Winter can be brutal on the hair. Between the dry indoor heat and the cold weather outdoors, keeping textured hair moisturized and healthy can be quite challenge. Here are a few tips to have helped me keep my hair long and strong.

Outdoors

1. Wool hats can be incredibly harsh on textured hair. Before bundling up, tie hair down with a satin or silk scarf to act as a protective barrier between your hair and the wool cap. Or, take a satin bonnet, cut off the elastic band and glue or sew inside the wool hat.

2. Be certain to pin hair back and/or tuck ends inside coat jackets. A lot of coats and jackets already have a satin or silk lining that will protect the hair and ends from cold air.

Cleansing and Conditioning

3. If you normally pre-treat your hair with a protein conditioner, try switching to a moisturizing conditioner. Protein based conditioners have a tendency to dry out the hair so a moisturizing conditioner will be more effective during the winter months.

4. Add oils to shampoos to prevent them from overly stripping the hair. Add oils to conditioners to punch up their moisturizing effects.

5. Wash and rinse hair with lukewarm water (instead of hot water) as it will allow you to retain more moisture in the hair.

6. Conditioning or steaming the hair weekly is a must during the winter. Look for intense emollient conditioners to keep hair hydrated and healthy.  Some of our personal favorites are Kenra Moisturizing Conditioner and Keracare Humecto.

7. Winter hair care is all about locking in moisture. A nice cold water rinse will not only add shine, it will also seal moisture into the hair shaft.

Styling and Daily Care

8. For those that air-dry their hair overnight, make sure to check for wet spots (areas of the hair that are not quite dry) before leaving the house. Your hair can freeze in the cold winter air, making it more likely to break during your commute.

9. If you prefer to air-dry overnight, try starting the process 3-5 hours earlier. Or, dry your hair partially under a hood dryer before hitting the sack.

10. Before your daily shower, apply a moisturizer to your hair and poke 3-5 holes in your shower cap, allowing the steam from your shower to help the moisturizer penetrate into the hair shaft.

11. To combat dry air, work with the oils your scalp produces naturally. Use a boar bristle brush daily to distribute oils from the scalp to the ends.

12. When moisturizing at night, seal in moisturizers with a drop of oil or gloss to keep the ends pliable and strong.

13. Cut off dry, dehydrated ends as they are more likely to snag on coats and collars.

14. A humidifier or pot of water by the bed will help add moisture to dry indoor air.

15. Increase water intake and exercise to deliver moisture and nutrients to the scalp and hair follicles.


A Sample Winter Home Hair Care Regimen

1. Pre-treat the hair with warm oil or a moisturizing conditioner.
2. Shampoo with a moisturizing shampoo like Kenra Moisturizing Shampoo.
3. Apply a moisturizing deep conditioner like Kenra Moisturizing Conditioner and cover head with a hot wet towel and shower cap. Sit under a dryer for 30 minutes.
4. Set, wet wrap or braid hair until dry.
5. Moisturize daily with a hydrating moisturizer like Hydratherma Naturals Growth Lotion and apply a drop of oil to the ends.
6. At night, wrap or cover with satin cap.

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