Keeping your hair healthy and hydrated during the cold winter months is essential. The right kind of winter hair care routine will help protect against breakage, split ends, dryness, tangles, and other damaging effects of constant exposure to indoor heaters and low humidity levels.
Decreased moisture in the air during the winter months can lead to dry and brittle hair. This is why it’s imperative to keep a hydrating winter hair care routine this season. Keep reading for some great tips on keeping the bounce in your hair all winter. Here are the top 10 hair hacks for healthy hair in winter:
- Turn Down The Heat
The dry air inside your home and office can cause a lot of damage to your hair. Heaters suck moisture out of the air, leaving it very dry. Ensure that you use a humidifier to keep the moisture levels up in your room or office space.
- Eat a healthy diet
Eat a diet rich in vitamins. Vitamins A, B, C, and E are all essential for healthy hair. In particular, vitamin A is important for the development of the hair follicle, and vitamin C plays an important role in the production of collagen and elastin. This is why eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is important to ensure you get your daily dose of these essential vitamins.
Increase your protein intake. You need to consume more protein-rich foods to strengthen your hair. Amino acids found in proteins are the building blocks to the hair shaft. There are many options to increase your protein intake. If you are plant based you can use beans, lentils, and soy. You can also eat animal based proteins such as eggs, fish, turkey, and chicken to strengthen your hair. Protein is also vital for your body’s repair process. So if you want shiny and healthy hair, include protein in your diet.
Talk to your medical provider before making significant changes to your diet.
- Use Less Shampoo
Many shampoos are super drying and you may be using way too much. . Shampoo is meant for cleansing the scalp and you should be focusing the shampoo only on the scalp. Shampoo will strip the moisture out of your hair strands and leave it very dry making it more likely to break. If you wash your hair every day, try washing it every other day and use a mild, hydrating shampoo that won’t strip the hair of its natural oils. Always read the shampoo labels and try to focus on buying shampoos that use more natural ingredients as these tend to be less harsh.
- Massage Your Scalp
Massaging your scalp is a healthy habit to develop. It helps stimulate the hair follicles and blood flow, improving hair growth. It is simple to do scalp massages at home. Take your favorite natural hair oils and place them on your fingertips. Next use the pads of your fingers to make circular motions throughout your scalp for 5-10 minutes. Not only will this be relaxing but also great for your hair. You can also do this without oils if you tend to have an oily scalp or even use a scalp massager that you can purchase online.
- Make An Egg Yolk Mask
Egg yolk is one of the best natural masks for winter hair. It’s high in protein and rich in fatty acids, which hydrate the hair from root to tip.Egg yolk masks are also easy to make, leaving hair soft and shiny. You can add it to your deep conditioning routine. Make sure to completely rinse it out.
- Use A Cool Rinse
Heat can help to open the hair cuticle. It can be helpful to add heat to your deep conditioning routine if you have low porosity hair. However, at the end of your wash adding cool water helps to seal in all the moisture that has been added because the cool water helps to seal the hair cuticle. In the winter months it is important to try to maximize the moisture in your hair as much as possible. You may even consider adding a little oil on the ends of your hair as a sealant. The ends of your hair are the oldest part and need a little extra attention.
7 Apply Aloe
Aloe Vera is a plant with a lot of health benefits. Its gel is a moisturizer and anti-inflammatory in the hair and skin care industry. . The scalp can be more irritated in the winter months and adding Aloe Vera to your wash day routine can help. You can buy the aloe plant and directly apply it to the scalp and hair. One option is to leave it in the hair as a gel or rinse out at the end of washing your hair as it can be quite sticky.
- Try A Hot Oil Treatment
A hot oil treatment will help to maintain healthy hair and skin. Hot oil treatments are great for dry, brittle hair. This can help restore your hair’s moisture balance by penetrating deep into the hair shaft and lifting out impurities.
- Swap Your Towel For A T-Shirt
Instead of using a cotton towel to dry your hair, use a T-shirt or microfiber towel. Cotton towels can be very drying to the hair and quite rough on the hair cuticle. A T-shirt or microfiber towel will be less damaging to the hair. Place your T-shirt on your head and start drying.
- Sleep with a silk/satin bonnet or pillowcase
You may not realize it, but you lose a lot of moisture in your hair as you sleep and create friction/damage to your hair. Cotton pillowcases, just like towels, are not created for our hair. The ends of the hair are fragile and prone to split ends and breakage. Make sure you wrap your hair into a loose bun at night to prevent tangles and protect the ends. You can cover your hair with a silk/satin bonnet or wrap or even just sleep on a silk/satin pillowcase to keep the moisture in your hair.