners—they penetrate your hair shaft and increase its moisture levels. Hair oils operate similarly, and they lock moisture in.
Serums, while very similar, are silicone-based products that protect your hair’s surface by adding shine and hydration. Using a combination of these products allows you to add an extra layer of moisturization to your winter hair care routine.
If you’re struggling with winter dryness and are looking for a hair salon in Chattanooga or Cleveland, consider booking an appointment at Brillare’s SalonSpa. We offer a wide range of cosmetology and esthetics treatments that leave you and your hair moisturized and ready to take on the winter weather.
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