Baby it’s cold (and dry) outside

We Minnesotans make a whole lot of changes as the cold weather comes in, swapping out everything from our wardrobes to our tires, but there’s another area that few of us think to update: our haircare regimen!

Cold weather generally has the same effect on your hair as it does your skin. The colder air draws out moisture, often leading to increased dryness and irritation, which then usually ends in breakage and damage. But the negative effects don’t stop once you’re cuddled up in front of the fireplace: the constant fluctuation of moving between the cold outdoors and dry indoor heat can lead to further dryness and damage.

The cold days have much the same effect on hair as it does our skin: drawing out moisture leading to dryness, irritation, and even breakage and damage.  Even the fluctuation of hot and cold going from inside and outside can lead to further issues.  So, instead of looking forward to spring for manageable, healthy hair, we wanted to share some tips to keep it looking and feeling good all winter long!

Change your basic hair care routine

The most important part of any hair regimen is moisture.

When we stylists are looking at the best products for you, we often look for the products that will provide the most hydration.  A  light hydrating shampoo is a great way to start from the scalp down, especially paired with a complimentary pH-balanced conditioner.  If you’re one of the many people suffering from flakiness or redness of the scalp during this season, switching over to a sensitive scalp shampoo and a conditioner for damaged or dehydrated hair may help you target the exact trouble spots until the issues subside.

We know that it may take a few tries to find the right balance, so we carry a number of our products in travel sizes so that you can test out the combos your stylist recommends, without worrying about being tied to the wrong product for the next year.

Protect your head

Sometimes the simplest solution is the best, and the best way to keep your hair protected can be as easy as wearing a hat! Protect yourself from the elements by keeping your hair secure under a hat, preferably one with a smooth or protective lining to prevent breakage or damage from friction.

Don’t go out with wet hair

Ok, another very simple trick that was probably drilled into you from a young age: don’t leave the house with wet hair.

We’re not saying it because you’ll catch a cold, but rather wet hair is delicate hair, and since it expands when it freezes, that means that the water inside of your hair can expand and push up against the cuticle, opening it from the inside and creating damage.  Of course, this likely means you’ll be doing a little more heat styling than normal, so we encourage you to bring in a heat shield to protect your hair from those blow dryers too.

Dust off that humidifier

A super-easy way to combat dry indoor air is to get a humidifier (or pull that one out of the closet from the last time you had a cold)…properly used, it can help you keep a more balanced environment to make sure your hair stays as healthy as possible.

Consider treatments

Since most hair needs more moisture in the winter, you’ll probably want to add in a weekly deep conditioner or mask your routine. Of course, how often you use these products depends on a lot of factors like texture and density, but our stylists generally recommend starting with adding it in once a week and adjusting as necessary.