11 Tips for Healthy Beautiful Hair During the Winter
The cold and dry climate of the winter months (depending on where you live) can bring havoc to our hair. I’ve already talked about various tips to help keep your skin healthy and help keep your sinuses running smoothly (haha). Today let’s focus a little more time on your hair.
Can cold weather damage hair and cause split ends? Absolutely! Can damp weather cause hair static? Yep!
Dry, damaged hair is a common ailment in the winter. Hair breakage and frizz is a common complain during the cooler months. While your hair can be drained of moisture during the dry winter months, high winds can also cause damage to the hair.
There are some great tips floating around on the internet and some wonderful suggestions from stylists as well. Before you read any further, know that your stylist can be your best ally when it comes to damaged hair.
I can’t see what kind of hair you normally have (dry, damaged, treated, dyed, oily, etc.) so the tips that I’ve listed below can be applied to nearly all types of hair for the best winter hair care. If you want advice (specifically) for your hair, ask your stylist for advice.
1) Don’t Play with Your Hair
When you play with your hair (especially in the winter when your hair is dryer and more prone to breakage), you are causing damage. Your hair will shed more and will increase the number of split ends.
2) Use Low Maintenance Hair Styles
One way that you can keep your fingers out of your hair and to keep your hair healthy is to wear your hair in a low maintenance hair style: like a ponytail, a bun, or some kind of braid (the fishtail works well because even if it gets messy during the day, it doesn’t look worse).
3) Pamper Your Hair
In the winter, try to pamper your hair a little more. Add some oils to your favorite leave-in conditioner and put your hair up. Have your own personal spa days for your hair after your shower. Then spend that time relaxing with a good book.
Talk to your hair stylist about what kind of hair you have (dry, oily, combination, etc.) and ask her for her suggestions for hair care products to prevent split ends.
Since we’re talking about hair treatment, try to keep the hot showers to a minimum. The hot water has a tendency of drying out your hair.
4) Drink Water
It is the fountain of youth, after all. Not only that but, in the winter, our level of water intake goes down considerably. Try to drink a glass of water before every meal and snack – a whole glass. Not only will this help keep your hair (and the rest of your body) hydrated, but it will also fill up your stomach a bit so you won’t eat as much.
5) Dry Your Hair
Extreme heat (from hair styling tools) is bad for your hair and so is extreme cold. Dry your hair before you leave the house in the cold mornings. Better yet, wash your hair the night before so it can dry completely before being exposed to brisk cold weather. Not only will you freeze to death (a head of wet hair on cold winter mornings sends chills down my spine) but the cold can cause more breakage to your hair.
6) Use Protective Serums
If you must use hair styling tools (like straight irons, blow dryers, or curling irons) try to get some high-quality protective serums to put in your hair before you subject it to all that heat. Ask your stylist what she uses and what she would recommend for your hair type.
7) Avoid the Use of Hair Dryer Daily
Avoid the hair dryer when you can. While it might help you dry your hair faster, the heat does horrible things to your locks. So instead, either let your hair air dry or (if you must use your hair dryer) set it on the lowest heat setting possible. Many women are now using the dry hair with t shirt hack.
8) Get A Head Scarf
During the winter months, I love using those silky head scarves to cover by hair before I put on a beanie, or to keep it away from the cold winter air (and all of those nasty allergens in the air as well). I love to wear beanies to keep my head warm, so wearing the silk scarf underneath will help keep my hair from rubbing up against the wool beanie and causing more breakage.
9) Protect from Dry Air
Humidifiers can help with your winter breathing problems but it can also help your hair from getting too dry and splitting. Humidifiers can be found almost anywhere and are fairly inexpensive. Try to get one that will need little maintenance. Believe me, cleaning them out every few days will become tedious.
10) Get A Haircut
Keeping your hair trimmed will keep away split ends and will help with keeping your hair healthy. Not to mention, your stylist can and will tell you when your hair is starting to see more damage from the cold winter months.
11) Extra Virgin Olive Oil Is Your Friend
Applying some EVOO to your skin and hair (topically) will help keep you moisturized. If you’re willing to pay the extra money, Almond oil also works wonders for dry damaged hair.
