Winterizing Your Natural Hair Do’s And Don’ts

The winter season is here and obviously the days of wash and go’s are dwindling by the minute and we are being blessed with 60 degree or lower temperatures that unfortunately may wreak havoc on our strands.

My hair is like an all weather coat for my head, it’s a great accessory and makes the most ‘awesome..est’ ear muffs.

Our hair is considered the most durable because of its elasticity and its ability to withstand all the manipulation we subject it to with manipulation, heat, chemicals, twists, locs, and dyes in order to achieve slayage.

But like your favorite winter jacket your hair can become weathered if not properly cared for in the colder months.

What are the Do’s and Don’ts of winterizing your hair?

DON’T: Wool Hats, Wool Sweaters, Wool Scarves

By now most of us know that certain fabrics will do our hair dirty and undo all the progress made in previous months. Wool is one of them. Sure it is great for the weather but are wool on our hair will literally suck the moisture out of our hair.

The tightly woven fabric does not provide enough breathing room and often leads to dry brittle strands. Of course there is also that matter of friction that will cause breakage.

The best suggestion for keeping the hats in rotation while protecting our hair is to pin a silk scarf within the hat or buy the hat’s already lined with satin for protection from the wool fabric.

If you are wearing wool scarves and sweaters it’s best to wear your hair up and out of the way to eliminate the occurrence of it rubbing against the material.

DO: Moisturize

It is absolutely necessary to use more moisturizers during the winter months to aid in moisture retention.

I tend to use butters to moisturize and a heavier oil such as castor oil* to seal. My moisture game is up in the winter meaning I moisturize heavily and very often.

DON’T: Over-Heat

In these frigid temperatures, hardly anyone would be looking forward to daily washes or wash n’ gos. For one, if you’re into air drying it would take forever for your hair to dry.

That’s probably why many of us out for heat styling during this time of year. There’s absolutely no problem with that either, but the cause for concern would be if you do that on hair that has not been adequately prepared.

We can’t stress enough the importance of getting that moisture in because the trouble is thirsty hair with high heat styling just do not mix when trying to maintain healthy hair during the winter; it only leads to distressed strands.

It is best to use lower heat levels on the flat iron* and to adequately prepare your hair for heat by having a solid protein regimen. (Protein will add strength and resilience to the hair).

You should also ensure that your styling tool of choice is of good quality; that is, it conducts heat well enough so that you don’t have to make several passes before achieving the results you want. If you can get one that helps to bolstered or infuse moisture as it glides through your hair.

Titanium and tourmaline irons are good because they are coated to “slide” through the hair instead of pulling the strands as you straighten. If you’ve had your straightener for a while make sure you check it for any chips in the coating as that could cause friction as it comes in contact with your hair.

When electrical appliances have done their time they also have a tendency to overheat or the temperature gauge stops working effectively so be sure you check for this as well so that you don’t end up frying your hair.

DO: Protective Styling.

I must admit I am not much of a ‘protective styler’ however I do recognize the benefit from a ‘no manipulation’ regimen especially during the winter season. Protective styling can be anything from, braids, twists to a stylish updo.

The idea is to maintain the style for a longer period of time than what is normal for you to give your hair a break

With these easy tips getting through the winter will be a breeze, or a blizzard!