How to Take Care of Your Hair in Winter & Cold Weather Hair Tips

No matter where you live, winter weather can wreak havoc on your skin and even your hair. And just like how we change our skincare routine for the seasons, making a change in your hair care routine will give your locks the love they need to keep on looking fabulous. From static and breakage to downright dullness, wintertime is a rough time for hair.

What does cold weather do to your hair?

Treat Your Scalp like You Do Your Face. A majority of the time, when we start noticing problems with our hair, it begins at the scalp. Healthy hair needs a healthy scalp. We put sunscreen all over in the summer, but for some reason, most of us tend to forget that we have sunscreen needs in the winter too. The crazy thing is though, winter is actually worse on your skin, scalp, and hair than the summertime, especially in the places with lots of snow.

Because snow doesn’t absorb light like darker surface colors, it reflects almost 90% of UV radiation, exposing people to not only what is coming from the sun, but what is reflecting from snow as well. With this in mind, sunscreen and UV protection are even more important in the winter than in the summer, so be sure to wear sunscreen and don’t forget to cover your hair with a cozy scarf and hat.

There’s more static in your hair during the winter. Have you ever noticed that in the wintertime, static seems to not only take over your clothes but your hair too? It’s because of the lack of moisture in the air outside plus the dry air running through central heating systems. Dry air acts as an insulator, so when the electrons start running into each other at full speed, they build up electricity. Wool sweaters are the worst for causing this and are the reason why your hair stands straight up when you pull them down over your hair.

Winter Hair Care Tips

1. Rinse Hair in Cold Water

While the weather outside might be cold and frightful during the winter, and nothing warms you up better than a hot shower, avoid rinsing your hair in hot water. Our hair is made up of tiny little cuticles, and hot water dries them out causing hair to look dull and brittle. By rinsing shampoo and conditioner with cold water, it closes the cuticles and locks moisture inside of each strand. Cut back on washing your hair as well. Too much washing can strip the good oil out of your hair causing further damage.

2. How Can I Hydrate My Hair in Winter?

Drinking more water solves about everything, in my opinion, and a leave-in conditioner can do the same thing for your hair. Leave-in conditioners can help winter hair by increasing hydration while fighting frizz. Since a leave-in conditioner is lightweight compared to deep conditioners, it won’t weigh your hair down, and it’s also a great way to combat static electricity too!

The bottom line is that the more moisture you have in your hair, the better off it will be. To keep  old man winter from doing any further damage, definitely make sure you are using a leave-in conditioner that has the power to combat the winter, dry hair!

Related Hair Type Articles and TIPS

What Type of Hair Do You Have? Tips for Different Hair Types

How to Use a Leave-In Conditioner

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions & Hair Tips

Author: Jessica Biggs

Jessica is a wife, mother, teacher, writer, and marketer. Like a moth to a flame, she is drawn to all things pretty, sparkly, and shiny and believes there is no such thing as natural beauty. When she is not working, in her spare time she dreams of the day where all she has to do is lay on a beach somewhere and endless frozen concoctions with little pink umbrellas are served to her on a silver platter. Until then, she will just settle for summers in the backyard. You can follow her on twitter @jessbiggs11 or Facebook @jessicadillardbiggs