Winter is coming – are you prepared to take care of your hair?
For most of the U.S., the winter months bring dry weather, cold winds, and renewed danger from the sun as the cooler weather brings a false sense of safety from the sun’s rays.
Although taking care of the scalp and hair follicles is obviously important, in winter weather you need to be sure to take care of the hair itself, as it is exposed to the elements and weather conditions directly.
If you are in the southwest part of the country, such as Las Vegas, winter is a major departure from the extreme heat of the summer months. With freezing winds and weather that dips into the 30s fairly regularly, your hair needs even more attention than in other parts of the world.
So here are 5 tips to ensure you are taking the best care of your hair possible in the harsh winter months!
Shampoo Less Frequently
You should shampoo your hair as necessary, of course, but consider washing it less often in the winter months. Each time you wash your hair, you are washing out natural oils and nutrients that are essential to maintaining your hair’s health. And since it’s so dry in the winter, those oils are even more important than other times of the year!
While the specifics vary from person to person, if you can shampoo your hair 2 or 3 times per week instead of daily in the winter, it will help preserve those natural oils and conditioners in your hair.
If you have undergone a hair restoration procedure like Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) or Follicular Unit Excision (FUE), you should check with your hair restoration specialist about any specific shampooing guidelines.
Make Sure Hair Is Dry Before Going Outside
Many people don’t realize that your hair is far more fragile when it is wet than when it is dry. This leads many people to brush their hair roughly when wet, causing breakage and potentially pulling out hairs that otherwise would remain healthy and intact.
In the winter, though, making sure your hair is dry before leaving the house is even more important! Dry hair is not only stronger, but in the drying process it has allowed the oils and conditioners you have added to settle in place and protect it from the elements.
Another reason to make sure your hair is dry is that the excess water can cause your hair to freeze, potentially damaging your scalp, hair follicles, and, of course, the hair strands themselves.
Cover Your Hair When Outside
This is an obvious one for many people who go out in the cold regularly, but it’s worth mentioning. Since it is colder outside in the winter, people often forget that the sun’s rays still cause damage to hair and skin.
So even if you don’t feel the heat as much, your hair and scalp are receiving the brunt of the sun’s rays.
The other reason why you should cover your hair when outside in the winter is to protect your hair and scalp from other harsh elements. Wind can dry out your hair and scalp, and snow, while seemingly soft, is crystalline, so it can cause micro-damage to your scalp that you may not even notice for days or weeks after!
It’s important to let your hair breathe, of course, so try to let it do so when you are in the safety of home or wherever you need to go, and consider adding hair oil or conditioner to your hair while wearing a hat or other cover!
Wash Your Hair In Warm (Not Hot) Water
Let’s face it, a nice, hot shower in the winter is pretty amazing. But it’s also potentially harmful to your hair and scalp! It’s easy to forget that while that hot water might feel great in the moment, it can also cause scalding damage to our scalp and hair.
More often, however, the hot water is just more likely to remove more of the oils that are in your hair than normal, room temperature water. This includes the scalp, which can then also become flaky, causing you to resort to harsh treatments to treat it.
At the end of the wash, you should consider turning on the cold water. This helps close the pores on the scalp and protect the hair follicles from being open and exposed to the cold elements you will face when you get out of that nice, warm environment!
Use A Humidifier
Humidifiers are an affordable, easy way to combat the dryness of winter. Many homes use fireplaces or heating units to stay warm in the cold months, and all of these heating methods cause the air to dry out and become artificially warm.
This means that you need to make sure you counteract that by putting moisture back in the air! Having a humidifier on during the day is helpful as well, of course, but it is especially important at night. When you are sleeping and immobile for hours on end, your hair and scalp are also stagnant.
By adding moisture to your environment, you are counteracting the heat and dryness caused by the things that are keeping you warm and safe, without losing any of the benefits.
Check With Your Hair Care Specialist
If you have a regular salon or hair-care place, check with them to see what special needs your hair might have. Everyone is different, and your hair-care professional knows your hair better than almost anyone! That’s important in making sure you get exactly the treatment you need to withstand the winter months.
If you have recently undergone or plan to undergo hair restoration surgery, it is important to talk to your hair restoration specialist about any special needs for your transplanted areas. Most likely they will have advice and guidance about what kinds of hats you can wear (if any), and other suggestions to maintain your new hair transplants throughout the winter.
If you want to find out more about hair restoration, you can schedule a consultation with Advanced Medical Hair Institute, learn more about Dr. Joseph Williams and his team of experts!
