Brrr, it’s cold in here.
The days are darker, the temperature along with our mood has dropped and, let’s face it, things won’t be brightening up any time soon. Winter is well and truly upon us, and with it, a host of weather-dependent haircare issues.
Our hair has a tough time during the winter season. The cold weather is harsh on all hair textures and types and just like our skin, hair needs protection from the cold to remain soft and healthy. Cold and wet weather conditions combined with indoor heating turned up to the max, especially now as we’re spending much more time at home, all wreaks havoc on our hair. Stylists tell us our locks have a continuous battle to stay hydrated and in great condition during the colder months. In this guide we’ll share professional tips and the best products for keeping your hair in its best condition, whatever the weather throws your way this winter.
Winter Haircare Tip 1: Cleanse, clarify and condition
Choosing the right shampoo for your hair type is especially important during cold weather season. We tend to add serums and oils to hair to help keep strands feeling nourished, but this can also lead to a build-up of products. Hair can become greasier quicker and scalps harder to clean. Use a shampoo that has the strength to cleanse hair gently, without stripping out essential moisture. It’s also important to follow up with a hydrating conditioner, to keep hair feeling soft and nourished.
Stylist recommended shampoos:
Stylist recommended conditioners:
Winter Haircare Tip 2: Stay hydrated
Did you know that a single strand of hair is made up of 25% water?
Investing in a good quality, deep conditioning hair mask as part of your weekly routine will replace any lost moisture back into your hair. After shampooing your hair, get rid of excess water, and apply any one of the nourishing masks below. The key is to stick to professional brands that will work moisture deep into your hair fibres.
Stylist recommended hair masks:
Hydration also starts from within, and drinking enough water helps energise and encourage healthy hair growth from root to tip. It also stimulates a healthier scalp, preventing scalp problems like dryness, itchiness, or dandruff during the winter. Have you ever noticed that your skin looks dull and tired when you haven’t drunk enough water? The same applies to your hair. Staying hydrated helps prevent split ends and brittle hair too, leaving you with shiny, radiant hair.
Winter Haircare Tip 3: Wash your hair less
We tend to lose the natural moisture in our hair a great deal more during Winter, and washing our hair as often as we do in the Summer only makes matters worse. Over cleansing the hair can strip it of essential oils produced by the sebaceous glands in our scalp, making hair feel drier. The cold air already does a number on our strands so when we wash too often, it can leave hair feeling extremely malnourished. Not to mention your hair colour will fade much faster too.
Where possible aim to only wash your hair every few days. If you need to wash it more, turn down the heat slightly so you aren’t washing it in boiling water, which can also affect the rate at which your colour may fade. Our stylists also recommend the following dry shampoos, which not only freshen up your hair in between washes, but are also great at injecting a bit of much needed volume and texture.
Stylist recommended dry shampoos:
Winter Haircare Tip 4: Maintain your ends
Dead and split ends tend to rear their ugly head more often during the colder months due to the dry air and overall brittle condition of hair. Book in for a regular trim to help keep hair in its best possible condition. Whether you’re growing your hair out or want to keep the length, a regular trim gets rid of those unsightly split ends and keeps hair healthy. If you allow split ends to stay on the strand, the hair will continue to split further up the length of your hair, which means in the long run you’ll have to chop more to save more. Not to mention split ends make hair look unhealthy, frizzy and flyaways simply unavoidable.
As well as a regular trim, listed below are the split end mending products that will help you on your way to healthier ends.
Stylist recommended split end therapy:
Winter Haircare Tip 5: Dry your hair before rushing out the door
Although this may be a regular habit for you in the warmer months, it is especially important to ensure that your hair is fully dry before you step outdoors in the winter. Cold air expands the hair shaft, making it more prone to breakage, as well as leading to faster colour-fade. Give your hair that extra time in the Winter to fully dry before strolling out for the day, or better yet, modify your winter haircare routine to wash and care for your hair at night, so you can avoid blow drying your hair when you’re in a rush in the morning. In either instance, protecting your hair from heat damage is imperative during the cold months. Afterall you don’t want to add to the already long list of winter hair symptoms.
Stylist recommended heat protection:
If you absolutely must leave the house with wet hair, be sure to protect your hair from the elements by tucking it into your coat and under your hat. The less exposure to winter weather elements, the better.
Winter Haircare Tip 6: Avoid wool, opt for silk
We all love to (and need to) brace ourselves against the winter elements with our beloved, warm wool hats and scarves. But did you know that they are actually known for causing breakage and static hair? Fitted hats can trap oils at the roots, leaving the ends dry and prone to damage.
Instead, wrap your hair in a silk scarf before putting on your favourite cosy hat. It will protect your hair from frizz and static, and reduce that dreaded ‘hat hair’.
Since silk is naturally hypoallergenic, it is known to prevent knotted hair and split ends by encouraging hydration. While cotton and wool may feel soft to the touch, its weave actually grips and tugs at individual strands, causing damage and breakage. That’s why we have seen an increased number of hair experts recommend sleeping on a silk pillowcase at night.
We also suggest introducing a nourishing treatment to help boost hair hydration while you sleep or straight after styling to seal ends and lock in moisture.
