Seasonal Hair Woes Don’t Stand A Chance

It’s THAT time of year. The time when resolutions are either a month in and getting tiring or already long forgotten, the excitement of the new year has slowly faded, and we’re facing our winter hair woes head on. But before you let fear take over, take a deep breath and keep reading because we are bubbling over with tips and tricks to protect your strands from that harsh winter weather in order to renew your resolution spirit and whip your self-care game into shape!

Make no mistake, these chilly and dreary months are not your hair or scalp’s friend. The combination of cold weather outside and dry heat indoors creates a welcoming environment for breakage and split ends. Luckily, we’ve put together a list of common winter hair damage culprits and ways you can protect your locks this season and maintain your healthiest, happiest hair all year long.

Culprit #1: Lack Of Moisture

Solution: Consider washing less frequently, skipping shampoo, and/or adding a deep conditioning treatment to your routine. To counteract the dry air sucking all the moisture from your hair, do what you can to put just as much moisture back into it. This can be done by washing less frequently or, if you must wet your hair, doing a conditioner-only wash. For optimal results, top off this moisture party by either leaving conditioner in for an additional 5-10 minutes or spoiling your strands with a deep-conditioning treatment. To lock in hydration, we recommend a good leave-in conditioner that will put a tight seal on your cuticle.

Helpful hint: Read your product labels and stay away from drying agent ingredients like alcohol, peroxide or ammonia. And of course, drink plenty of water and eat healthily!

Culprit #2: Winter Hats/Rough Fabrics

Solution: Winter hats don’t necessarily protect your hair from the cold and can actually pose a threat of their own. Cotton, wool, acrylic and other rough fabrics can cause, you guessed it, split ends and breakage. We recommend lining these types of hats with silk (which can easily be done DIY or simply wrapping your hair in a silk scarf beneath it, and applying a hair moisturizer (such as one of our leave-in conditioners) before placing your hat on.

Culprit #3: The Sun

Solution: The sun still shines bright in the cold months and this is often when the most UV damage occurs. How can that be? It’s due to the fact that most people disregard the sun’s rays this time of year and go completely unprotected on both their skin and their hair. We highly recommend spraying your hair with one of our leave-in conditioners which help combat UV damage to your hair with clean-performance ingredients. And of course don’t forget the sun protection for your skin by choosing a daily face moisturizer with SPF.

Culprit #4: Static & Heat Styling

Solution: Avoid that winter time static by both reducing heat-heavy styling and protecting your locks from damage. Beat the extra dryness that causes static by keeping your hair hydrated with regular conditioning and then locking in moisture with a leave-in conditioner after you wash. This will minimize harm when you do need to heat style and will keep the effects of cold air combined with dry indoor heat from getting to your tresses.

Helpful hint: Get a regular trim to counteract winter’s tough treatment of your precious ends.

Culprit #5: Wet Hair Outdoors

Solution: Do not, under any circumstances, go outside with hair that isn’t completely dry. Our mornings can be crazy and often rushed, but this is non-negotiable. Anything that’s cold expands, meaning a wet or damp hair shaft will be at high risk for breakage and color fading when exposed to cold winter weather. We promise it’s worth waking up a few minutes earlier to get those strands completely dry and save them from this all-too-common winter damage mistake.

For the ultimate winter hair solution, reach for our UltraRepair Reconstructing Masque which protects your strands from breakage, dehydration, tangles, and split ends (basically every winter hair woe) and has the unique qualities of being effective in as little as 15 minutes and yet can also be left in your hair overnight for truly (hair) life-changing results.

Discover UltraRepair in travel or full-size >

As the single most powerful weapon against potential and pre-existing winter hair damage, it also presents the perfect opportunity for weekly self-care time - which is highly recommended for overall wellness and to fight symptoms of seasonal depression.  

Changes in temperature and environment don’t have to mean the end of your hair world. Every day is a fresh start, so let’s make the most of these frigid months by giving our hair and bodies extra TLC and crushing the self-care game. We don’t need a new year to make a resolution, and we don’t need perfect weather to have perfect hair. Cheers to the chilly temps, since now that we know how to care for our hair properly we can welcome them without fear!