Now that the winter months are upon us and the days are much colder, it's time to start thinking about ways to protect our hair from the damage that the winter elements can cause. Here are five tips that will help you maintain healthy, beautiful hair this season.
1. One very simple tip is to wear a hat when out as it keeps your hair covered from the wind, rain and snow. But as we all know, no woman wants the "dreaded hat hair." A great way to avoid this is to wrap your hair in a silk scarf before putting on your cozy, wool beanie. This helps to protect your hair from damage caused by the hat rubbing against your hair and it also cuts down on the static.
Another great way to combat static is to use a good heat styling product for blowdrying such as the Vidal Sassoon Pro Series Heat Protect and Shine Spray. This can also be used on dry hair before using a curling iron or flat iron.
2. During the winter months, it's a great idea to treat your hair once a week to a deep conditioning treatment. This will help to replenish the moisture, which tends to get depleted from things such as the dry heat in your apartment and the cold winter air. I recommend something like the Vidal Sassoon Pro Series Moisture Lock One Minute Mask or Bumble & Bumble Quenching Masque. These products are quick and easy ways to lock moisture back into your hair.
An alternative is to use a hair oil like Oribe's Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil after you've shampooed your hair. It's like liquid gold for dehydrated or color-treated hair! This can be used on wet hair to blow-dry in or as a smoother and shine oil on dry hair.
3. I also find if you can keep washing your hair to a minimum, say two to three times a week, this will prevent your hair from drying out too much. And always make sure you dry your hair before leaving the house. Not only because you will get a cold, but the moisture in your hair combined with the cold air, will add further damage to your hair by making it more brittle and dry.
4. Regular trims are a great way to keep your hair in good health during the winter months as well -- every six to eight weeks, just get a light dusting of the ends to help reduce the chance of dry, splitting ends.
5. One unexpected secret to keep your hair looking good in the winter is to invest in a humidifier. I know you're thinking that humidity equals frizzy hair, but when you have the heat on, the air in your apartment becomes very dry and I find the humidifier helps stop your hair and skin from feeling dry. The main problem with the humidifier is that they're not very nice-looking. I recently found a great one by Middle that looks chic and works great.