Contrary to popular belief, winter doesn’t have to be filled with bad hair days. While it’s true that dry air can pull moisture away from hair and make it dull and brittle, it’s possible to keep your hair strong, bright, and beautiful with proper care. Vakkar Salon’s professional stylists recommend a number of things you can do to combat the effects of winter weather on your hair.
The Do’s of Winter Hair Care
Let’s discuss what you should be doing in your winter hair care routine.
DO Wear a Hat
Dry air, wind, and snow can all dry out your hair, so try wearing a hat any time you’re outdoors. Some wool and cotton hats can cause breakage, so it’s best to wrap your hair in a scarf or line the hat with satin before putting it on. If you’re worried about frizz or static that happens when wearing a hat, bring along a dryer sheet to rub on your hair when you get to your destination.
DO Schedule a Trim
Despite your best efforts to minimize breakage, split ends are inevitable in colder months. Since split ends will continue to unravel up the hair shaft, it’s important to have them removed to keep the rest of your hair healthy. We recommend scheduling a visit to Vakkar Salon every 6-8 weeks for long hair, 4-6 weeks for medium hair, and 3-4 weeks for short hair.
DO Deep Condition At Least Once a Week
If you pull on a strand of hair and it stretches, then springs back into place, it’s probably healthy. Unfortunately when many of us perform this elasticity test in winter, the hair breaks. That’s because cold, dry air robs hair of moisture, and dehydrated strands break easily. Deep conditioning products permeate the shaft with high concentrations of oils to repair damage and prevent breakage. For most clients, we recommend using a deep conditioner once a week, but severely dry, brittle hair may need it every four days until you notice improvement.
DO Make Time for a Keratin Treatment
Keratin is one of fifty proteins that make up hair. It plays an important part in keeping hair strong and healthy, but daily stressors such as heat styling and harsh winter weather deplete the amounts of keratin in your hair. Periodic keratin treatments help to repair damaged cuticles and seal in moisture to reduce static and frizz. Keratin treatments applied in our salon last up to five months, while at-home versions last two to three months. Our stylists can recommend which treatment is best for your hair type.
DO Use Styling Products Formulated for Color-Treated Hair
Color-treated locks need nourishment to maintain color and moisture in winter. Since many styling products contain drying ingredients such as alcohol, peroxide, or ammonia, be sure to read labels to keep your hair healthy and color vibrant. During an in-depth conversation with your Vakkar color specialist, we can recommend products and come up with a plan to prevent fading during winter.
The “Don’ts” of Winter Hair Care
To improve your chances of having beautiful hair between fall and spring, try making the following changes.
Don’t Shampoo Every Day
Shampoo depletes natural oils from the hair, so when hair is already dry, using shampoo every day is a recipe for split ends. Especially in the winter, it’s best to wash hair just three times per week and switch to a shampoo that combats dryness. Vakkar stylists can recommend a moisturizing shampoo that’s best for your particular hair type.
Don’t Use Hot Water
Taking a nice hot shower feels amazing on cold days, but hot water can actually wreak havoc on winter hair. In order to clean hair effectively, water needs to be warm enough to strip oil and dirt away from the scalp and strands. But very hot water can dry out the scalp and open hair cuticles, causing the scalp to flake and hair to frizz – especially when the air is dry. To minimize damage, use lukewarm water for shampooing, and rinse with cold water to seal hair cuticles and lock in moisture.
Don’t Use Heat Tools
This is a tough one since no one likes to walk out into the freezing cold with wet hair, but hear us out. Heat from blow dryers and flat irons is already damaging, and shocking the hair by heating it and then walking into extreme cold is even worse. If you don’t have time to air dry, use a cooler setting on your blow dryer, and if you must use heat tools, use a protectant spray. During a detailed consultation with our stylists, we can recommend ways to style your hair beautifully without using heat.
Don’t Wear Ponytails
Dry winter hair is already susceptible to breakage, so putting it in an elastic tie is a sure way to increase damage. When it’s cold, try wearing your hair down as much as possible, and switch to fabric ties if you feel the need to put it up. It’s also a good idea to wear ponytails loose and low so they don’t put too much pressure on your dry scalp.
Don’t Try Home Remedies
Working in a salon, we hear all kinds of natural ways that clients try to improve their hair at home. Some of these remedies may work, but some are either dangerous or just plain messy. For instance, there are women who believe they should take prenatal vitamins because they contain biotin. While research shows that biotin does strengthen hair, taking prenatal vitamins when not pregnant can be harmful since they deliver higher levels of nutrients than needed. We’ve also had clients ask if they should put mayonnaise in their hair to repair damage. Our answer? You can, but do you know how long it takes to rinse greasy mayo completely out? And do you really want to mess with that every few weeks?
There’s a lot of science that goes into professional hair care. Our team is trained in the latest techniques and best products for combating the effects of winter weather on your hair. We can tell you all about them during your next visit. The best part? You don’t have to leave here smelling like a sandwich!
To book a consultation today, call or text us at (314) 648-3121, or book online by clicking here.
