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Dry winter air can really do a number on your hair! Today I have winter hair care tips to share with you whether you have straight hair or curly hair!

Winter Hair Care Tips for Straight Hair

Hair care varies according to your hair type, the condition of your hair, and outside factors like weather. These tips for straight hair from Madison Reed help take the guesswork out of what’s right for you!

Don’t Freeze Up

Water is water, and it freezes in low temperatures. The same holds true for water when it’s in your hair. When you wash your hair, the water doesn’t just sit on top; it gets absorbed into each hair shaft. One thing we learned from Dr. Jan Hansen is that wet hair is temporarily weaker and more prone to damage. Now imagine your wet hair, weaker and more vulnerable to breakage, outside in the cold. The water inside each strand will freeze up if the temperature is low enough, and turn your hair into brittle icicles that could snap and break.

Make sure you dry your hair before leaving the house. Better yet, wash your hair at night before and give it time to dry naturally to avoid excessive heat styling.

On the Subject of Heat Styling…

Less is more for straight hair in the winter. Indoor heating during colder months contributes to the dryness that leads to flyaways and static. Instead of a flat iron, use smoothing products that also moisturize your hair. Instead of a hot curling iron, use spiral curlers while allowing hair to dry naturally. If you blow dry, invest in a ionizing dryer that helps lock moisture into your hair.

Of course, you’ll need less time and effort to style hair if you wash it less.

Shampoo Less

There are a lot of tips about washing straight hair less, but a common complaint is that the roots get oily when following this advice. Luckily, there’s a wide range of dry shampoos available. Make the most of your hair’s natural oils by gently combing down to distribute to lengths and ends. Then spot treat the roots with dry shampoo to absorb excess oil and add volume. If you color your hair, Madison Reed’s Root Touch Up acts as a dry shampoo with the added benefit of matching any roots or grays to your overall hair color.

If you don’t want to change how often you wash your hair, we have a few tweaks to improve your routine. Skip the shampoo entirely every other time you wash hair. Just use conditioner, focusing on the lengths and ends that dry out easily, and use a wide-toothed comb in the shower to detangle. This will help maintain and disperse your hair’s natural oils, which will keep your hair moisturized in a more even way.

Brush Less & in the Morning

Many of us grew up with the adage to brush our hair 100 times before going to bed, but we’ve learned a lot more about hair since then. Now we know that your hair’s natural oils accumulate on the roots while you’re sleeping at night. To distribute those oils to the rest of your hair, comb through your hair in the morning… but not 100 times!

Excessive brushing can break fine and damaged hair, and winter weather compounds those effects. Use a wide-toothed comb to gently ease out tangles, and then style your hair with your fingers. Smooth in a leave-in conditioner, thermal shield, or daily damage defense spray to finish.

When the Wind Blows…

A harsh, whipping wind can break or tangle straight hair. Keep it safe in a smooth ponytail or braids. If you want to leave your hair loose, cover your head while outside. A chic wide-brimmed hat or trendy knit cap is a great way to retain your body heat and protect your hair. Don’t worry about hair static, we have advice for that!

Zap Static

In the winter, static reaches shocking levels because the colder, drier air allows items around the home to build up an electric charge. If you’ve ever rubbed a balloon on your hair or touched an electricity ball, you’ve experienced how hair-raising that buildup can be!

Stop static scientifically. We’re already advocating combs over brushes, so maximize your benefits by using metal combs. Because metal conducts electricity, it will help dissipate static charge building up in your hair. You can also keep a dryer sheet in your bag and rub it gently over the top of your hair to stop static on the go. At night, rub a dryer sheet over your pillow to prevent static from building up while you snooze. Tossing extra dryer sheets into laundry will also reduce the static generated by your sweaters and jackets.

Micro Trims

Regular haircuts are a must to keep straight hair healthy any time of year, but they are even more important in wintertime. Dry hair is more prone to split ends. The longer that split ends are allowed to go un-cut, the further they split up the hair shaft, causing extreme damage.

Ask your stylist to cut a quarter inch every six weeks. This may sound like a lot if you are growing your hair out, but it’s actually setting you up for lush, healthy hair that can grow longer. Worried about putting a dent in your wallet? Ask your salon or stylist if they offer complimentary trims between regular haircuts. Many places do, especially if you’re a regular. Just remember to tip your stylist for his or her time. It’s money well spent!

Winter Hair Care Tips for Curly

Is your curly hair out of control?  Try these winter hair care tips for curly hair to manage your beautiful locks!

Target Your Shampoo

When you wash your hair, you don’t have to shampoo all the way down to the ends. In fact, too much shampoo can be drying because it cleans away natural oils before they can reach the lengths and ends of your hair to moisturize them.

Concentrate suds at your scalp to wash away everyday dirt and oil. Leave your ends alone to keep natural moisture in the hair shaft and help it stay healthier.

Get Your Hair in Great Condition

After rinsing out your shampoo, prep hair to get the most from your conditioner. When hair is wet, the hair shaft is filled with moisture, leaving very little room for a conditioning agent to penetrate. Do what the pros do and make space for conditioner to really sink into your hair.

Firmly press water out of your strands before applying conditioner. Be gentle: press the water without pulling on your hair. Once you’ve removed excess water, coat your strands with conditioner and leave it on for as long as possible before rinsing out.

You can even turn gift-wrapping time into an at-home spa session. Saturate dry hair with Madison Reed’s Nourishing Conditioner. Twist up into a bun, cover with a protective cap to retain natural heat, and leave on as a deep conditioning treatment. Afterwards, just rinse off and style as normal to reap the rewards of softer, silkier hair.

Drying Without Damaging

When towel drying your hair, avoid the temptation to rub your hair roughly in all different directions. The cuticle of your hair shaft lies downwards, overlapping like shingles on a rooftop, to create a smooth texture. These cuticles rise slightly when your hair is wet (which is why you can get deep moisturizing from our conditioning tips above). If you use a towel to dry hair in all directions, you’ll push these cuticles in different directions, causing major frizz and damage.

Use a soft microfiber towel or an old t-shirt instead of a bath towel. These fabrics are much more gentle on the hair, causing less damage. Use your towel or t-shirt to dry hair in a downward motion from the crown of your head to the ends of your hair. Squeeze the moisture out as you go, taking care not to pull on your hair.

Style like a Pro

While your hair is still damp, apply styling products. This will help you work it through your hair evenly. Tilt your head forward and let your hair fall naturally. Use a gentle squeezing motion, starting at your ends and working your way up to the roots. Working this way will help release excess water from your hair as you style. Make sure you get strands on both the surface and the underside for locks that will look like they were done by a stylist.

Find your perfect hair color now at Madison Reed!