Winter Hair Is Coming
Beautiful Winter Hair
Winter’s not just coming: it’s here, and the Starks can wave their banners with vindicated pride. It’s cold outside, which can be great for your wardrobe if you love cozy coats, brilliant scarves, and chunky knit hats. (Also longswords and direwolves.) What that cold weather isn’t great for is your hair - chilly temperatures and cutting winds dry out your scalp, your hair becomes brittle and breaks easily, and all those cozy layers can encourage staticy fly-away hair.
So what do you do? How do you protect your hair from winter?
We’re so glad you asked! Because, unlike Jon Snow, we actually do know some things. Read on for our guide to great winter hair.
Quality Conquers Much
First rule: invest in some quality hair care products. A quality shampoo and conditioner are a must; inexpensive products are more likely to strip your hair, leaving strands both damaged and vulnerable. It’s important that you give your hair its best chance at health, so don’t skimp on your cleansers if at all possible.
Try to avoid products which cause build-up in your hair, since clarifying during the winter can worsen dry hair by removing natural oils. Honestly, much of winter hair care focuses on adding protective oils to the scalp and hair, so try not to use products that remove them unduly.
Speaking of oils, there are a few you might want to keep on hand. Coconut oil or argan oil are great for hot oil treatments. Argan oil can be used as an all-over treatment, and olive oil or jojoba oils are great for locking in moisture post-shower. A few targeted Google searches should introduce you to the best oil treatment regimens for your hair.
Wash Less, Treat More
You’ll want to wash your hair less during the winter months - no matter how careful you are, warm water and cleansing shampoo are going to cost your hair moisture. Washing your hair about twice a week will minimize this; you should also deep condition at least once a week. Make sure you avoid incredibly hot water as the heat will likewise dry out your scalp and hair.
If you have natural hair, you’ll similarly want to wet it less during the cold season. However, steaming your hair is a great idea: keep your head bare in your toasty shower, avoid getting it wet, and let your hair soak up moisture via steam. Make sure to follow up with your usual sealing process to lock moisture into your strands.
Most hair types can benefit from a hair mask or reconstructor once a week as well. These products smooth your hair, plug holes in hair shafts, leave shine, and strengthen your hair. Another option is to use a hot oil treatment, which is like a spa day for your scalp, leaving both skin and hair healthy and nourished. (If you skip the hot oil but suffer from dry, itchy scalp, try massaging Vitamin E into your scalp to soothe your skin and improve circulation.)
Style it Smart
Protective styling is also an ingenious method for preserving your hair in these frigid times. For those with natural hair, use braids, twists, and killer styles like French Rolls and Bantu Knots to keep your ends hidden away and minimize how much of your hair’s exposed to the elements. For many other hair types, using braids and updos can also discourage frizz by keeping your hair in place and away from static-prone sweaters.
Mama Already Told You
By now, you’ve got the basic process for best winter hair care practices. What we have left are those few miscellaneous tips that you’ve already heard a million times from your mom and/or are just good sense:
Don’t leave the house with wet hair. Just like your mama said, you’ll likely catch cold. It can also result in chilled hair follicles breaking easily.
Bundle up out there - wear a hat to protect your hair from dry air and cold winds. To avoid the dreaded static or hat hair, wrap your hair in a silk scarf first. (This is especially important for natural hair.)
Don’t neglect hair maintenance, even if you’re rocking protective styles or hats most of the time. Keeping your hair trimmed will promote healthy growth.
Last of all, run a humidifier while you sleep - your sinuses will thank you along with your hair. Heaters dry out the air inside, after all, and the humidifier will help put that to rights.
And now you know, so Jon Snow is the only one left out in the cold. As usual. There’s just no helping some people. Or maybe there is… after all, Jon Snow does have some fabulous hair.
I know, Jon. We’re shocked, too! Do you even have conditioner on the Wall?
Alright, enough Game of Thrones. Join us in the comments and share your winter hair care routine!
First photo by Alexander Annenkov, some rights reserved.
