Seasonal Hair Care: How to Treat Your Hair in the Winter

While it’s common knowledge that you should switch up your skincare with the seasons, did you know that the same rules apply to your hair care routine too? Keep reading as Nubi shares the winter hair care tips you need to know to ensure a soft and glossy mane throughout the colder months.

Cut Back on How Often You Shampoo Your Hair

While the sweaty summer months often require some extra hair-washing, winter is different. At this time of year, your hair is very vulnerable to damage. Each time you shampoo away the protective coating that naturally surrounds each strand, you exacerbate this. Plus, with less sweat and sebum to deal with in the winter, your hair won’t actually need washing quite so often. 

So, once the winter weather makes an appearance, start cutting back on how often you shampoo your hair. You may also want to switch to a gentler shampoo. Again, with less grease and grime to deal with in the winter, the powerful shampoo that you were using in the summer is unlikely to be necessary. 

Deep Condition Weekly

It goes without saying that you should always condition your hair after shampooing it, especially in the winter. However, once the weather turns really bitter, deep conditioning once a week will give your locks the extra boost that they need. 

Deep conditioners, like hair masks, work similarly to regular conditioners, except that they’re much more intense. Not only will they help to replenish the feeling of dryness, which is common in the winter, but they’ll also add shine and volume. A good deep conditioner is a must in every winter hair care routine!

Make the Most of Leave-in Conditioners

While a weekly deep conditioner will do so much for your hair, a leave-in conditioner is also worth adding to your winter haircare routine if your hair is already damaged. These products provide deep, long-lasting moisture. They also leave the hair feeling better protected against the environment, high heat levels, and just about anything else that could cause damage! 

Like all hair care products, there are different types of leave-in conditioners available. Pick one that targets any issues you’re dealing with, whether this may be tangles, dryness, frizz, or anything else.

Go Easy on the Heat When Styling

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It’s no secret that excessive heat is bad for your hair. The potential for damage worsens in the winter when strands are more vulnerable. While you don’t need to stop heat styling completely, being smart about how you do so will help to keep your strands looking healthy.

The most important thing to remember (other than making sure that you use a heat protectant first!) is to use as little heat as possible. Most heated styling tools, including the hair straighteners from Nubi, come with an adjustable temperature feature. Chances are that you won’t need the highest heat setting to style your locks. Figure out how low you can go with the heat while still being able to successfully style your hair.

Don’t Go Outside With Wet Hair

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When your hair is wet, it’s extremely fragile. It may feel more elastic to the touch, but it’s also more prone to environmental damage, which is plentiful in the winter. Freezing temperatures will cause the moisture on and in your hair to expand. This will lead to your strands snapping, while split ends will become much more likely.

Fortunately, there’s an easy way to avoid this – make sure that you always dry your hair before going outside. If you wash your hair in the mornings, this may mean waking up slightly earlier on shampoo days. However, with a good blow dryer on your side, like the Nubi Blow Me Away dryer, you’ll be able to dry your hair to perfection in no time!

Protect Your Hair From the Cold

One way to stop the winter weather from taking such a toll on your strands is by physically shielding your hair from the cold temperatures and the bitter winds. How? Scarves and hats do this well. They provide a barrier between your hair and the harsh environment around you, slowing down the rate at which moisture gets pulled out of your strands. If you’re going to use a hat, pick one that has a silk or satin lining to reduce friction and static. Most hats are made from wool or cotton, both of which can leave your hair looking frizzy and dry. 

There are also plenty of protective hairstyles out there that will shield the majority of your strands from the wind. A low braid, a bun, or a twist will ensure that most of your hair is tucked away, safe from the winter weather around you. 

Exfoliate Your Scalp Once a Week

Scalp exfoliation is something that you should be doing year-round. However, in the winter, the cold air and low humidity levels can exacerbate flaking. This can lead to clogged follicles, which will make your scalp feel itchy and uncomfortable. Wearing hats can contribute to this too, hence the need to regularly exfoliate your scalp.

If you’ve never exfoliated your scalp before, you’ll need to choose between a scrub or a chemical exfoliant. Whichever one you opt for, make sure that the exfoliator you choose contains plenty of moisturizing ingredients as well. Your scalp and hair will likely feel much fresher after you exfoliate for the first time, but don’t be tempted to overdo it – over-exfoliating will only lead to dryness and damage, especially in the winter. 

Add a Scalp Serum to Your Hair Care Routine

Since your hair grows from your scalp, keeping your scalp healthy can go a long way in helping your hair to feel healthy too. Regularly exfoliating your scalp is a big part of this, but if you want to take things even further, consider adding a scalp serum to your winter hair care routine.

What do scalp serums do? They’re designed to hydrate and soothe the scalp. They’re usually packed full of hair-loving nutrients, with formulations that allow them to be quickly absorbed and utilized by the skin on the scalp.

Just like face serums, scalp serums can target various problems. Pick one that meets the needs of your hair and scalp, and you’ll have a much easier time keeping your locks looking their best throughout the colder months.

Choose Gentle Hair Accessories

It’s so important to be gentle with your hair in the winter. This applies to everything that you do with your hair, including when you style it. Not only should you be physically gentle while you’re styling your hair, but you should also choose gentle hair accessories whenever possible.

Since your hair is more prone to breakage in the winter, avoid using tight elastic bands. Swap these for silk or satin scrunchies. Their softness will save your strands from snagging. Claw clips and silk scarves – or anything that gives you enough hold without causing too much tension – will also enable you to style your hair without causing any creasing or damage.

Keep Damage-Prone Ends Trimmed Away 

As we’ve mentioned, the ends of your hair are most prone to winter damage. They’re the last to receive the protective oils produced by your scalp, which is why shampooing less often in the winter is helpful – those oils will have some extra time to reach your dry ends. 

Not only are they drier, but the ends of your hair are also the oldest and most fragile parts of your hair. This is why split ends are so common. The problem is, those frays travel up the hair shaft, splitting more of each strand as they go. There’s no way to repair split ends, meaning that the only thing that you can do to prevent that damage from spreading is to trim those split ends away. This is why experts recommend booking yourself in for a trim every 6-8 weeks. This will enable you to stay in control of any split ends, keeping your hair looking much healthier.

Eat Seasonally

While your winter hair care routine will play a big role in keeping your strands feeling their best all season, your diet will have a significant impact on this too. After all, the food that you eat feeds your scalp and your hair from within. Since the needs of your scalp/hair change with the seasons, your diet should do the same. 

Fill your plate with seasonal foods at each mealtime, and this will happen naturally. Just about every seasonal winter food contains nutrients that your body requires at this time of year. 

Sweet potatoes and winter squashes, for example, are loaded with beta-carotene. Your body turns this into vitamin A, which will keep your scalp feeling healthy and your hair looking less dry. Walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and just about any other type of nut and seed contain so many hair-loving nutrients too. From omega fatty acids to vitamin E to biotin, they work to keep strands feeling strong while reducing shedding.

At the same time, cut back on the foods that may be causing your hair damage from within. Sugary foods, refined carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats won’t be doing your mane, or your body, any favors!

Winter Hair Care Tips From Nubi

Winter hair care can be tricky. Your hair will need a lot more TLC during these harsh months, but you don’t want to overdo it with too many different products either. Follow the tips that we’ve shared above, and you’ll be able to strike the perfect balance, ensuring that your hair feels healthy and vibrant throughout the cold season.

Click here to add more bestselling products from Nubi to your winter hair care routine.