photo courtesy of mystylingtools.com
During the winter, your hair is more susceptible to dryness and damage. Here are some tips to maintain your healthiest tresses:
Get Trims
People with long and short hair should get trims year round, but in the winter, it can be especially helpful. Our ends tend to be the driest part of our hair; trims (every 6-8 weeks) will get rid of these frazzled ends.
Protect Your Hair From Hot Styling Tools
Instead of cranking your flat iron up to the maximum setting, use a lower setting. Also, be sure to use heat-protecting products before you use potentially damaging hot styling tools. Leave-in-conditioners and heat-protecting sprays can do wonders to prevent damage.
Shampoo Less
If you wash your hair everyday, you are probably doing more harm than good. Even if you have oily hair, you can use a clarifying shampoo maybe every other day instead of washing daily. If your hair is dry, you can use a moisturizing shampoo. To help with dryness all hair types, you can use a hair mask once a week to strengthen hair.
Food Can Help
Be sure to maintain a balanced diet. Drink water and add to the amount of protein in your diet. You can even apply some oils directly to the hair and scalp. In the shower, put olive oil on your hair instead of conditioner and wash it out after five minutes. This is a great mask for dry, color-treated, and relaxed hair. Tea tree oil is great for dandruff, and you can apply it directly to the scalp.
Take a Look at Your Hat
Hats are necessities in the winter but they can also harm your hair. If possible, wear a hat with a lining. A wool hat without a lining is especially rough on your hair. Also, wash your hat regularly to avoid dandruff and oily hair.
Yannique’s e-mail is yabenite@syr.edu.
