Winter Hair Care Tips

Winter is here and the #1 thing that should be on your mind is…..

                                           Moisture Moisture Moisture!!!!

In the winter the air becomes extremely dry and harsh; inside and outside, which can wreak havoc on your hair and skin!

So to prevent excessive dryness and breakage, you should be taking extra special care of your hair during this time.

The key to winterizing your regimen is to prevent damage by being proactive in your hair care regimen. Switching to a routine that causes very little stress on your hair throughout the winter will help prevent breakage and retain length.

Below are some tips that I found to be very helpful in retaining length and keeping my hair hydrated.

~Minimize the use of heating tools

The quickest way to cause breakage is by using excessive heat.

• Always use a hair conditioner prior to using any heating tools. If you’re going to use a heating tool apply a leave-in conditioner and/or a heat protecting serum.

• Heat Protectants. If you decide to use a heating tool, use a hair product to protect your hair from heat damage. Bio Silk Therapy and CHI Silk Infusion are great for protecting your hair. In addition, you can also use a leave-in conditioner accompanied by a heat protecting hair serum to replenish moisture.

• Blow Dry on Cooler Temperature. When using a blow dryer to dry hair use a cooler temperature setting. Your hair may take longer to dry; however, it will minimize heat damage.

• Air drying. Try letting your hair air dry instead of blow drying it.

~Minimize Manipulation

• Comb your hair only when wet and with a conditioner.

• Finger Comb. If you choose to comb your hair while it’s dry, try finger combing instead of using a comb. This will reduce breakage. If you do use a comb use a wide tooth shower comb.

• Do NOT brush hair at all. Brushing hair leads to more breakage.

~ Moisturize Often

To combat dryness during the winter, it is important to moisturize often.

• Use a moisturizer daily or leave-in conditioner. A leave in conditioner can do wonders to dry and brittle hair.

• Try to use leave-in conditioners with natural ingredients. Some ingredients such as sodium laurel sulfate, mineral oil, and petrolatum cause more dryness, so avoid using leave-in’s with these ingredients.

• Reduce Wash’n’go’s during winter. Do not go outside with wet hair. 

• Use lukewarm or cool water instead of hot water when washing hair. Do not wash your hair using hot water. Washing your hair with hot water can cause damage.

• Avoid shampooing your hair too often. During the winter, the hair and scalp becomes dry easily. Shampooing too often can only make matters worse. If you must shampoo your hair to remove buildup only Shampoo once a week preferably at night. This was you have time to let your hair air dry and you wont have to go out in the cold weather with wet hair.

~ Deep Condition and do Hot Oil treatments frequently

Deep Conditioning and Hot Oil treatments help restore and replenish moisture to your hair.

• Homemade Deep Conditioning Treatments Natural and/or homemade deep conditioning treatments are another great alternative to combat winter dryness.

• Hot Oil Treatments. Hot oil treatments are great for replenishing moisture as well. You can use a variety of oils for hot oil treatments.

~Protect

The best way to protect your hair during winter is to always try to cover it.

• Keep your hair wrapped and protected at night. Try wearing a Satin Bonnet or scarf to prevent hair from drying while you sleep.

• Wear protective styles (i.e. buns, braids, cornrows, etc). If you’re going to wear your hair in a bun try not to pull your hair too tight. You don't want to stress your hairline. Wearing protective styles help preserve your hair throughout the winter.

• Always moisturize your hair and ends. Apply oil on your hair after moisturizing with your favorite leave-in conditioner helps seal in moisture and protects your ends.

• Wear a hat or a scarf. Wearing some sort of hat or scarf that’s loose enough to allow scalp circulation will protect your hair against cold winds.

Following these simple black hair care steps during the harsh winter months will help prevent damage, breakage, and help you retain length.