How to Take Care of Your Hair During the Winter

During winter, hair becomes drier and more fragile due to low temperatures, wind, dry air, and frequent use of hats. Check out some essential tips for taking care of your locks and keeping them healthy all year round.
For those that live in humid climates, when those cold days arrive many believe that their hair becomes more beautiful and silkier, but do you know how to take care of your hair in winter? In contrast, in warmer climates, hair tends to become dry, brittle, and more oily. In winter, although many people don’t realize it, cold days can also be the enemy of beautiful locks, therefore, it is important to take care of your hair health and know how your hair reacts and what it needs in each climate. With that in mind, here are 5 tips to help you take care of your hair and keep it healthy during the winter, regardless of where you are. Check them out!

Why does hair need special care in winter?

Winter can be harsh on all hair types and textures. Low temperatures are harmful and are the biggest contributors to dehydration of both the skin and the scalp. Therefore, it is important to know how to take care of your hair in winter.
In addition to changing temperatures, other common winter attitudes can make the situation worse for your locks. They are: excessive chemical procedures and excessive use of dryers and straighteners.
Added to those cold winds, drops in temperature can dry out hair, making it rough, dry and more likely to break and cause hair to fall out. Therefore, during the autumn/winter season, hair can also fall out more easily, in addition to becoming dull, frizzy, frizzy, voluminous and lifeless.
To prevent this from happening, simply adopt some habits that can minimize and even reverse the situation. Just like the skin, hair needs protection and care to remain soft and healthy. With the following tips you will learn how to take care of your hair in winter and have silky, shiny and seductive hair all year round!

Basic hair care in winter

1. Hydration

Keeping your hair hydrated is essential on cold days. A dry and itchy scalp is caused by a lack of moisture in the air, especially on the driest days of winter. This can cause dandruff, irritation and flaking, even causing hair loss. Invest in a deep conditioning product and use it weekly or at least every fifteen days.

Use specific masks that contain moisturizing and nourishing ingredients, such as oils and vitamins. By choosing a quality product according to your hair type, you can provide good hydration in your own home.

A tip: if you have dry or normal hair, apply the cream closer to the roots. Now, if your scalp is more oily, the ideal is to apply the product a few centimeters away from the scalp.

Another tip is to massage the entire head area with gentle, circular movements. This will work miracles, as it will ensure that the moisturizing oils and active substances in the products penetrate deep into the cuticles and have the desired effect. Additionally, massage increases blood circulation to the scalp, nourishing hair follicles and encouraging hair growth.

This helps restore moisture and alleviate the effects of dryers, straighteners and curling irons, maintaining the health of the hair and leaving it silkier and shinier.

2. Washing Your Hair

Don’t forget to wash your hair! Many people, especially on colder days, fail to wash their hair constantly. This is a big mistake, as lack of cleansing stimulates the production of oil by the sebaceous glands present in the scalp.

Normally, this oil protects the scalp. However, when you spend a long time without cleaning your hair, the oil is combined with pollution, sweat and dead cells that accumulate on the scalp and can clog the hair bulb and cause fungus to proliferate. This can lead to folliculitis, preventing new hair from being born and causing inflammation, irritation, itching and even hair loss. In other words, dirty strands tend to fall out more easily and become less shiny and healthy.

Take into accounting hair type: if your hair is oily, it is recommended to wash it every day. If it is drier, clean your hair every other day, totaling about three times a week. If you wash it too often, you’ll remove  the natural oils from your hair, causing more irritation and dryness.

Try to opt for mild, sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners with moisturizing ingredients, such as Argan and avocado oil, that help keep hair’s natural moisture in balance.

3. Protection

Nutrition is also part of good hair health. Some vitamins and minerals, for example, make locks stronger. Furthermore, it is essential to drink lots of water, as it is worth remembering that hydration starts from the inside out.
The second tip is not to go out with wet or damp hair. Even on those cold days when the sun is shining, the cold air can expand the strands, making them more likely to break and fade.
Drying your hair well is very important. At low temperatures there is less evaporation, the scalp takes longer to dry and this weakens the hair. Ultimately, the hair becomes brittle, thus favoring the emergence of problems such as dandruff, seborrhea, and even ringworm. Try to dry your hair before leaving the house. The ideal is to adapt your hair care routine in winter, letting your hair dry naturally and avoiding dryers, as thermal tools can make your hair brittle.
The last tip is to use accessories such as hoods, hats and beanies. Especially if you go to very cold, dry and snowy regions. Headwear forms a shield against cold wind.
To avoid friction caused by materials like wool and cotton, and to tame locks and combat frizz, use a dry oil spray.

4. Avoid very hot baths

We know that a warm bath in winter is comforting. But hot water dries out your hair and removes natural oil and moisture, causing the scalp to produce excessive oil.
It also opens the cuticles, breaking the hair and removing shine and silkiness.  It can also dry out the skin of the scalp, causing it to flake. The best option is to wash your hair with warm water and apply cold water to the ends, sealing the hair cuticles.
A tip for this: wrap yourself in a towel and rinse your head with the shower head, easing the cold.

5. Finishing Products

When you need to use a hairdryer, straightener and curling iron, for example, it is essential to use a thermal protector. Choose options with silicone, so you combine protection and silkiness in a single product.
For curly/wavy hair, the main tip for styling and adding volume is to use styling creams, leave-in and styling mousses. These products give more life to your hair in winter.

To protect, reduce frizz, and control strands, in addition to those already mentioned, use hair straighteners, serums, oils, and silicone.
And don’t forget: use sunscreen. We always hear that we need to protect our skin regardless—well the same applies to our hair. Just because the days are cold doesn’t mean the sun’s rays can’t affect your hair. Invest in products that contain sunscreen.
Don’t let your strands lose their beauty: By following the tips in this post, your locks will be soft, shiny, silky and stunning all year round!