When the harsh onslaught of winter begins, your hair faces many challenges. These include the chilly, dry, windy air, snow, and indoor heat. Unfortunately, most people tend to ignore winter hair care. Just like our skin and body, our hair needs special care, nutrition, love, and attention. This means that a winter hair care routine needs to be an essential part of your schedule during the cold weather. This will help your hair withstand all the challenges that it faces during the winter season. Read through to know more about hair care and some of the greatest hair care tips.
Importance of Having a Winter Hair Care Routine
A major part of the hair is a protein called keratin. It grows from follicles found in the skin. The hair follicles have their roots in the skin’s deeper layers. Depending on the shape of the follicle, your hair will be wavy, straight, or curly.
Every follicle is surrounded by one or more sebaceous glands, which provides natural oil to the hair. The activity of the sebaceous glands determines whether our hair will be oily, normal, or dry. Excessive production of natural oil from these glands will make our hair and scalp oily. Normal production of natural oil from sebaceous glands will keep the hair and scalp normal. But too little natural oil from these glands will make our hair and scalp dry; this is a common problem during winter. We can avoid it by diligently following winter hair care tips.
9 Winter Hair Care Tips
Given below are some of the essential winter hair care tips for you to follow:
1. Trimming
Trimming every four to eight weeks in winters removes split ends and keeps the hair healthy. So, make this practice a part of your regular winter hair care regimen. Cutting off an inch of hair towards the bottom is sufficient.
2. Oil Massage
During winter, dryness of hair and scalp is a common problem. You can prevent this from happening through regular massaging and oiling, once or twice every week. Use hair care oil like coconut oil, olive oil, Brahmi oil, and almond oil.
Massaging and applying natural oils not only provides nourishment to the hair roots but also improves blood circulation. The hair follicles become stronger. Some dermatologists recommend going for oiling and massaging at night and washing your head the next morning. This will, according to them, give better results. So, make hair massage and oiling a part of your regular winter hair care routine.
3. Avoid Excessive Shampooing
When the harsh, chilly winds start blowing, excessive shampooing of your hair during winter will remove the natural oils. The health of your hair and scalp will deteriorate. So, your winter hair care will involve restricting shampooing to only once or twice per week.
4. Comb Gently
One of the most important practices to include in your winter hair care is combing softly. Dry hair breaks easily, so you need to be gentle. Use a wide-tooth comb, as it removes tangles much faster and prevents straining on the scalp too hard. Start from the middle and move towards the bottom of your hair slowly.
5. Cover Your Head When Going Out
When you come out and face the cold winter winds for a long period, your scalp can easily become dry. Your hair may become brittle and develop split ends. To stop this from happening, practise winter hair care and always remember to wear a hat or scarf while stepping out.
6. Invest in a Room Humidifier
Room heaters and heat convectors make the air inside living spaces dry, pulling moisture out from your hair and scalp. If you have this kind of gadget fitted at your home, you can counteract its harmful effects with the help of a room humidifier if possible. It would be a useful investment for hair care in the winter season.
7. Have a Good Diet
When you take insufficient water, your scalp and hair may become dry. You might experience excessive hair loss. You must have enough water at the onset of the dry, chilly winter season for effective hair care. You should also have a good, balanced diet. It should be rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, as they will ensure that your hair and scalp remain healthy.
Biotin (Vitamin B7), in particular, boosts follicular growth rate and the production of keratin in hair. So, having a biotin-rich diet, such as meat, eggs, fish, nuts, and vegetables (sweet potatoes) will help you maintain good hair health. A good diet is, therefore, a vital part of the daily winter hair care routine.
8. Avoid Too Much Hairstyling
Hairstyling invariably involves iron rods, straighteners, and blow-dryers. These are not good for hair during winter, as they cause excessive dryness. Your hair becomes brittle and falls off too soon. This makes hair care important.
So, let your hair dry naturally after you wash it and avoid over-styling. For best hair care in the winter season, keep aside your hairstyling devices in winters.
9. Use Conditioners with Cetyl Alcohol
Conditioners that contain cetyl alcohol are always more effective, as cetyl alcohol is a great moisturising agent. They can become an important part of your winter hair care routine. It is derived from coconut or palm oil, and provides you with promising results.
Understanding the Hair Structure
Our hair has three layers. These are as follows:
1. Cuticle: This is the thin outermost layer. It comprises overlapping cells that look like the scales of a fish. The cells point in a downward direction, away from the scalp. The shine and flexibility in our hair come from a healthy cuticle, which is flat and smooth. It protects the hair from damage and excessive loss of moisture. But weathering agents like chemicals may upset the hair’s delicate balance, and cause dryness, splitting and breakage. This is why regular winter hair care should be an essential part of your regular routine.
2. Cortex: This is the middle layer forming the main bulk of hair. It has long keratin filaments, comprising about 80% of the hair’s protein. Since keratin is a tough protein, the cortex gives strength and elasticity to the hair. It contains pigments, which give colour to hair. The outer cuticle protects it from damage, hence the need for hair care in the winter season.
3. Medulla: This is the innermost layer and is present only in thicker hair types. It comprises soft, transparent keratinized cells and air spaces, making the hair elastic.
Conclusion
We hope you found this article useful and interesting. The bottom line is that winter hair care is important, no matter whether you have dry hair, oily hair, or any other type of hair. Just follow the winter hair care steps we have outlined above to look and feel better this winter. They are simple and easy to follow. Do write back. We look forward to reading your comments.
