Looking after your hair in the winter
It’s official: the cold weather has well and truly descended upon us, and it’s probably not going anywhere soon, so it’s time to buckle up for the inevitably bumpy wintry ride that’s to come. While many of winter’s problems can quite easily be solved (cold? Put on a jumper. Chapped lips? Get lip balming), sorting out what to do with your hair when it’s struggling to deal with the sudden temperature dip isn’t as simple.
There’s no preventing your hair from the cold (not unless you live in a country where winter just isn’t a thing, in which case, you are blessed). But you can find ways to be kind to it after it’s been exposed to the cold, and give it the treatment it needs to recover.
If you’re looking to give your hair an extra bit of love this winter, here are --- easy ways to look after it:
1. Minimise your heat styling
We know, we know, sometimes the day just wouldn’t run smoothly if the hairdryer/straighteners/*insert necessary heat styling tool here* didn’t come out at some point. But if you can, try not to use them as often as normal. Limit your hair washing to twice or three times a week, and experiment with the natural look (or tie up in a bun and call it what it is). Heat styling can really make things worse in the winter, o it’s best that you keep it to a minimum where you can.
2. Cover up
It sounds simple, but there’s a lot that can be said for simply covering up your hair and keeping it out of the worst of the cold. Knit hats are always a winter trend, so you don’t even have to feel self-conscious about keeping your head toasty with a cute bobble hat from five years ago. With that extra layer of thermal protection, your hair’s far less likely to experience the stress and breakage of being exposed directly to the icy hair.
3. Condition, condition, condition
It’s all too tempting to skip the conditioner on a busy morning – or reach for the cheap two-in-one shampoo-conditioner (bleurgh). If you can, try to make conditioning a routine thing in the colder months, and your hair will thank you for it. Winter dries out our hair, making it more prone to split ends and breakage, but a good moisturising conditioner should help to offer a layer of protection while you’re outdoors, keeping hair as smooth and shiny as possible.
4. Avoid hot showers
“WHAT?” we hear you scream. “Avoid hot showers? Are you trying to ruin our lives?!” We get it, truly. But the problem with those lovely extra-hot showers in the middle of winter is that they have a tendency to massively dry out hair – which hardly makes a good combo with the whole going-outside-to-extra-cold-dryness thing. If you can, vamp up the heating while you’re showering, and stick to ten minutes max under lukewarm. It may be a challenge, but as someone wise once said, those who don’t believe don’t achieve.
5. Oil it up
In the winter, oils are your best friend (and we’re not just talking about the cinnamon stick diffuser kind). Argan and coconut oils are fantastic for hydrating and softening hair, thanks to their concentration of fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants. Just a little bit of the good stuff goes a long way – apply it to your tips every morning, and you should soon start to notice an increase in your hair's elasticity and shine. Just make sure you’re not using an oil that’s too heavy in your hair, or it might make it look greasy.
6. Work that hair mask magic
Hair masks are underrated in our humble opinion. There’s a lot a hair mask can do for you, whether shop-bought or homemade, especially in the cooler, dryer winter months, when your hair would really appreciate an extra moisture boost. Hair masks are known as deep-conditioning treatments that repair and restore hair from the inside out, rather than conditioners, which generally only protect the surface of your hair. What’s more, hair masks have been scientifically proven to actually reverse damage caused by the environment, making them an ideal go-to hair care treatment for the winter period.