Summer is gone taking its troubles with it but winter means a whole new set of problems that you need to deal with.
Your hair loses moisture due to extreme climatic conditions, making it brittle and prone to breakage and split ends. It dulls natural shine and causes colour to fade.
The colder temperatures wreak havoc on your hair and it is time to start planning a hair care routine to look its very best despite the cold weather outside.
But shiny, healthy, lustrous looking locks are within reach regardless of the season. It just takes an extra effort and some care. Beauty expert Shahnaz Husain tells you the right hair care routine for winter.
Everyone’s hair types differ. While it is important that everyone treats his or her hair gently, particularly in winter, this is especially important if you have fragile hair. Fragile hair requires extra-careful treatment.
The hair needs external nourishment. This is more so in winter, when the weather becomes dry and robs the hair of moisture and natural oil. The application of oils, like pure coconut oil or almond oil, provides nourishment to the hair and softens hair texture. If you apply oil with a light massage, it also helps to stimulate blood circulation to the hair follicles. Massage the scalp gently with oil, using only the finger tips and move the scalp in small circular movements.
After washing the hair, avoid rubbing with your towel. Instead, wrap it around the head and allow it to absorb excess water. Avoid ironing the hair if it is dry and brittle. Stop using hair dryer and allow it to dry naturally.
Dandruff is quite common in winter due to dryness and flakiness of the scalp. Hot oil therapy is very useful for dandruff and split ends. Once or twice a week, heat pure coconut oil and apply on the hair and scalp. Apply on ends too. Then dip a towel in hot water, squeeze out the water and wrap the hot towel around the head, like a turban. Keep it on for five minutes. Repeat the hot towel wrap 3 or 4 times. Leave the oil on overnight. For dandruff, next morning, apply the juice of a lemon on the scalp and wash your hair after 20 minutes. Avoid using very hot water for washing the hair. After shampoo, add two tablespoons of vinegar to a mug of water and use it as a last rinse.
When it comes to washing your hair, it depends on your hair type. Oily hair can be washed daily to keep scalp clean while chemically treated coloured hair can be washed less frequently. Make sure to apply conditioner keeping in view of specific needs of hair type to bind the hair fibre together.
Regular conditioning is extremely important. Hair conditioners and hair serums help to soften the hair and improve its look and texture. They also coat the hair and help to protect it. After shampoo, apply a creamy conditioner, taking less quantity and massaging it lightly into the hair. Apply on the ends too. Leave it on for two minutes and rinse off with plain water. Do not rinse off all the conditioner if the hair is very dry. You can also apply a ‘leave-on’ type of conditioner or hair serum. Apply it the same way, but do not rinse off.
Home remedies:
Hydrate hairs: Keep your hair hydrated during winters by drinking plenty of water, juices, soups and salads. If you keep yourself hydrated then there are minimum chances of hair problems and it will also give long and lustrous hair, besides keeping you healthy. What you eat also plays a role in hair health.
Eating a healthy diet full of iron, vitamins, minerals is the best way to keep your hair and scalp hydrated from inside. Aloe vera and almond oil are the best ingredients for intense moisturising. Apply the mixture of aloe vera and almond oil in equal quantity depending on the length of your hair and leave it for 45 minutes. It will minimise moisture loss making your hair soft, smooth and shiny.
Make sure you don’t get a temperature shock when you get home or when you’re going out. Keep your room temperature warm but not hot.
Avoid use of hair dryers and curling irons as the heat can dry out your hair and scalp increasing the risk of damage.
To nourish dry hair: Beat an egg with a cup of milk. Rub the mixture into the scalp and leave it for five minutes. Afterwards just rinse it with water. Do this twice a week. Onion juice in combination with honey is amazing for hair treatment in winter. Extract the juice of two onions. Add four tablespoons of honey and two tablespoons of rosewater in it. Apply this paste to your hair with a cotton swab and leave it for about 60 minutes. Rinse your hair with lukewarm water.
For split ends and dry, brittle hair: Take one tablespoon of sesame seed (til) oil, one teaspoon of pure glycerin and one egg yolk. Mix and apply on the hair. Apply on ends too. For longer hair, take more oil. Wearing a plastic shower cap will help. Wash your hair after half an hour.
To improve hair texture and colour: Mix one teaspoon of castor oil with one tablespoon of pure coconut oil. Heat and apply on the hair and scalp. Leave on overnight. Castor oil helps to darken hair which has become brown due to sun-damage and other reasons.Mix some water with creamy hair conditioner and put it in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture on the hair. Then comb the hair, so that it spreads through the hair.
Once or twice a week, apply curd or egg. Leave it on for half an hour before washing the hair. When sitting out in the sun, cover the head but make sure that it is not so tight that it will restrict the circulation in your scalp.