Thinning Hair

Winter can take a toll on your hair, scalp, and skin. Fortunately, you don’t have to live all winter with flaky, dry skin and scalp or brittle, flyaway, lackluster hair. Whether you have thinning hair or long tresses, a bit of self-care will improve your scalp and hair health this winter. Here are 9 hair, scalp, and skin tips to follow for hair health this winter.

Avoid Hot Showers

Yes, super-hot showers feel good on a winter’s day, especially if you have a chilly bathroom. However, hot shower temperatures can dry out your hair, skin, and scalp. Hot water removes natural oils from your skin and scalp. It also dries the hair shaft. To avoid this, take shorter showers in warm or lukewarm water. If you can tolerate it, finishing a shower with cool water helps close the hair follicles to prevent further moisture loss

Wash Your Hair Less Frequently

If you’re prone to dry hair, give your scalp a chance to replenish its natural oils, otherwise, you could dry out your skin and hair. If you tend toward oily hair, use a dry shampoo to refresh your hair without shampooing too often.

Gently Dry Wet Hair

Wet hair is more prone to breakage so don’t rub your dry with a towel. The better option is to pat your hair dry, especially with a microfiber towel because they’re soft and absorbent. Only use a wide-tooth comb on wet hair. If possible, wait until your hair is 80% dry via air-drying before combing for even better results.

Use Hair Moisturizers

Winter is the perfect time to use deep conditioning treatments, overnight hair masks, etc. If your hair is naturally dry, consider it once a week. Otherwise, once every ten days to two weeks is probably sufficient. Using natural, lightweight oil, like jojoba or argan oil, or serum while your hair is still damp and before blow-drying is also a good idea. It creates a layer of protection between your hair and extreme weather or heat styling tools. Just make sure to use a small amount focused on your ends, not roots, to avoid a greasy feel. If that’s too much, try an ultra-hydrating shampoo and/or conditioner instead.

Use Natural Shampoo and Conditioner

Natural ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, grapeseed oil, jojoba, and almond oil can add moisture to your hair without a greasy feeling. Natural and hypoallergenic ingredients are also less likely to cause scalp dryness. Besides counteracting environmental conditions that can dry your hair, it can also prevent flyaway hair.

Baby Color-Treated Hair

Dyed hair already needs special care. Winter makes them more important. Use products designed specifically to hydrate color-treated hair for best results.

Decrease Your Use of Heat Styling Tools

Heated styling tools like flat irons, blow dryers, curling irons and hot rollers can dry your hair out any time but, in the winter, the risk of hair damage is greater. If your styling tool has a temperature setting, using the lower setting is better, especially since some hair irons can reach 450 degrees Fahrenheit. And don’t use heat tools every day.

Only Use EWG Verified Hair Styling Products

Certain ingredients commonly used in hair styling products can dry your hair and scalp, raising the risk of breakage and flaky skin in the winter. Those same ingredients are labeled items of concern by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) so look for products that are Hair EWG verified, and you’ll both help the environment and yourself. Also, avoid products that contain alcohol because it is naturally drying.

Wear The Right Hats and Scarves

While no one likes “hat hair” wearing a hat or scarf protects your hair from snow, ice, sleet, and extreme cold, which can damage your hair. That said, hats and scarves made of acrylic, wool or scratchy fabrics can cause static in your hair so use cotton or fleece instead or at least wear a silk scarf between your hair and the wool, acrylic, etc. item. Wearing a hat will make you feel more comfortable because a lot of heat is lost through the head. This is even more important if you’re experiencing hair loss.

Also, avoid going outside with wet hair in the winter. The cuticle is still open when hair is wet so it will be more prone to frizzing or having static afterward, plus it can literally freeze, which also damages your hair.

Take good care of your hair and scalp this winter, and you’ll feel and look better. If you want to make a change to your thinning hairline, talk to the experts in hair loss at RHRLI. We operate at our state-of-the-art facility using the ARTAS® hair transplant system and our surgeon, Dr. Baiju Gohil, has years of experience including over 400 successful procedures. Contact us for a personal consultation to assess whether robotic hair restoration is appropriate for you. Learn more by contacting us today.