How to Winter-Proof Your Hair

Your hair will become dry (so dry)

Dry, cold air outside (plus hot, dry air inside) can create chronic hair dehydration. The most obvious solution is upping your use of conditioner to replenish the moisture seeping out into the atmosphere. That means slathering on a rich conditioning formula every time you shampoo and taking the time for a deeper treatment weekly. At Prose, we always take your current climate into account when creating your regimen, so all of our wintertime products are typically rich in nourishing ingredients, such as honey and plum oil.

You may also opt to add a leave-in conditioning product (like a light detangling spray) to your regimen to sneak more moisture into your styling regimen. For instance, consider trading out your gel or mousse (both of which frequently contain drying alcohol) for a more-hydrating styling cream, serum or oil. “I tell almost all my clients to add an oil to their winter regimen because I think it works faster and more effectively than any other conditioning agent,” says Nina Dimachki, a stylist in Northville, Michigan.

Finally, shampooing less often in the winter will ensure your scalp’s natural oils stay put long enough to help nourish dry strands. (Even gentle shampoo formulas will remove some oils.) If you can limit shampooing to no more often than three to four times a week, you should see improvement in hair hydration.

Your hair will become a lot more static-y

The lack of moisture in the air has a scientific impact: It enables protons, neutrons and electrons to bustle about, creating an electric charge in your hair. Combine that with all the knitwear (hats, sweaters, scarves) we pile on when it’s cold out—and you have the perfect recipe for static cling. Increasing your hair’s moisture content (as outlined above) will help combat the air dryness that’s causing all the electrical charging. But it’s also helpful to have few quick fixes on hand: Any frizz smoother (sheets, sprays, serums, cream) will also work well at taming on staticky tresses. Or, in a pinch, a tiny drop of hand, face or body lotion can also effectively flatten static-related flyaways.

Your hair may feel thicker

Just as animals tend to grow thicker coats in the winter to stay warm, humans do something similar. There is evidence that normal hair shedding tempers or levels off during the winter, which can make your hair feel denser (albeit temporarily). The flip side of this is that, come summer, the reverse also appears true, as a rise in temperatures seems to signal to the body it’s time to start shedding in an effort to stay cool.

To create a customized regimen that’s right for your climate, get started here with your Prose custom formula.