Black Enterprise
Fall is here and Winter is around the corner. And with the shorter days and colder temps comes dry hair and breakage. We all know no woman wants that.
Here are a few tips to keep your hair healthy:
1. Necessary trims
While some women opt to trim their ends on a specific schedule, for example, trimming off an inch and a half every six to eight weeks, others have noticed that clipping their ends in these short intervals isn’t always needed and is sometimes even counterproductive to hair growth, since hair actually grows on average 1/2 inch per month. Instead of sticking to such a rigid schedule, try paying attention to the specific needs of your hair and trim those ends accordingly.
2. Shampoo and deep condition regularly
This tip probably sounds like the same old broken record playing over and over, but deep conditioning is extremely important to any hair care regimen and even more important during the Fall and Winter months. Having clean hair is extremely important, but while shampooing helps to rid your hair of any impurities, it can also strip your hair of its natural oils leaving hair dry and brittle. Cold weather only seems to worsen these conditions. Moisturizing deep conditioners assist in combatting this issue. Adding a deep conditioner to your haircare regimen may add a few more minutes to your routine, but it is certainly worth it in the long run.
These two seem like no-brainers, but deep conditioning is extremely important to any hair care regimen and even more important during the cold fall and winter months. Using a sulfate-free shampoo to cleanse your hair of dirt and impurities is crucial, but it can also strip your hair of its natural oils, leaving hair dry and brittle. Cold weather only seems to make these conditions worse. Thankfully, moisturizing deep conditioners are the perfect secret weapon to assist in combating this issue.
Celebrity hair stylist Tippi Shorter suggests maximizing your deep conditioning experience by placing a towel in the microwave for 45 seconds and applying it to the hair once the deep conditioner has been applied.
3. Make sure hair is completely dry after washing
The days of those lovely summer wash and gos are pretty much over–if you live in a place with cold falls and winters.
“In winter, dry your hair before you leave the house! It really pays to get up half an hour earlier to blow dry your hair, or a couple hours to let your hair air dry. Of course, the time will depend on the length and thickness of your hair,” says Erin J. Bailey of BlogHer.
4. If you’re into hair extensions and weaves, maintain your hair underneath between installations
When wearing beautiful hair extensions and sew-ins, sometimes it’s easy to forget about your own lovely tresses. Celebrity hair stylist and WE tv star Kim Kimble suggests allowing for good breaks between putting in new extensions.
“I do a hot oil treatment and deep conditioners while my hair is out. And when you wear extensions, you do need to give your hair a break. I’m going through my break period right now, as I’m not wearing extensions today. And you also should use sulfate free shampoo and detangling conditioner so that it doesn’t dry out. So while your hair is out, that is your opportunity to treat it, since its hard to get to when you have the weave in it,” says Kim.
5. Protect your tresses from wool scarves and jackets
Though we adore our lovely wool scarves and jackets that not only look good, but help shield us during those brutally cold fall and winter days, they aren’t necessarily the best items when it comes to our hair. Wool causes breakage due to friction. It also has a tendency to deplete your hair of necessary moisture. To protect your locs against this, we suggest updos, full sew-ins, or other protective styles that keep your hair up and away from your shoulders.
