There are so many things working against our hair during the winter months. It can seem like a never ending battle to keep your hair moisturized. Between the holiday shopping, dinner guests, and celebrations no one wants to add dry, brittle hair to the calendar. Am I right?
Why our hair is less moisturized in the winter?
The cold, dry winter air, slightly lifts the hair’s cuticle; making it difficult for the hair to hold onto moisture. Since the air lacks humidity it creates the perfect storm (no pun intended😊) for frizz, dry scalp and tangles.
Another silent culprit is extreme temperatures. Going from outdoors to a warm car or even taking a hot shower can send your hair into to two extreme temperatures several times a day. Leaving your strand with little to no moisture long enough to cause breakage.
How do you I keep my hair moisturized in the winter?
#1 PRE-SHAMPOO TREATMENT
Keeping your hair moisturized in the winter begins before your shampoo. By applying a pre-shampoo treatment (pre-poo) before washing your hair, you prevent excess moisture from being stripped away and it helps minimize tangles prior to washing. When pre-pooing, I like to use a conditioner or aloe vera gel with a few drops of natural oils to my ends.
#2 DEEP CONDITIONING
I know this may go without saying, but deep conditioning is so important to keeping your hair moisturized this winter. If you’ve been doing it inconsistently, now is the time take it a bit more seriously. Deep conditioning by itself is good but the key is adding indirect heat; with the use of steam or a hooded dryer. Adding indirect heat helps open the hairs cuticle to allow to penetrate the hair shaft. After deep conditioning , be sure that you rinse with lukewarm- cool water to help close the hair’s cuticle and retain as much moisture as possible.
#3 EASY ON THE HEAT
As soon as the air becomes cooler, and the humidity fades away it can become very tempting to break out the heat styling tools without the worry of your curls reverting. If stretched hair styles are your go-to method of styling, it’s important to try and include heatless methods of stretching instead like braid outs or twist outs. Remember since the hair is more vulnerable to moisture loss extreme temperatures; heat styling has a better chance of creating hair damage.
#4 PROTECT YOUR CURLS
The use of satin lined hats, satin scarfs at night and headwraps are great for keeping your hair moisturized this winter. Most fabrics tend to absorb moisture from the hair and the additional friction can create tangles and breakage. Check out these satin lined winter hats that are curl friendly HERE!
#5 STYLING
So, what are the best ways to wear your hair this winter? Simply put, you want to opt for styles that you know help retain the most moisture for your hair. Simple protective styles like, twists, braids, or styles that tuck the ends of your hair away are great. However, if you’re used to wearing twist outs and braid outs, no worries. I recommend switching up and using slightly heavier products to help lock in moisture and keep the hair moisturized longer.
Before we can retain moisture, we must remember that the foundation starts with having a natural hair routine that provides the maximum amount of moisture. I've got a Simple Wash Day Routine for Max Moisture to give your hair a boost of moisture this winter HERE to get started!
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