As winter rolls in, we all bundle up in our warm clothing to brave the cold. But are you also taking steps to protect your hair from frigid weather? Below you will find five of my tested winter hair tips that will surely keep your tresses in great shape during the cold months:
Be careful wearing hats; they can cause static hair.
The key to keeping static and frizz at bay when wearing hats is to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Use a good moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. Stay away from alkaline, volumizing, and clarifying shampoos. They can be drying and make hair more prone to static. Opt for leave-in conditioners whenever possible, with silk polymers that adhere to hair, preventing flyaway strands. Non-oily serums are another good choice to coat and moisturize hair, keeping static and frizz away from your tresses. A boar bristle brush helps to distribute natural oils throughout your hair, and is ideal for the removal of static hair. Last, try rubbing a plain old dryer sheet over your hair. This is an age-old and easy way of getting rid of static.
Use a heat protector or leave-in conditioner before using your curling iron.
What are heat protectors and how should you use them? Well, a heat protector or protectants are products that contain at least some type of cyclomethicone and dimethicone, which are simply know as silicones. Most leave-in conditioners, treatments sprays, blow-out foams, setting lotions and straightening serums use a mixture of these two silicones with other essential ingredients to create what is known as a “heat protectant.”
Cyclomethicone is a clear silicone that has a silky-smooth feel when deposited into the hair. It evaporates quickly after helping to transfer oils and nutrients into the hair shaft.
Dimethicone, on the other hand, is used in conditioners and de-tangling products to help smooth hair and provide easier comb-through. Because it coats the strands, it can also make your hair appear shinier after styling.
There are three reasons you want to use a heat protector:
- First, they help reduce the porosity of the hair, which helps with humidity control.
- Second, it helps with dehydration and reduces the loss of moisture from inside the hair.
- Third, it helps to lubricate the hair, leaving it smooth and tangle-free.
It’s best to apply heat protectants to damp or wet hair after the hair has been conditioned. It helps the protectant to absorb and bond with the hair shaft before applying any heat.
Reduce your use of styling appliances.
Blow dryers and curling irons can harm dehydrated hair, leading to further damage. Often we must use styling tools to get the achieved look that we want, but we must use caution. Heating appliances and hair accessories often pull on your hair, many times causing dryness and breakage. The key is to be gentle, preventive and protective.
While blow dryers give us the effect that we want, they also emit heat in a range between 750-1600 watts, which can be very damaging. Make sure to use the blow dryer on a low to medium setting. Use a blow dryer on wet hair, but don’t blow dry or straighten your hair 100%; it dries your hair out. Always, always, always use a heat protector on your hair before blow drying and minimize blow drying your hair to once a week.
When using a curling iron or flat iron, be careful of the amount of time you hold the heat on your hair. Always test your curling iron with a tissue or damp cloth before putting it on your hair. You do not want to fry or dry your hair out.
Also, do not use a curling iron daily and please do not use on dirty hair. When the hair is unclean, you bake the dirt right into the hair causing limp, lifeless, smelly hair. Be very cautious when using a curling iron with hairspray. Using hairspray too often can dry out the hair.
Don’t go outside with wet hair!
We’ve all heard the old adage that we shouldn’t go out with wet hair in the winter because we’ll catch a cold. Well, I don’t know about that, but believe it or not, damp hair can freeze and break when exposed to cold winter weather. If your hair freezes, it becomes less pliable and is definitely more susceptible to breakage. Protect your hair with proper winter head wear, and ensure that your hair is thoroughly deep conditioned, dry and sealed with a winter leave-in conditioner and/or heat protector.
Select the right brush and comb for your hair.
Brushes and combs are wonderful styling aids, but you need to be careful when you use them. Incorrect brushing and using the wrong type of brush or comb can cause widespread damage to your hair and scalp. Vigorous brushing can damage hair cuticles and thin out your hair shaft. Too much traction from brushing can also pull hair out, while sharp points are capable of removing the top layer of scalp skin. While combs are in general gentler and better for your hair than brushes, they will not give you as much control when styling. The best styling outcome is achieved when you use a comb to ease out tangles and a brush to style your hair into shape when blow-drying.
Choosing the right brush is important to the health of your hair. Select a brush with long, widely-spaced plastic bristles instead of a natural bristled brush. Plastic bristles are smoother, blunter and gentler on your hair. Natural bristles are often sharper, barbed and closer together. Make sure to avoid brushes with metal prongs.
Because your hair swells and stretches 20-30%, avoid brushing your hair when wet. It can snap it completely off. The use of a comb is recommended over a brush to avoid damage and breakage. Make sure to always brush your hair from the ends, working your way up to the scalp. This will eliminate excessive breakage.
Just like brushes, some combs are better for your hair than others. The best combs are made from vulcanite (a type of hard rubber). Vulcanite combs are good, anti-static and very easy to clean. Try to avoid metal combs and cheaper plastic combs, as they tend to damage the hair strand.
How do you show your tresses some extra love in the winter months? Share them with us in the comments section!
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