Having healthy hair goes a long way when it comes to looking and feeling your best, and one of the biggest influences on the condition of your hair and scalp is the weather. So, as we head into winter, what can we do to keep our hair healthy?
Weather’s Effect on Your Healthy Hair
- Dry, cold weather can cause your scalp to be flaky and itchy and your hair to become brittle; breaking easily and appearing frizzy and broken.
- On humid days, your dry hair tends to absorb moisture from the air and can either look limp and heavy (in the case of thin hair), or bulk up and be frizzy and out of control (usually the response of thick hair).
- Wind makes your hair drier and more brittle and, of course, causes knots and breakage.
- Whether referring to direct sunlight or drying and styling activities, heat robs your hair of moisture and even reduces its ability to retain natural moisture in the future. The UV rays of the sun damage your hair strands at a molecular level, causing it to lose strength and its natural shine.
8 Hot Tips to Have Healthy Hair All Winter
1. Washing and Conditioning
There are two aspects to keeping your clean, healthy and moisturised. First, shampoo cleans your hair, but also strips it and your scalp of important oils, which keep your hair looking healthy and shiny. So, use a good quality shampoo and try to wash your hair less often, if possible. This might mean exploring fun ways to style it when it’s a little dirty. Fortunately, winter’s a great time to wear hats and beanies to hide oily hair and extend the time between washes.
Secondly, it’s vital to condition your hair every time you wash it. For really dry hair, consider using a leave-in conditioner that continues to treat and moisturise your hair for hours or days after the wash. Do a deep conditioning treatment once a week.
2. Keep Things Cool
Hot water, air, and tools do some real damage to our hair. And we tend to turn the heat up during winter, when we’re chilly. Opt for warm or lukewarm showers and baths and, if possible, only use cool water on your hair. When you want to have a hot, steamy bath or shower, wear a shower cap to protect your hair.
If you have dry hair that needs a break, embrace your natural waves or curls and skip using your straightener or hairdryer. If you have to dry your hair, invest in a hairdryer that has a cool setting.
A humidifier is great to have in your office or bedroom to keep your hair healthy and prevent it from drying out too much.
3. Eat for Healthy Hair
Include good fats and oils in your regular diet to ensure that your hair and skin look better. Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial; so have plenty of grass-fed animal fat, oily fish (like sardines), avocados, and olive oil.
It’s also important to increase your Vitamin C for healthy hair, as it’s an antioxidant and protects against the damage caused by free radicals. So, eat reasonable amounts of citrus fruits, grass-fed beef or lamb liver, and dark leafy vegetables like kale. It’s also important to take a supplement like Liposomal Vitamin C, which is particularly easily absorbed and used.
Another great tip is to keep hydrated. While it’s not a good idea to drink too much water as it dilutes your electrolytes, you should certainly drink enough water not to become dehydrated.
4. Moisture Treatments
There are some really affordable, good moisture treatments that include conditioning creams that are left on for a few minutes and then rinsed off, nourishing masques, and oils that get left in very dry hair until the next wash. Be very careful of protein treatments, which can cause the hair to become extremely brittle.
5. Silky Sleeps
As we sleep, we move our head and hair around on the pillow, causing friction, static and damage. The best way to care for our hair at night is to use silk pillowcases or sleep in a silk bonnet. This is actually great for your face too as silk causes less friction, which reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Silk also doesn’t absorb the healthful oils in your hair and skin like cotton does.
6. Going Outside
If it’s particularly dry and cold outside, consider wearing a hat to protect your hair. Don’t go out with wet or damp hair as it will swell in really cold weather, which causes damage. This might mean that you’ll have to wash your hair the night before going outside to ensure that it’s completely dry before heading out in the cold.
7. Maintenance for Healthy Hair
Split, dry ends can make your whole head of hair look like it’s in bad shape. So, keep up with regular trims. If you have long hair, you should trim it every two to three months. Short hair should be trimmed every one to two months.
8. Supplements for Healthy Hair
Nordens Ultimate has a number of supplements that contribute to healthy hair. In fact, they have multiple benefits for the skin, nails and body too. So, include these in your daily winter routine to stay in great condition and feel your best:
- Ultimate Hair Skin Nails – this stimulates growth, prevents hair loss, and stimulates your production of collagen and keratin.
- Nordens Ultimate MAN – this is a fantastic product for so many things, not least of all thinning of hair and balding.
- Organamin – Organamin offers a wide range of benefits, including the growth and improved condition of healthy hair.
- Ultimate Hair Regeneration for women and Ultimate Hair Restoration for men –wonderful products that improve follicular health and activity, stimulate blood flow to the scalp, and increase cellular oxygen delivery.
To order your supplements today, have a look at our online shop or email us now at info@nordens.co.za.
