With the colder months here, it is very important to keep our hair protected from the harsh elements of the winter season. The dry winter air can result in dry, brittle hair - so it's important to protect it and maximize moisture retention. Here are our Top 10 winter hair care tips to keep your Fro happy this season.
1. Moisturize Daily
This is the most important step in keeping your hair soft and moist. Water is the best moisturizer for natural hair, so your moisturizer must have water as the first ingredient. Moisturize your hair in the morning or at night. Avoid using humectants (glycerine, honey) in winter because they draw out moisture from your hair during the colder months.
2. Co-wash More... Ditch the Shampoo
Co-washing (cleansing the hair with a conditioner) provides much needed moisture without breakage and drying the hair. Shampoos contain sulphates which strip the hair of its natural oils and leave the hair dry and brittle.
3. Deep Condition More Often
If you already deep condition on a regular basis –great! If not, this is the perfect time to start. Deep conditioning once a week will keep your hair moisturized and strong enough to handle the harsh weather conditions during winter. A lot of people don’t realize how necessary deep conditioning is until they try it and see a significant difference. This is something to add to your regimen ASAP!
4. Steam Your Hair
As previously mentioned, the key to moisture is water. During winter months, the dry, winter air (with no humidity) leaves our strands thirsty. To avoid saturating your hair on a regular basis, try steaming your hair. You don’t even have to sit under a steamer. You can simply steam your hair while taking your shower just without shower cap
5. Protect Your Ends
Your ends are oldest and most vulnerable part of the hair. Make sure that they are healthy by trimming away any split ends. Don't forget to seal the ends after moisturizing your hair to reduce splitting and breakage.
6. Don’t Sleep With Your Hair Out
Even if your hair is short, rubbing up on your pillow will lead to brittle curls. Depending on your hair length, twist, plait or pin your hair back before laying your head to rest. Finish by tying a silk scarf around your head or covering your pillow with the silk scarf.
7. Avoid Heat
Blow dyers rob your hair of moisture. If you are already battling excessive dryness, then you may want to avoid using your blow dryers.
8. Don't Detangle/Comb Dry Hair
In the winter months, your hair will be a bit more dry. Dry, brittle hair is more fragile. Even if you are properly moisturizing your hair, you should take the time to properly detangle your hair. Try finger detangling and finger combing instead of using a comb. Only handle your hair if it is pliable. If your hair feels dry and brittle, first spritz with water or steam before handling
9. More Protective Styles
Protective styles (braids, twists, top knots, and bantu knots) are great during winter because they help to keep your hair and ends hidden away from the cold winds and lessen the amount of styling you have to do on a daily basis. Don't forget to keep the hair moisturized even when it is in a protective style.
10. Line Winter Accessories
Knitted hats and scarves also contribute to dryness of our hair. If you wear knitted hats a lot, be sure to moisturize frequently (as needed) or put a silk or satin scarf/lining into the hat.