Hair Damage Prevention in Harsh Winter Weather

by Susan M. Keenan

Old man winter may be knocking at your door, but that doesn’t mean you have to let him in to ruin your hair. Just as you would put a sweater on when you are cold, or a bit of hand crème when your hands become dry, begin to care for your hair in the same way.

Once the cold weather arrives, no one wants to step out into that blustery air with a head of wet hair. The hair dryer is quick, easy, and efficient. Unfortunately, even though the hair dryer may be a hurried woman best friend, it certainly isn’t best friends with your hair.

Hair dryers not only dry out your hair quickly, but also, they dry up the natural moisture in your hair. If you are going to reach for that hair dryer, also reach for an intensive daily conditioner. Many of these products contain shea butter. A fine film of this will remain on your hair. The heat activates it and causes it to penetrate into the shaft of your hair for protection, as well as a glistening shine. If only the ends of your hair are dry, use a leave in conditioning spray on just those spots.

Additionally, you can attempt to dry your hair the natural way with an earlier time to rise. If that seems a bit out of the question, try partially drying your hair every other day, to ease up on the effects of blow drying. As a last resort, you can shampoo your hair every other day to cut back on the effects of harsh blow drying. If you absolutely must wash your hair every day, then consider a moisturizing shampoo for the task.

You can protect your hair with the simple technique of pointing the hair dryer downward the entire time. This will protect the cuticles of your hair from damage. Healthy cuticles will help to promote healthy hair.

If you simply must use a hair dryer, consider also one of the newer styles of hair dryers. The ionic hairdryer is said to release conditioning opposite ions that will envelope your hair. Supposedly, this will reduce the static charges that are responsible for causing flyaway hair problems.

Although the next bit of advice may seem a bit out of the ordinary, it is essential to the health of your hair. Eat a healthy diet that includes proteins. Additionally, lean toward food products that are high in zinc, iron, and Vitamins B, C, and E. This includes foods like salmon, chicken, cereals, green vegetables, fresh fruit, and whole grains.

Rehydrating your hair is essential as well. Seventy per cent of the human body is water; therefore, drinking a sufficient amount of water daily is important. Eight glasses a day is the recommended amount, but most of us cannot handle that. After all, who has time to down eight glasses of water a day? Just remember though to drink as many as you can because your body and your hair depend on it.