Winter is perfect to get comfortable with a great book and a cup of hot cocoa, isn’t it? However as winters set in, hair turns dry and frizzy causing dandruff and itchy scalp. And as we try to keep ourselves warm and cozy, our Hair too needs care. Hot showers and indoor heating makes the scalp dehydrated, which further aggravates dandruff and leads to itchy scalp.
So, how do you take care of your hair and minimize these harsh winter effects and prevent damage?
These are 8 ways winter hair care tips you should definitely follow!
1. Winter Hair Care Tip For Flaky Scalp
The lack of moisture during the cold winter months makes your scalp drier and itchier, which becomes the cause of the main problems like dandruff and irritation of the scalp, aggravating the need to scratch. All these combined can lead to hair fall. The right hair care routine can help you manage all these issues easily. You can use good home remedies for many of the issues.
For a flaky scalp, keep ready two tablespoons of coconut oil, and one teaspoon of lemon juice. Warm up the oil a little bit, ensuring it’s not too hot for the scalp, and then mix in the lemon juice. Using a cotton ball, dab this mixture on your scalp massaging the scalp gently. Leave it on for half an hour, and then wash it. Repeat this process every week until the dryness persists in the air, or longer in case you still feel a few flakes here and there.
2. Wash your hair less frequently to avoid frizz
How To Control Frizz Hair During Winter?
You’ve faced it multiple times, so you know how annoying it is to take care of the fly-aways every winter due to the static. Your hair turns into a frizzy mess.
To control the frizz, avoid washing your hair with hot water, since it washes away the natural oils that form a protection around your hair. Try to use only lukewarm water, if you are unable to use cold water. Use a nourishing shampoo and an extra dab of leave-in conditioner which will keep your hair smooth and make it manageable.
3. Which Is The Best Haircare Oil For Winter Hair Care?
Nourishing your scalp with oil should be an essential element of your hair care routine in the winter. Even though you can pick from a multitude of hair oils available in the market, many experts believe in going back to the basics.
Olive oil keeps the scalp moisturised and provides nourishment to the hair follicles. The idea is simple, just do it once a week.
In a bowl, warm up sufficient olive oil to coat your hair and scalp. Again, ensure it isn’t too hot for the scalp. Slowly massage the oil first on your scalp, parting by parting. Sit in front of the mirror if need be, but don’t miss out on any part of the scalp.
This slow massage will enable the oil to go deep into the roots of your hair and improve blood circulation. Oiling your hair in this manner is also known to reduce hair fall. Once you are done with the scalp, use the oil to coat your hair with it. Keep it on overnight, and wash off in the morning with a nourishing shampoo. If you can’t keep it overnight, leave it on for at least two hours before washing it off.
In case you can’t lay your hands on olive oil for any reason, you can use either coconut or sesame seed oil. For the perfect winter hair care, don’t step out in the sun after oiling your hair. The heat from the sum will have an adverse effect on the oiled strands and the dry weather will harden the hair fibres. Ideally, just stay indoors until you shower and rinse it off.
4. Winter Hair Care Tip Through Deep Conditioning
Deep conditioning is a must during winter. It is helpful all through the year, but in winters it makes a world of difference to the quality of your hair.
Use a thick, creamy deep conditioner, and beware—no shortcuts in the process. It is the entire process that nourishes the hair fibres, keeps them moisturised, and soft to touch.
You will also notice that during the winter, you need a richer, stronger conditioner, one that worked well in the summer might not work as well now. Deep condition at least once a week, try and do it after oiling your hair with olive oil, it will offer better results. You don’t need to go to the salon to do it, you can do it at home. Keep a towel, a large shower cap, and a bucket of hot water handy. Shampoo your hair in the usual manner and apply the deep conditioner on your hair. Dip the towel in the water, wring it, and cover your hair with it. Cover the towel with the shower cap and keep it on until you can feel the heat in it. Repeat the process at least twice, and then rinse off the conditioner. If you skip the steaming step, the result will be quite limp. Steaming will enable your hair to absorb the conditioner much better.
5. Use a leave-in conditioner regularly this winter to detangle knots.
While deep conditioning will improve the quality of your hair in the long run, for immediate effect, use a leave-in conditioner in the winter to keep your hair smooth. It ensures that your hair stays hydrated and locks in the natural moisture of your hair. It can make a massive difference in the quality of your hair if you suffer from dry or damaged hair.
You can choose from the different forms—from liquids to creams and sprays, and you can leave it on your hair until the next wash, without worrying that it will be harmful. In the cold months, the hair tends to become unruly and dry, and a leave-in conditioner can help to detangle the hair. You have to apply it on damp hair and untangle the knots so you can style your hair.
6. Winter Hair Care Tip To Avoid Dry Hair
During the winter months, taking care of your hair also means not to expose it to too much heat from tools such as the hair dryers, tongs, straightening irons and curlers. These will dry out the hair further and make it brittle, to the point that your hair fall will increase.
In the winter, it is advisable to dry your hair naturally, and not go out immediately after a hair wash. Walking outdoors with wet hair will cause the hair to become stiff and hard. Control the damage by towel drying it as much as you can first, and then letting your hair dry before you leave the house. If you have to use styling tools on occasion, ensure that you use a protective heat resistant cream before using the tool.
You can also invest in a good heat defence spray or leave-in conditioner for such occasions, which you can use before and after the styling tool. Basically ensure that you arm yourself with the correct products so as to cause minimum harm to your hair strands.