Dry Hair and Scalp In The Winter
It’s that time of year again! We’re bundled up, some of us are shoveling snow, and we’re preparing for the holiday season. But in all the hustle and bustle, have you noticed your hair or scalp feeling extra dry lately? In this post I’ll talk about dry hair and scalp, as well as how to fix it.
Does hair get drier winter?
In the winter months EVERYTHING is drier and feels a little more crisp. It’s likely that you’ve even had to bust out a humidifier after cranking the heat on in your home.
It can be easy to forget about moisturizing your hair when it’s cold outside. You aren’t using after-sun lotion, and you may not even be using heat tools to style it, so it’s common to ditch the leave-in conditioner for your hair as well.
But that is NEVER a good idea. Our hair needs moisturized during ALLLL the seasons. Whether we are coloring and using heat tools on it or not.
How do you fix dry hair in winter?
I’ve got a number of tips for you to avoid that seasonal dryness this time of year with my favorite winter hair care product routine!
***Since I’m sharing the products that I love to use with you guys, this page includes affiliate links to these products. If you take action and purchase a product through clicking one of my links, I’ll make some commission money from it at no extra cost to you. This enables me to be able to continue giving you awesome hair tips, so thanks! ***
1. Never go outside with wet hair in the winter
Let alone the fact that you would be oh so cold, if you go outside in below freezing temperatures your hair can actually freeze–like into icicles!
I remember as a kid growing up in Cleveland Ohio waiting at the bus stop with wet hair that had turned to icicles. I was fascinated by this and started playing with it.
Next thing I knew I was actually holding a small piece of my hair in my hand, detached from the rest of my hair!
My hair froze and then broke completely off. Luckily this was just a small piece, but I never went outside in the cold with wet hair ever again. Lesson learned!
2. Avoid cotton or wool hats and scarfs in the winter
I know this can sound impossible, and I don’t even follow this strictly. But cotton and wool hats or scarfs can make your hair frizzy.
Just as a cotton pillowcase isn’t recommended, the same goes for hats. The material will rough up the cuticle (outer layer of your hair strand) and make your hair frizzy and unruly. It can also cause your hair to get extremely tangled throughout the day.
Silk is the best option, but there aren’t too many silk lined winter hats on the market, I know.
Just keep this in mind so you aren’t over wearing these hats, and stop doing it temporarily if your fighting some difficult frizz.
3. Use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner to combat dry hair
If your hair is feeling brittle and dry, try switching up your shampoo and conditioner.
Always use a sulfate free shampoo, and opt for a moisturizing benefit to replenish the lost hydration.
My favorite is Pureology Hydrate Shampoo and Conditioner.
4. Follow your shower with a leave-in conditioner for dry hair
Just as it is extremely important to moisturize your face after a shower, the same is true for your hair with a leave-in conditioner.
This is something that should never be skipped even if you don’t color your hair or use heat tools.
A leave-in conditioner can come in several forms for different hair types ranging from heavy duty to lightweight.
My all around favorite is Pravana Intense Therapy Leave-In Conditioner. It’s lightweight but makes your hair feel incredibly soft.
5. Do weekly hair masks or conditioning treatments in the winter
Depending on the severity of the dryness in your hair, you should be doing a conditioning treatment on average once a week.
If your hair is bleached or damaged then it should be every time you wash your hair.
If your hair is healthy, not color treated, and you don’t use heat tools; then you can push this to at minimum once a month.
While coconut oil and other home remedies can smooth the outside layer of your hair, they are not sufficient conditioning treatments.
Hair conditioning treatments are specifically formulated to penetrate the cortex (middle layer) of your hair to deeply moisturize. Coconut oil and mayonnaise are not going to go deep into the hair strand to actually moisturize the hair.
Try Pravana Intense Therapy Treat Masque.
6. Tame static and flyaways with a dry conditioner in the winter
One of the biggest hidden treasures in the hair product market is dry conditioner. I actually plan to make an entire blog post on it but that is for a different day.
Dry conditioner smooths flyaway hair and tames static electricity without weighing the hair down or making it greasy.
It actually comes in an aerosol can just like dry shampoo does. You hold it 8-10 inches away from your hair, spray it on and smooth it down with your hands.
Check out IGK Good Behavior
How to fix dry scalp in winter?
Okay so I’ve told you how to fix your dry hair in these cooler months, but what about your scalp?
Don’t worry; I have a routine for dry scalp as well!
1. Don’t shampoo too frequently in the wintertime
Since its cooler out and we aren’t sweating as much, it’s best to skip shampooing as much as possible. Depending on your hair type, I recommend going 3-6 days between shampoos.
Check out my post here to determine how often you should be going based on your hair type.
2. Use a tea tree shampoo and conditioner for dry scalp
Tea tree oil has natural antifungal properties to reduce dandruff. It also soothes and moisturizes a dry and flaky scalp.
Just be prepared for the ultimate cooling affect. It can catch you off guard if you aren’t prepared for it!
A huge industry favorite is Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Shampoo and Conditioner
3. Weekly scalp treatments will soothe a dry scalp
If you have a dry scalp, I recommend applying a scalp treatment at the same time you apply your conditioning treatment to your hair.
The skin on your head needs that deep conditioning from time to time as well.
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Scalp Treatment is my favorite. You can pull this through your ends as well to moisturize your hair!
4. Use a leave-in scalp treatment for an itchy dry scalp
To really combat the itchiness, I recommend using a leave-in medicated scalp treatment.
Since my hair is always color treated, strong dry scalp and dandruff shampoos will not work for me because my color would be gone in one wash.
This leave-in treatment does the trick without me having to wash my hair more frequently or sacrifice my hair color! Woot woot.
Winter hair care product routine
- Pureology Hydrate Shampoo and Conditioner
- Pravana Intense Therapy Leave-in Conditioner
- Pravana Intense Therapy Masque
- IGK Good Behavior
- Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Shampoo and Conditioner
- Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Scalp Treatment
- Scalpicin Liquid Scalp Anti-Itch Treatment
Conclusion
During the winter, it is very common for hair and scalp to feel exceptionally dry.
To combat dry hair in the winter:
- Never go outside in the cold with wet hair
- Avoid cotton or wool hats and scarves
- Use moisturizing shampoo and conditioner
- Follow your shower with a leave-in conditioner
- Perform weekly conditioning treatments or masks
- Tame static and fly-aways with a dry conditioner
To combat dry scalp in the winter:
- Don’t shampoo too frequently
- Use a tea tree shampoo and conditioner
- Perform weekly scalp treatments
- Use a leave-in topical product for itchiness
If you have any further comments for me on this topic, leave them for me in the comment section. And be sure to subscribe below to make every day a good hair day!
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