Winter is here, and as much as we love the cold weather, our skin and hair seem to say otherwise. The dip in humidity levels means dry, dehydrated skin and brittle, frizzy hair. Thanks to all the knots and tangles, brushing your hair becomes a daunting task during winter, leading to significant hair fall and breakage *ugh*.
But what if we told you that more often than not, the reason behind these problems could be some common hair care mistakes that you, my friend, are making? Yep, that’s right. From the kind of products you use, to the water temperature, everything you do to hair during the winter month has a domino effect that directly affects the health of your hair.
Ahead, five common winter hair care mistakes and how to avoid them for soft and smooth hair this season…
- Mistake #01: Hot water shower
- Mistake #02: Stepping outside with wet hair
- Mistake #03: Constant heat styling
- Mistake #04: Using the wrong fabric
- Mistake #05: Using the wrong hair care products
Mistake #01: Hot water shower
We understand why hot water showers can feel super comforting during the cold winter months, but it is a sure-shot way to increase frizziness. Hot water strips your hair of natural oils, thereby leaving them extremely dry and lacklustre. It also raises other hair problems such as split-ends, tangling and hair breakage. If showering with room-temperature water is impossible, use lukewarm water instead and end it with a final cold-water rinse for best results.
Mistake #02: Stepping outside with wet hair
Wash-and-go hair care mornings may be time-saving, but they aren’t exactly doing your hair any favours, especially during the cold winter months. Cold air makes the water in your hair to freeze, thereby separating the strands, causing an increase in breakage, split-ends and frizz, among various other hair problems. Therefore, it is essential to either allow your hair to air dry entirely before stepping outside or give it a quick blow dry on the lowest heat setting to dry them off quickly.
Mistake #03: Constant heat styling
Another cause of dry and frizzy hair in winter is frequent heat styling. Following the same logic as hot water, using heat to style your hair almost every day leads to moisture loss, frizz and breakage. This makes your hair brittle and prone to split ends over time, and that’s something you want to avoid. Therefore, ensure that you keep heat styling to a minimum, and keep a heat protecting spray such as the Tresemme Keratin Smooth Heat Protection Spray handy.
Mistake #04: Using the wrong fabric
When it comes to choosing your hats, you need to pick the fabrics wisely. This is because fabrics like wool and cotton tend to suck moisture out of your hair, making them dry, dull and frizzy. This can cause extreme breakage and hair fall. While using woollen hats and coats in inevitable, ensure that you choose the ones that have a silk lining to reduce friction and moisture loss.
Mistake #05: Using the wrong hair care products
Just like how you switch your skincare products with the change in the season, you must do the same with your hair care products too. During winters, give your lightweight summer hair care products a miss, and switch to a creamier, hydrating formula like the Dove Oxygen Moisture Shampoo. This will help in protecting, nourishing and conditioning your hair to keep them soft and shiny throughout the harsh winter months.
Written by Urvi Dalal on Dec 08, 2020
Writer, avid reader and hardcore beauty enthusiast is the best way to describe Urvi Dalal. With over 5 years of writing experience in the beauty industry, you can trust her to have the latest skin, hair and makeup tidbits on her fingertips. In her time working as a beauty writer, she has had the opportunity to interact and work closely with a string of dermatologists, makeup artists and hairstylists. All that knowledge exchange, coupled with her flair and love for writing make it possible for her to bring you some authentic yet fun beauty content. When Urvi isn’t working, you’d usually catch her curled up with a big, fat book, drinking a cup of tea or practising her makeup skills; there is no in-between!