As Winter is fast approaching, I wanted to share with you ten ideas for keeping your hair out of the dry zone this winter. In the month of August, I did a class twice within the month, on Combating Dryness. This seems to be something we all face in the winter months, and I wanted to again iterate its importance.
First on my list is avoiding heat styling this winter. The atmosphere is already dry, adding heat to the hair is going to make the scalp every drier and maybe irritable. Do more protective hairstyles, that will keep the strands protected from the elements and reduce the chance of breakage.
Secondly, deep condition more frequently. Twice a month is the ideal for deep conditioning, but if you find that your hair is still dry, try doing it once a week. Deep conditioning your hair is like giving your hair a three course meal.
Using oil treatments, is a good way to keep the scalp moisturized. Dryness starts most times in the scalp first. If the scalp can remains moist, then chances are the hair will be nourished and there will be less chance of breakage.
My fourth suggestion is to lower the water temperature in the shower when washing your hair. Washing your hair with hot water can lead to damage, hair fall and scalp irritation. Washing with lukewarm water is better for the hair during the winter months.
Even when washing, limit the number of hair washes. It is a good idea to alternate with co-washing in the winter months to minimize the damage on the hair. Washing too often will strip the hair of the oils that it needs.
Commit to masking more often in the winter months. Again like deep conditioning, masking feeds the hair with nutrients that it needs to stay moisturized.
My seventh suggestion is to trim the hair regularly. The ends of the hair are usually damaged and dry. By trimming the ends of the hair, it eliminates further dryness and breakage.
My favorite, and everyone who knows me know I talk about this all the time. Wear a hair bonnet at night, before bed. This will preserve the moisture already in the hair and encourage shine on the hair strands.
Wearing ponytails very often causes breakage along the edges and eventually to the hair strands. Lessening the use of ponytails will help during the winter months.
Last but not least, and most importantly, moisturize frequently. This is the key to keeping the hair healthy throughout these brutal months. Use leave in conditioners and hair moisturizers doing the LOC method to maintain moisture on the strands.
Please implement as many of these as you can to avoid dryness, breakage and scalp irritations this winter. I hope my list has helped you in your natural hair journey.