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Winter is that magical time of the year when snow hits the ground and makes everything look prettier. But it’s also that time when cold, dry air and winds sap your hair of any semblance of moisture, shine, and life it has throughout the rest of the year. No worries: there are ways to fight back and protect your strands against the harshest of winter elements, but, first, you’ll have to stop yourself from committing one of the biggest hair mistakes many women make during the winter.
We’ve all been there. It’s 7 a.m. on a cold morning and you’ve got wet hair, a lovely wool hat, and a train to catch. You think: why not kill two birds with one stone and toss my hat on over my damp hair, which will save time and dry my hair naturally? Perhaps you’ve imagined yourself reaching your office, flinging your hat off, and discovering your hair has been replaced by Blake Lively’s bouncy, glossy mane during your commute.
Unfortunately, leaving your house with wet hair during the winter — and then introducing it to the double whammy of a static-creating wool hat — is only going to gift you with flat, limp hair that is more prone to frizz, static, and breakage.
If you find yourself pressed for time in the morning, the best thing you can do for your hair is to wash it the night before or forego a shampoo in the morning in favor of dry shampoo (because over-washing your hair in the winter is another big boo-boo we sometimes make). Always dry your hair completely before you expose it to the winter freeze and, by all means, use your hat to protect your hair from the elements — after you’ve dried it.
For more hair tips, check out Once and for all: Are ponytails bad for your hair? and Hair static 101
[Photo: Reiss’s Pieces]
