Winter can leave hair feeling dry and looking dull, which is no match for the humidity that summer will bring. Frizz, anyone? This time in between seasons is the perfect opportunity to nourish your mane, repair any damage and better protect it moving forward.
Here are a few tried and true ways to take the best care of your hair:
- Sleep on a silk pillowcase. Start with treating your hair right overnight. Silk is more gentle than cotton pillowcases that can tug and twist hair, causing split ends and bedhead. It’s also good for your skin since it doesn’t absorb moisture and dehydrate or cause sleep creases that lead to fine lines over time. Amazon offers ones like this one from Fishers Finery that are great quality for a good deal.
- Go sulfate-free. Most shampoos contain sulfates to get that squeaky clean feel, but they can actually strip your hair of too much moisture (and even color if you like to dye it). Try looking for products that avoid this ingredient if you want hair that is noticeably smoother. You can still find ones at the drugstore that are much less expensive than a salon price tag!
- Alternate between washes. Giving your hair a day off in the shower can help it feel less dry from being over-washed. Use a shower cap (I love this one from Betty Dain) to avoid re-styling on days you don’t wash, and a dry shampoo to lift any grease at the roots. Tip: baby powder works great in a pinch.
- Deep condition once a week. Give your hair the ultimate luxury of a weekly mask to seal in even more moisture from root to tip. These can be applied in the shower and washed out after ~10 minutes. I recommend Briogeo's Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask (sulfate-free).
- Dry off with a Turbie Twist. This small towel is made specifically to wrap wet hair and has an elastic loop to keep it secure. The microfiber cotton is super absorbent, meaning your hair will dry faster even with no manhandling from your everyday towel.
- Protect your locks from heat damage. Use a heat protectant spray like TRESemmé's Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Leave-in Spray to coat each strand before styling with a dryer, straightener or curling iron.
- Smooth down flyaways. Finish with a serum, oil, or creme depending on your preference and hair type and needs. The ohii Magic Hair Wand from Urban Outfitters is actually MAGIC. I can’t say enough about how effective it is at hiding broken hairs at the crown of your head.
- Use a boar bristle brush. They are less abrasive than plastic bristles. Just a few days into using mine I could tell how much more gentle it is at working through tangles.
- Switch to elastic spiral hair ties. I thought these were just trendy but they actually provide a surprisingly good hold and are less damaging than regular hair ties. When using these you will no longer need to worry about breaking off hairs every time you take out a ponytail.
- Be mindful. If you are suffering from hair breakage towards your ends, the culprit may be your accessories. Wearing a necklace 24/7 can snag the hairs at the base of your head while you sleep and using a tote bag only on one shoulder can rip hair that gets stuck under the straps. Hair care doesn’t end with the proper products, so make sure you’re treating it right throughout the day.