Winterizing Your Natural Hair Do’s And Don’ts

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The winter season is here and obviously the days of wash and go’s are dwindling by the minute and we are being blessed with 60 degree or lower temperatures that unfortunately may wreak havoc on our strands.

My hair is like an all weather coat for my head, it’s a great accessory and makes the most ‘awesome..est’ ear muffs. Our hair is considered the most durable because of its elasticity and its ability to with stand all our manipulation, heat, chemicals, twists, locs, and dyes. But like your favorite winter jacket your hair can become weathered if not properly cared for in the colder months.

What are the Do’s and Don’ts of winterizing your hair?

DON’T: Wool Hats, wool sweaters, wool scarves

Wool literally sucks the moisture out of our hair. The tightly woven fabric does not provide enough breathing room and often leads to dry brittle strands. The best suggestion for keeping the hats in rotation while protecting our hair is to pin a silk scarf within the hat to for protection from the wool fabric. When wearing wool scarves and sweaters I tend to wear my hair up and out of the way to eliminate rubbing against the material.

DO: Moisturize
It is absolutely necessary to use more moisturizers during the winter months to aid in moisture retention. I tend to use butters to moisturize and a heavier oil such as castor oil to seal. My moisture game is up in the winter meaning I moisturize heavily and very often.

DON’T: Over-Heat
Thirsty hair with high heat styling just do not mix when trying to retain moisture during the winter, it only leads to distressed strands. It is best to use lower heat levels on the flat iron and to adequately prepare your hair for heat by having a solid protein regimen. (Protein will add strength and resilience to the hair). Titanium and tourmaline irons are good because they are coated to “slide” through the hair instead of pulling the strands as you straighten.

DO: Protective styling. I must admit I am not much of a ‘protective styler’ however I do recognize the benefit from a ‘no manipulation’ regimen especially during the winter season. Protective styling can be anything from, braids, twists to a stylish updo. The idea is to maintain the style for a longer period of time than what is normal for you to give your hair a break

With these easy tips getting through the winter will be a breeze, or a blizzard!

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Posted by Emily CottonTop on November 27, 2011. Filed under Natural Hair. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.