The weather can be harsh on your hair. In summer you need to deal with the heat of the sun. This can dehydrate your hair and cause it to be brittle. Fortunately, it’s relatively easy to protect against with the right heat protection spray and by wearing hats.
It’s a different story in winter. The air is a lot colder which can still dry out your hair and cause it to become brittle. You’re likely to have more split ends in winter. In addition, wearing scarves, hats, and other winter items is likely to place stress on your hair, causing it to break or come out.
You can’t change the weather or the clothes you need to wear. But, you can take steps to look after your hair in the winter.
Shampoo Every Other Day
This is something you should be doing anyway if you have dry or medium hair. In the winter it is even more important to wash your hair less. Washing it, even with the best products, removes the natural oil from your scalp. The oil is designed to coat your hair and protect it from pollutants while keeping it hydrated. Remove the oil and your hair will be unprotected and easily damaged.
Dry Your Hair
There has long been a myth that going out with wet hair will give you a cold. This simply isn’t true. It doesn’t feel pleasant having wet hair, especially on a cold day. But, it won’t give you a cold.
However, wet or damp hair does contain excess water and water freezes in cold air. That means if you go out in the cold the water in your hair will expand, potentially breaking the individual strands of hair.
You’re probably not going to want to stop showering and washing your hair in the morning. If you do this invest in a great hot hair brush, it will dry your hair gently and effectively while you style it. In short, it can help speed up the drying process and ensure you don’t leave the house with damp hair.
Don’t forget, any hair styling tool should have an adjustable heat setting, allowing you to safely use the lowest setting possible.
Check Your Food
Your hair is made of protein and water. It also relies on vitamin C to help prevent split ends and other damage. That means winter is a particularly important time to take stock of your diet and adopt healthy habits.
Getting enough vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C, is essential if you want to keep your hair healthy throughout the winter.
Change Your Pillowcase
Cotton pillowcases are very popular but they are also potentially damaging to your hair. The cotton sticks to your hair and can encourage tangling. By switching to a silk or satin pillowcase you won’t encourage tangling and will help to maintain the health of your hair. This can be done throughout the year.
If you wish, you can even go darker with your hair colour as this reduces the need for bleaching which encourages your hair to lose moisture.
