Most people know they need to add extra moisturizer to their skin in the winter months. Yet a surprising number of people don’t think about what they should be doing differently for hair care in the winter months.
Is Winter Good for Hair?
Just like indoor heat and dry winter cold can be bad for the skin, it can also be bad for your scalp and your hair. Here are five things you should be doing differently this winter to protect your hair:
1. Shampoo less often.
How often should you wash your hair in winter? Stylists say that how often you wash your hair is going to depend on your hair type and activity level. But if you shampoo daily in the warmer months, cut back in the winter. One to four times a week is good.
Cutting back on hair washing helps leave more of the natural oils and moisture in your hair to protect it from the drying effects of winter. If you live in particularly cold climates, cutback even more.
And washing less often makes it easier to follow tip number two.
2. Avoid going outside with wet hair.
We sometimes forget that our hair is sort of like a sponge when it comes to moisture. If you take a wet sponge outside when the weather is freezing, the sponge freezes. Your hair is the same way.
Now think about the way ice expands in an ice cube tray. When your hair freezes, the water inside it expands… damaging the hair strand and making it more prone to breakage. Avoid the problem by making sure your hair is dry before you venture outside.
3. Moisturize every time you wash your hair.
We get it. People with hair that tends toward oily or a scalp that is oily may not think they need to moisturize but – no matter what your hair type – a leave-in moisturizer is good during the winter months.
Teen Vogue puts it this way, “The whole point of this — preserving moisture.”
Why? That ties into what causes dandruff in winter. Dry, cold weather and dry heat exacerbate the scalp problems that lead to dandruff. The key to reducing winter dandruff (and keeping your hair looking and feeling healthy) is to make sure you have plenty of moisture.
This can also be helped by tip number four.
4. Exfoliate your scalp.
Once again, it’s important to remember that your scalp is part of your skin. Just like you use body scrubs to get rid of the dry, dead skin and find healthy skin beneath… you should be using a scalp scrub to keep your head healthy.
Use an alcohol-free exfoliant before you shampoo your hair to get rid of any microbial growth and wash away the flaky skin. Make this part of your winter routine to wash dandruff right out of your list of winter worries.
5. Find time to de-stress.
Winter stress is a thing. From holidays to year-end reports to semester finals, the winter months come with a lot of stress. And stress is not good for you or your hair. Take some time to be silly, fun, and just relax.
Bonus tip: Reconsider your winter hat.
Most of us grab a hat based on how it looks or if it’s warm, but traction alopecia is a real thing. That’s when your hair gets pulled out or starts breaking because of the friction from your hat (as well as tight hairstyles, braids, etc.). Fix the problem by opting for a hat lined with silk or satin – or foregoing a hat altogether.
Call Robotic Hair Restoration of Long Island to Fight Winter Hair Loss
Ultimately, even if you follow the best hair care practices, some hair loss just happens. Whether it’s genetic, diet-related, or caused by the environment… some of us simply lose our hair. But that doesn’t have to be the end of the sentence. When you call Robotic Hair Restoration of Long Island we can set you up for a free consultation to identify the causes of your hair loss and help you find the best solutions. Call today!