The winter weather can be detrimental to our natural hair causing our hair to easily become very dry and brittle. During these months extra care and moisture is needed to prevent breakage. Here are 7 tips that will keep your hair healthy and strong this winter.
1. Invest in wool or knitted hats and scarves. These hats and scarves will protect your hair from the elements and prevent your hair strands from becoming dry and brittle. Note: always wear a silk or satin scarf under wool hats to protect your hair strands from breakage.
2. Wear protective or low maintenance hair styles. Remember cooler weather means dry hair and dry hair leads to breakage. These hair styles include styles where your natural hair is up off the shoulders and you can go a full day or longer without ever having to touch your hair. The best time to style or comb curly or kinky hair is when it is well moisturized and detangled.
3. Mist or spritz hair frequently with a moisturizing or conditioning spray. By frequent misting you will to replenish moisture back into the hair. The best time to mist natural hair is in the morning as soon as you wake up or in the evening before you go to bed. If your hair is very dry during the day mist when needed.
4. Wash hair frequently. Frequent hair washing and conditioning will help your hair to maintain elasticity and reduce breakage when the hair is manipulated. For very dry hair and itchy scalp, hair should be washed 2 to 3 times a week. For instance, 1 or 2 times a week with a conditioner and only once using a sulfate free shampoo followed by a conditioner within a 7 day period. Don’t forget to always seal your hair with oil. Oil helps keep the moisture in the hair. If you have hair that does not have the tendency to be dry. Washing the hair once a week will do. When unable to wash hair frequently daily misting and sealing is the best alternative.
5. Use less heat. Heat and dry cool air on our hair do not mix! Heat styling will take away most of the moisture from our hair and the dry cool air will absorb what is left leading to dry brittle breakage prone hair. Extra tender love and care will be needed in these situations. If you plan to use heat during the winter months (flat iron, blow drying) use it sparingly no more than twice a month on well moisturized hair.
6. Build a winter hair care regimen. Your winter hair care regimen should be different from your summer hair care regimen. Build a regimen that will work best for you, complement the environment in which you live and your lifestyle.
7. Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize. Winter weather can be hazardous to curly and kinky hair textures so keep those tresses well hydrated with a good water based moisturizer. Water, glycerin, cetyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol, and natural oils are the top ingredients to look for in a great moisturizer. Stay away from products that consist of petrolatum and mineral oil. These ingredients have no real moisturizing properties at all. Petrolatum and mineral oil keep moisture out of the hair and a good oil stripping clarifying shampoo is the only method of removal of these two products. This can lead to very dry hair, itchy scalp and even issues with dandruff.
Do you have any winter hair tips you will like to share? What is your regimen for these cool winter months?
