Winter hair care can make all the difference when colder months leave your hair dry and brittle with annoying hat hair, static and frizz.
It isn’t just skin that takes on a number of challenges in the colder months. Hair can certainly show the effects of freezing temperatures and fluctuating weather, between rain and wind or a very cold, dry climate.
Like skin, in winter hair needs a little bit of extra TLC and some nourishing products that help strands hold on to moisture that will help banish static and frizz and pesky flyaways.
It’s also a good time to change up your style or colour for something that reflects the seasonal transition.
Here are the best tips to try to keep your hair looking shiny and healthy all winter long.
Try a winter hair care treatment or oil
Once a week, apply a hair mask to damp tresses and put on a plastic shower cap before getting the in bath. The heat from the tub will help the mask hydrate deeply. Rinse thoroughly afterwards and yuor hair will feel stronger and look shinier.
If you’re short on time and ends are feeling like straw, disperse a small amount of treatment hair oil between fingers and smooth through ends.
Try: Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask; Redken All Soft Heavy Cream Treatment Mask; L’Oréal Professionnel Serie Expert Absolut Repair Oil; Kerastase Elixir Ultime L’Huile Original Hair Oil
Deepen up your hue
Say goodbye to footloose and fancy free summer – and those sun-kissed highlights – and take your shade to a more sophisticated place for the cooler months.
Deepening your hue a shade or two, or toning very blonde highlights to a slightly darker colour is a great idea – perfect if you have mid-year black tie or evening events coming up. Rich auburn, red, chocolate brown, and chestnut are all on trend colours right now. For blondes, trying a more caramel hue or shadow root fade with deeper roots are popular transitions.
Cut a fringe
Now the temperature has dropped and sweaty foreheads are temporarily a thing of the past, why not embrace the return of a face-framing fringe. A popular option right now is thankfully also the most non-committal.
The curtain fringe is a longer style that flicks out to the sides, meaning its easy to grow out and can be tucked behind your ears as it grows. If you’re ready for a bigger change, a cropped pixie cut is the style on the experts – and celebrities – radar right now.
Minimise static
Dry winter air and the need to wear a hat can equal can mean fluffy, flyaway hair. Dry air increases friction and reduces the natural moisture in your hair. To return the correct balance and shine, ensure you’re using hydrating shampoo and conditioners and choose a good quality ionic hair brush that is designed to give you smooth locks without frizz.
Apply a heat-protecting styling cream or serum before blow drying for a long-lasting style.
Try: Joico Moisture Recovery Shampoo and Conditioner and R+Co Foil Frizz + Static Control Spray
How to fix hat hair
The cold often demands a hat up top, but the result can be flat, dented hair with lots of static. Never put a hat on wet or damp hair—it locks in creases and sets them as your hair dries.
If you want to protect from hat hair before leaving the house, mist styled hair with anti-static hairspray. After you take it off, forgo a brush and use a wide-toothed comb, or just run your fingers through locks, shaking it slightly.
Hair looking limp? Apply a tiny amount of dry shampoo (or for bold volume, texturizing hair powder) at the roots and massage in with fingers. Top layers creating a halo? Add a dab of hand cream or lotion to your palms and rub together before smoothing lightly over lengths.
The alternative is to choose a style that is less likely to be disturbed by a hat. Go for braids, a loose low bun, or a knot under your hat—styles that won’t flatten easily and can be shaken out later. If you wear your hair down, part it opposite to your usual side before putting on a hat – then flip it back after removing the hat for natural lift.
Try: Living Proof PhD Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo and Color Wow One Minute Transformation Styling Cream
Use a caring scalp product
Cold weather can dry out the scalp, leading to irritation and flakes. To treat the problem, use a gentle, moisturising shampoo designed to help treat and balance the scalp. Avoid very hot showers that can strip natural oils.
Then, incorporate a weekly scalp treatment or oil massage. A scalp serum you distribute through the roots of your hair is a great idea, as it helps treat the skin under hair, not just your strands, adding essential moisture.
Try: Kérastase Nutritive Nutri-supplement Scalp Serum; Act+Acre Daily Hydro Scalp Serum; OUAI Scalp Serum
