Winter conditions can be tough on your hair and it’s easy to get lazy with your beauty routines when all you want to do is curl up in your warm bed. But you need to take care of yourself throughout the entire year, particularly if it’s the season when you want to be looking fresh and healthy for Christmas party month!
As the nights grow colder, the mornings get frostier and the days become windier, experts at online hair and beauty retailer Hairtrade.com have compiled ten top tips to tame your tresses and avoid unsightly, brittle locks as the cold weather sets in.
Whilst many people are already aware of how intense sun can damage hair during the summer, the cold temperatures and gusty winds of winter are in fact just as detrimental to our locks.
Combining the ice-cold weather, rain and blustery winds outdoors with the intense heat from cranking up our central heating indoors, the scalp is more prone to dehydration, which can result in a dry scalp as well as brittle, unsightly hair.
Luckily, there are treatments and procedures we can be undertaking to help winter-proof our hair, and encourage strong, healthy and shiny locks instead.
Joanne Dodds from Hairtrade.com said: “From choosing the right hair products to eating the right foods, our tips will have you set to take care of your locks right through to spring.”
1. Avoid ponytails
Wearing your hair down as much as possible will prevent the additional breakage that using a bobble creates. If you do go for a ponytail, make sure you wear it at slightly different heights each day to avoid too much pressure in one area.
2. Cover up
Throw on a hat to save your hair during the cold winter months. Not only will it save you time in the mornings but it will also protect your hair from icy winds.
3. Avoid hot showers
It can be tempting to whack your shower temperature up full blast when it’s near below freezing outside, but this will damage your scalp, leave it flaky and also strip your skin of much-needed moisture. Instead, keep showers and baths to ten minutes and keep the water mid-to-lukewarm.
4. Eat well
Eating foods that are rich in natural oils, minerals, and vitamins will help to give your body everything you may need to keep your hair looking healthier, as well as for your own general well-being during winter. Making sure your diet includes plenty of Vitamin C, A, E, as well as iron and selenium, which can be found in a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, nuts and cereals will help boost your immune system and damage repair that can occur to your hair.
5. Invest in a humidifier
Chances are you’ll have the heating on full blast at home, which will suck out any remaining moisture in the air. Invest in a humidifier and have it on at night to stop your hair and skin drying out.
6. DIY avocado mask
When blended with a nourishing oil, avocado is a fantastic ingredient that adds nutrients to the hair, making the ends less frazzled and hair shinier. Run this through the ends but avoid the roots as much as possible to avoid greasy looking hair.
7. Use vitamin E
Harsh winds can cause split ends, so try rubbing vitamin E on the tips of your hair to replenish them. Some say massaging this miracle oil onto your scalp can make hair grow fast too.
8. Keep washing your hair to a minimum
If you can, try and limit yourself to washing your hair just two or three times a week to prevent it from drying out in the cold. This will minimise the amount of heat styling you do as well, which can have double its effect in the cold.
9. Opt for a sulphate free shampoo
Sulphate is a common ingredient in shampoo but can cause problems for damaged hair, as it strips beneficial oils. Minimise additional frizz by avoiding this ingredient as much as possible.
You should also find a shampoo that’s designed to be used in the winter months, and avoid those which contain lots of additional chemicals and alcohol. Shampoos that contain Shea Butter and lots of natural essential oils such as ylang-ylang, bergamot and lemongrass help to open the hair cuticle so moisture can be more easily absorbed.
10. Use a thick, rich and moisturising conditioner
One way of keeping your hair and scalp moisturised is to treat your hair once or twice a week with a thick, rich and moisturising conditioner that contain fatty acids and humectants, such as soy protein and panthenol. These ingredients help attract and retain moisture in the hair, which is great for glossy, soft locks.
