Protect Your Hair This Winter: 6 Essential Tips For Keeping Hair Strong And Hydrated

6 Tips to keep your hair strong and hydrated this winter.

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Winter hair care is essential to keeping your hair strong and hydrated. In the winter the cold air contains less moisture than warm air. Winter air is drying, making your hair weak and brittle without proper care. To combat this yearly seasonal problem you need to put the missing moisture back into your hair. Read on to learn 6 essential tips to keeping your hair strong and hydrated this winter.

Tip # 1 - Avoid Over Washing

You do not want to wash your hair every day because over washing can result in extra oil in your hair. When you train your hair to be washed everyday, your oil glands adjust to producing more oil to compensate for the loss of oils that your shampoo is stripping. I recommend washing your hair between every 2 to 4 days. If you have colored hair you will want to go for every 4 days. The less you wash your hair the longer your color will last. Keep in mind when you go longer in between washes there will be more build up. Make sure to do a through wash by following the two wash rule. The 1st wash is to cleanse out impurities and the 2nd wash is to actually get the benefit of your shampoo. If you have oily hair it will be harder to go 4 days between washes. However I do have helpful tips on how to go longer in between washes in my blog post "How Often Should I Wash My Hair?" Click here to read.

Tip # 2 - Scalp Care

Cold weather equals not only dry hair but also dry skin all over your body including your scalp. It's time for a scalp detox with Amika's scalp care routine. Step 1 Reset Cleansing oil: a prep-shampoo scalp treatment that detoxifies and invigorates to encourage a balanced, healthy scalp. It draws out impurities and removes product build-up, without stripping away skin's essential oils. Step 2 Exfoliating Jelly Shampoo: It re-balances and soothes sensitive, itchy and oily scalps. For more scalp care tips read my blog post "Why Is My Scalp So Dry?" Click here to read.

Tip # 3 - Hair Masks

Everyone should use a hair mask once a week to keep their hair healthy and manageable. Hair masks are deeply conditioning and repairing. Amika has 7 hair masks total with different benefits. Click here to read my blog post "Which Hair Mask Is Best For My Hair?" to learn about all 7 of Amika's hair masks.

Tip # 4 - Leave In Conditioners / Primers

Like a weekly hair mask a leave in conditioner also called a primer is a must. Leave in conditioners are the first product you apply to your hair after washing. It protects your hair and keeps it hydrated through out the day. One of my favorite leave ins is Amika The Wizard Detangling Primer. This is because it is lightweight so it is hard to over do it, it speeds up blow drying time, it's moisturizing, it's smoothing, and it detangles. I also have a slight wave in my hair and have found that it enhances my waves when scrunched in. Click here to shop Amika.

Tip # 5 - Get Regular Trims

A haircut is needed regularly to keep hair healthy by getting rid of split ends. Your hair is the oldest at the ends and is where the most care is needed. If your hair still feels and looks dry after falling all the tips above chances are it is time for a haircut. Split ends gets mixed up with dry hair all the time because visibly they are very similar. The main difference is the only way to completely get rid of split ends is by cutting them off.

Haircut maintenance:

Every 6-8 weeks to maintain length and shape.

Every 12 weeks if you are growing your hair.

A regular haircut is still need even if you are growing your hair to get rid of split ends to keep your hair healthy. To read more about how to get rid of split ends and to learn how to prevent them click here to read my blog post "How Do I Get Rid Of Split Ends?"

Tip # 6 - Drink Plenty Of Water

To stay hydrated you need to drink at least 8 (8-ounce) glasses of water a day. Drinking plenty of water maintains overall hydration, which includes your skin and hair.

Keep these tips in mind during the winter and all year round to keep your hair strong and hydrated. I hope everyone had a happy holiday! Until next month.

Creatively,

Jessalyn

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Portsmouth NH Hairstylist/Owner Of Bold Hearts Studio.