5 Tips for Avoiding Breakage During Cold Weather

With the winter season starting in just a few weeks, I am not ready for the temperature to drop. I want summer back, please! The temperatures only get as low as the 20s or 30s during the winter where I live, and I know some places go way below zero, so I can’t really complain.

When it gets that cold, there are many threats to the health of our hair. Cold, dry air leaves natural hair dry. Even the coats and hats that we wear to keep us warm can cause damage to our hair. With that being said, here are five hair care tips that can help you to avoid breakage and dryness during the winter!

1. Get a Professional Trim

When the seasons change, you need to make an appointment with your hair stylist to get your ends trimmed. This helps you stay on track so you don’t go too long between trims. A professional trim removes all of the split ends, which is the number one cause of hair breakage. It also gives your stylist a chance to evaluate the health of your hair and determine if there are any issues that need to be addressed before heading into the next season.

2. Deep Condition Weekly

If you aren’t already doing weekly deep conditioning treatments, shame on you! No, really, the wintertime is a season where you really should add deep conditioning into your hair care regimen. Deep conditioning helps improve and maintain the moisture-protein balance of our hair, which helps improve elasticity. Elasticity also helps avoid breakage, since the hair is more flexible.

Looking for a deep conditioner you can trust? Our Babassu Oil Mint Deep Conditioner infuses hair with protein and moisture to restore dry and damaged hair, and it’s made with complex amino acids from wheat, soy, and other natural ingredients. If you already deep condition weekly, then consider using a hooded dryer or even steam during your treatment for deeper penetration.

3. Include Leave-In Conditioner in Your Styling Routine

Don't miss this step! It’s essential that you add another layer of moisture to your hair by using a leave-in conditioner. Leave-in conditioners are lightweight, so they won’t weigh down your hair, and they are designed to penetrate the hair strand, which helps keep the hair conditioned and moisturized longer. This is key in the winter months when our hair dries out faster.

Our ultra-moisturizing Sea Moss Anti-Shedding Leave-In Conditioner is lightweight, but packed with natural and organic ingredients to help give your hair the moisture and protection it needs. This leave-in has been formulated to seal in moisture, smooth hair follicles, and tame frizzies and flyaways. It’s just what you need for daily styling and protection from winter weather.

4. Use Satin

Please take note of this! During the winter, we wear hats and caps a lot more frequently to help keep our heads warm. Most of them are made from fabrics like cotton that will suck all of the moisture from your hair, which is not good at all. There are also some fabrics like wool that can cause friction, which can dry out the hair even more and cause breakage.

Look for satin-lined hats and caps, or wrap your hair in a scarf or small satin bonnet underneath your hat to help protect your hair. Even if you aren’t wearing a hat, you’re most likely wearing a coat. That friction between your hair and your coat collar can cause dryness and breakage, so covering the collar of your coat with a satin or silk scarf will protect your hair from that friction.

5. Wear a Protective Style

A simple solution to avoiding breakage during the colder months is to wear your hair in a protective style. There are tons of options to choose from — weaves, wigs, braided or crocheted extensions, and clip-ins — but remember that it is still very important to continue to care for your hair underneath these protective styles.

We hope that these hair care tips will help you and your hair survive the colder winter months that are coming our way. Whether your hair is short or long, you need these tips in your hair life. As you get ready for the winter, are there any other tips you would add to this list? Let us know!