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If hair could talk, it would have a lot of nasty things to say about winter. As cute as they may look, winter’s endless parade of wool hats are more or less considered an enemy of the state as far as your hair is concerned. They almost always leave us with flat, limp locks and create a static mess that results in unsightly flyaways and even, in extreme cases, breakage.
While there’s little we can do about the climate–and it isn’t advisable to leave home without a hat and risk freezing on your commute to work–there are steps you can take to prevent wool hat hair blunders, says Justin Marian, editorial director of Jen Atkin’s online haircare platform, Mane Addicts.
“Dry indoor air and cool outdoor air can lead to an accumulation of static electricity,” Marian says. “Combined with hot showers in the winter, which strip moisture from the hair, and your parched strands become a breeding ground for frizz and static. This is increased even more when the hair comes into contact with plastic and synthetic materials, including hairbrushes and wool hats.”
To combat frizziness and flyaways, Marian says adding moisture is key. “Make sure you regularly deep condition your strands with a hair mask, like the Leonor Greyl Jasmine Mask. After washing your strands, add in a leave in treatment, like the Moroccanoil Cream and the Marulaoil Treatment. Avoid over brushing your hair when strands are dry and keep a moisturizing cream in your purse for touch-ups throughout the day. My favorite is the Leonor Greyl Eclat Naturel.
With prevention out of the way, you’ll also need to arm yourself with a quick fix in case your wool hat is dead set on giving you a bad hair day. The good news is, you can find everything you need in your laundry room. Carry a small bag of dryer sheets in your purse (they neutralize static buildup) and run a sheet over your hair after removing your hat. You can even spritz a bit of Static Guard onto locks to keep hair from drifting north.
For more beauty tips check out everything you need to know about moles and how often you should clean your hair brush.
[Photo: Neon Blush]
