10 Tips to Prevent Dry Hair This Winter

Winter is finally here and this means it’s time to start a 6-month battle with dry hair! The cold weather combined with dry indoor heat can be pretty damaging to your gorgeous locks and lead to split ends, breakage, and a sad hair-do. But fear not! We’ve compiled 10 precautions you should take now to prevent any winter hair woes.

1. Wash your hair less

We’ve mentioned this in one of our earlier posts but cannot stress this enough – wash. your hair. less. While most people wash their hair 4-7 times a week, you should actually be washing it 2-3 times a week - and in these winter months, maybe even less! Your body naturally produces oils to protect your hair so when we wash our hair often, your brain starts to overproduce oils to try to combat this. So not only are you drying out your hair, but you’re also training it to become greasier, faster. Although it takes a little time (and patience) you will see that the less you wash your hair, the less you’ll need to wash it and the healthier it will look. Our recommendation to fight the grease during this retraining period? Make dry shampoo your new best friend! If you haven’t discovered the wonder of dry shampoo it will quickly become one of your new obsessions.

*A tip for our dark-haired beauties: some dry shampoos tend to leave a white cast. If this happens, simply rub it in vigorously with a brush or your fingers until it disappears.  

2. Read the back of your shampoo bottle

When shopping for shampoo, make sure to stay away from ingredients such as salts, detergents, and above all – sulfates as they will definitely strip your luscious locks of their natural oils and dry out your hair. We recommend staying away from lower-end hair products altogether, but if you are on a budget - no worries! At this point in the hair game, most brands have sulfate-free lines. Don’t know what to do with your old sulfate-filled shampoos? Instead of creating waste, try using them as temporary shaving lotions.  

3. Easy on the overly hot showers

Love the feeling of scalding hot water while you shower? Well, your hair sure doesn’t! Overly hot showers are a quick way to suck all the moisture out of your hair and skin (you’ll see this correlation in other up-coming points) so during these winter months, it’s extra important to try and avoid this. Shower with warm water and finish off your hair-wash with a cool rinse instead! Not only will this help with damage control, but it’s also said to help add shine.

4. Condition. Condition. Condition.

It’s always good to condition your hair, but now it’s more important than ever. We recommend upping your conditioning game by using a hydrating hair mask once a week to help add that much needed moisture that you’re lacking during these dry, cold months. On top of that, it also helps fight that dreaded hair static that tends to occur during this time of year. For those with curly or extra dry hair, we also suggest using a leave-in conditioner – we promise, your locks will thank you!

5. Do NOT leave the house with wet hair

Do not do this. Aside from this being an obvious way to catch a cold, it’s also an easy way to damage your hair. Wet hair is more vulnerable than dry hair and leaving the house with a wet head can cause your hair to freeze and break. Air drying is always the best option but if you’re in a rush, it’s better to do a quick 5-minute blow-dry than to go out looking like a wet mop.

6. Try to relax on the heating-tools

Heat is the number one way to damage your locks, so try to take it easy during the winter! As mentioned in our previous point, air drying is the healthiest option - but if you’re going to use styling tools, be sure to use a styling product before-hand to help protect your hair from the heat. And never, ever, EVER use a straightener or a curling iron on wet hair. NEVER.

7. Wear a hat

Hats are great – they prevent all the heat from leaving your body AND protect your hair from the elements. Also, if you’re washing your hair less, you can hide the grease during the ‘retraining’ period. A warning: wool, cotton, and other coarse fabrics can cause split-ends and breakage – especially if you have curly or natural-textured hair. To prevent this, we recommend purchasing a hat with a soft inner lining (silk or satin) - or go full DIY and cut up an old scarf or silk blouse and sew it into any hat you already own.

8. Buy a humidifier

This one’s pretty self-explanatory. Like your skin, your hair will thank you for this added intake of moisture!

9. Make sure you’re getting the appropriate water intake

It’s 2020 – do we really need to explain this one to you? If so, please see tip #8.

10. Schedule frequent hair trims

Scheduling a haircut every four to six weeks also helps to keep it healthier. This is not just a ploy to see your beautiful faces more often! Even trimming just a half-inch will help to reduce the chances of split ends and thus preventing dry, limp hair.

When you’re in doubt, we’re here to help! Ask your stylist to evaluate your hair at your next visit. We offer deep conditioning treatments and will likely have salon-quality product recommendations that will help your locks stay gorgeous and hydrated all winter long!