Most part of the world is chilly and cold right now and so is Dubai. As much as I love winters, there are times when the hair is not on point. I’ve written plenty of tips on summer hair as we see more of heat in this part of the world but one thing that I’ve not discussed much is the winter haircare.

This is the time, You tend to lose the silky nature of your hair. You tend to have static, dry and dull looking hair with flakes and dandruff atimes. Since I was facing some serious issues with my hair this winter, I decided to write down this blog. The main reason for hair not being in control is the low temprature, low moisture and sometimes also the products that you use. Winters are also a good time for color change and using minimal styling products. Read below to know more.

Winter Hair Care Tips  :

• Why does the hair look dull ?

There is heat and friction that tends to interfere with the natural structure of your hair, leaving the hair looking dull and damaged.

Solution :Add a drop of oil/serum (almond, olive or coconut is best suited) onto your hair conditioner or hair mask. This will moisturise and condition the hair well. Also avoid shampooing too often as the natural oil build up on the scalp tends to add shine and smoothness to the hair. Use hair balms or deep conditioners to moisturise the hair if it gets too dry. 

•  Why do you end up having fly away hair ?

During winters the fiber of the fabric from the hat or woolen clothing tends to interfere with the hair fiber and the heated interiors producing static hair. Also low moisture on the hair leads to fly away hair.

Solution : Use bore bristle brush each time you brush the hair, helps in blood circulation and functionality of the oil glands. Try not using plastic based combs or brushes. Wood based with bore bristles are the best. Using a wax or matt post styling can also help to control the fly away hair. Using hair masks post shampoo once in a week also helps to recover moisture. 

• Why do you have dry scalp ?

Lack of moisture and less production of sebum leads to itchy dry scalp and even flakes. The styling products also tends to dry out from the hair leading to flakiness and dandruff. Many people also tends to have pH imbalance due to which the scalp and hair acts different.

Solution : Try washing the hair with lukewarm or room temperature water and not very hot water as it could strip down the natural oil produced on the scalp. If you have serious issue of dandruff then try using lemon or apple cider vinegar on your scalp and wash it off. Go for a sulphate free shampoo (pH below 7) as they won’t dry out scalp as much and wouldn’t irritate the scalp. Redken is a brand I highly recommend for shampoo/condition as it suits most kind of weather and hair.

• What are the styling products best suited for this weather ?

Using a strong flexible matt, volumising mousse, sea salt spray, leave in serum/conditioners (brands of your choice) before /pre blow drying can help style the hair better. I have been using my husband’s strong matt by Yunssey (available at W gents salon http://www.wgentssalon.com  ) for styling the fly away hair post shampoo. It kept my hair shiny and smooth. I am loving the combination of RedKen’s ALL SOFT SHAMPOO for dry hair and Kevin Murphy’s ( http://kevinmurphy.com.au )HYDRATE ME RINSE conditioner  as a routine product and Yunssey’s EXTREME MATT as my pre styling and finishing product.  (will put up a feature on this product on my instagram ). I would not suggest finishing sprays at this point as it could dry out your hair and make it look duller eventually. Styling products with an oil base is highly recommended for this season.

• Is Winter a good time for keratin treatment?

It depends on the nature of your hair. Keratin is about calming you hair hair down and adding moisture to give shine. During winters you tend to have fly away and dry hair with an oily scalp. Since Keratin can calm, smoothen and add moisture it would a good time to go for keratin making sure its only on the length of the hair. 

• Is Winter a good time for color change ?

Absolutely !! Summers aren’t the only time you could go for a color change but so are winters. Since most of the clothing is dark and subtle colors, you could combat the dullness of the season with a warm or cool shade depending on your skin tone.

More updates on the winter color can be read in my upcoming blog.