Winter air, as well as indoor heating, can be extremely drying, so it’s important to help your hair get as much moisture as it can. We’ve compiled a handy guide showing how to protect hair in winter, how to keep them healthy and strong during cold weather months.
- How To Protect Hair In Winter
- 1) Don't Wash Your Hair Too Often
- 2) Avoid Using Too Hot Water
- 3) Don't Skimp On Conditioner
- 4) Wear Hats
- 5) Use A Heat Protectant
- 6) Avoid Damaging Dyes And Treatments
- 7) Do An Oil Treatment
- 8) Minimize Static Electricity
- 9) Keep Your Ends Tidy
- 10) Be Careful While Brushing
- 11) Moisture The Air
- 12) Wear Hair Wrap
- 13) Use Protective Hairstyles
- 14) Moisturize Your Hair Daily
- 15) Steam Your Hair
- 16) Eat Well
How To Protect Hair In Winter
Take a look at this picture: you can use it as a reference when you need a good advice on hair care during harsh weather.
1) Don’t Wash Your Hair Too Often
Unless you have extremely oily hair, try to cut back on washing your hair in the winter. If you can, shampoo/condition just a couple times per week. Over washing can really dry out your hair, and since you aren’t as likely to be sweating as much in the winter, you can go an extra day without shampoo.
When you do use shampoo, look for a mild, gentle shampoo formulated without silicones or alcohol to keep as much moisture in your hair as possible. If you’re worried about greasiness, invest in a dry shampoo to prevent your hair from looking limp. If you must wash your hair every day, you could try just shampooing your scalp every day while shampooing the rest of your hair every other day.
If you regularly use a clarifying shampoo, you might want to use it less in the winter. If you have a lot of product buildup, maybe try and cut down on the number of products (especially those that include silicones) instead of using the clarifying shampoo more frequently.
2) Avoid Using Too Hot Water
When you do wash your hair, don’t use the hottest water you can stand. Keep temperatures at a reasonable level of lukewarm when you wash your hair. If you can stand it, do a cold rinse just before you jump out of the shower.
3) Don’t Skimp On Conditioner
If your hair allows it, use conditioner every time you wash your hair. This will keep your hair free of frizz and static electricity. If your hair is especially prone to dryness, try using conditioner before and after shampooing.
Dedicate one day a week to using a deep conditioning treatment. Look in your salon or at the drugstore for a conditioning hair mask or in-shower treatment.
4) Wear Hats
Wear a hat, especially if it’s raining, snowing or hailing! Use your favorite beanie or fuzzy winter hat. If you want to avoid “hat hair”, tie your hair up in a silk scarf to prevent it from getting frizzy or generating too much static. You also might want to perfect a few protective updos to minimize your hair’s exposure to the cold when you’re not wearing a hat.
5) Use A Heat Protectant
Most of us would rather not go outside in freezing temperatures with wet hair, so most people blow dry their hair in the winter. However, with added heat styling comes added damage.
If you use a straightener, curling iron, blow dryer, or all three, really make sure you use a heat protectant spray on your hair beforehand. Alternatively, you can try and cut down on heat styling in the winter to prevent damage.
You should never go outside with wet hair in the winter, as the cold air could cause extra damage to wet, fragile hair.
6) Avoid Damaging Dyes And Treatments
If you were planning on lightening or chemically straightening your hair this winter, you may want to reconsider. Save those damaging treatments for spring, fall, or summer when they’ll do less harm. If you are just depositing color without any lightening, you don’t have to worry, as this isn’t damaging.
7) Do An Oil Treatment
If you have extremely dry or damaged hair, natural oils can do wonders. Comb through or spray on an oil of your choice (argan, jojoba, and vitamin E are common hair oils), letting the moisturizer soak in while you sleep.
However, don’t overdo it on the oil, as you may have to use harsh shampoo to get out the excess. If you have very fine straight or wavy hair, you may want to skip this step. Alternatively, use a hair tonic and massage your scalp and hair.
8) Minimize Static Electricity
One big source of static electricity is our clothes. To prevent this, add the right amount of fabric softener when you do your laundry. Clothes like turtlenecks and fuzzy sweaters may be cozy, but they are a recipe for static when mixed with hair. To fix this, rub a clean dryer sheet all over your outfit.
9) Keep Your Ends Tidy
Getting regular trims will improve the health of your hair. For many people, the ends of the hair tend to be drier and more brittle than the rest of the hair. This is especially true of those who have damaged or dyed hair. Save yourself the trouble and cut off those damaged ends.
Here is a list of the best products to stop hair breakage – check them out and give your hair good care. Use thicker, more moisturizing products on your ends and show them some love. Additionally, tuck them away in fashionable updos, twists, and braids, and remember to cover when outside to save them from the cold, dry air. Pamper those ends!
10) Be Careful While Brushing
Since your hair is already fragile, it is prone to even more breakage when you brush it. Be kinder and gentler than usual, and don’t brush too often. Many hair types benefit from using a wide-tooth comb for gentle brushing.
11) Moisture The Air
Consider getting a humidifier: if you live in a place where winters are long and harsh and you find that due to excessive heating your hair and skin are feeling dry and brittle, you may want to consider buying a humidifier to bring some moisture into the air.
If you have curly or kinky hair – cover them at night!
Be sure to sleep with your hair protected, using a silk scarf, bonnet, or satin pillowcase. This will result in less breakage.
12) Wear Hair Wrap
You can go the extra mile to protect your hair by wrapping it up. Hair wraps are trendy and come in a million different colors or styles. It’s another fun accessory to play with that your hair will thank you for! For extra protection, wear a silk cap underneath cotton head wraps.
13) Use Protective Hairstyles
Now is the time to bust out those cute buns, twists, and braids. Just make sure none of your protective styles are too tight or cause a lot of tension, as this can hurt your hair in the long run. Alternatively, give your hair a break with extensions, weaves, or wigs. Be careful with your napes and temples, though, and consider wearing a silk cap underneath any wigs.
14) Moisturize Your Hair Daily
During winter, you won’t want to forget this step. No matter how tired or busy you are, don’t forget to moisturize your hair daily. Depending on your hair type, you may benefit from moisturizing in the morning and at night.
15) Steam Your Hair
Give your hair a treat and steam your hair once a week or more if you need it. You can use the steam from the shower, a handheld steamer, or even a hooded dryer and a couple of shower caps and towels.
16) Eat Well
You might find that when you eat well, you notice that you have thicker and healthier hair and nails. Healthy fats from foods like fish, nuts, olive oil and avocados; zinc; and vitamin A are all great foods for your hair.
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