Winter tips to keep your hair healthy

Aaah winter… the season of hot chocolate, fuzzy socks and curling up on the couch. But as much as you may be having an amazing time during the chilly months, your hair is not.

Winter brings about icy winds, dry air and all round harsh conditions which can affect your skin and hair. And just like your skin needs some extra lotion during these months, your hair needs some extra loving too. To help, we’ve put together a list of our top 6 tips to keep your hair healthy this winter. Check them out below.

1. Oil hair

In winter, the lack of moisture in the air can cause your scalp and hair to feel dry and itchy. To prevent this and keep the dandruff and itchiness away, a good hair oil is needed. Nourishing oils like argan or coconut oil work wonders to moisturise your scalp
and keep your hair healthy. By applying these oils and massaging them into your scalp, they penetrate your hair shaft and moisturise it from within.

If you don‘t have any plain oils on hand, a product infused with natural oils will also do the trick. The TRESemmé Botanic Nourish & Replenish Hair Food is infused with coconut oil (plus aloe vera) to create an amazing moisturising formula.

For a more lightweight product, you can try something like TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Shine Oil. Infused with Marula oil, it’s a great option to nourish and massage your scalp with.

2. Cover your hair – hats, beanies, head wraps

Winter air can be cold and extremely dry. This means that the air can rob your hair of moisture and ultimately cause damage (and breakage) to your strands. For protection from these nasty effects of the winter air, it is important to keep your hair covered. Whether it be with your fave multi-coloured beanie, a bucket hat or a silky head wrap.

Reminder: Keeping your hair covered will reduce air exposure, but let’s not forget that certain fabrics can also cause friction and damage. Make sure that your hat of choice is lined with silk or satin to protect your hair from static and friction.

3. Use a humidifier

If hats, beanies and scarves aren’t your vibe, then this may help your dry air situation. Using a humidifier in your home helps to rehydrate the air and prevent extreme moisture loss in hair. Keep it on a moderate setting so that there isn’t too much humidity either (remember we don’t want to be thrown into a surprise Durban summer).

4. Avoid heat styling

Your hair is already fighting dryer conditions, so you don’t want to be adding fuel to the fire with too much heat styling. A lot of blow drying, ironing or curling draws out moisture from your hair and can cause heat damage – which we definitely don’t want.

Instead, trying some heat-free drying techniques in winter can help keep your hair healthy. Embracing your natural texture and air-drying your hair can also help. And another cool option is to test out some protective styles like braids (instead of your regular heat styling).

5. Weekly hair mask

Just like weekly face masks, weekly hair masks can make a significant difference when it comes to nourishing your hair. A deep conditioning treatment can help to prevent and even reverse the effects of dryness in the winter months.

Masks like the Dove Intensive Repair Deep Treatment Mask (with unique Nutri-Keratin Actives) can help to rebuild and restore hair proteins, leaving your hair stronger and well hydrated.

6. Use a microfibre towel

Switch up your regular cotton bath towel for a microfibre
towel. These are more gentle on your hair and can absorb more water which helps reduce any friction. On the other hand, cotton or any other material towels can create friction which causes tangles and flyaways – a big no no in winter!

7. Drink lots of water

Lastly, drinking water is important all year round but when your hair needs some extra hydration it’s good to up the intake. Hydration starts from within, and drinking water helps moisturise hair from root to tip. It also stimulates a healthier scalp, preventing problems like dryness, itchiness, or dandruff during winter.

Sneaky tip: It may feel a bit too cold for a bottle of ice water, so why not mix it up with some boiling water and lemon? It will keep you warm and help you get those litres in.