January can be a tricky month in many ways and, much like many of us, our hair is not immune to the January blues either! A dry scalp, frizzy, dull and lifeless hair can all be issues at this time of year. But giving stressed-out tresses a little extra TLC will pay off with healthier hair throughout the year.
Your scalp is more prone to dehydration and brittle ends at this time of year, thanks to a combination of cold weather outside and cranked-up heating inside. The changes in temperature can have a damaging effect, while pulling woolly hats on and off causes extra friction on hair strands.
Dry spell
It may seem obvious, but make sure you dry your hair properly before you leave the house. Any moisture left in your hair, combined with cold air outside, will only serve to make your hair brittle and dry. Make sure your hair gets plenty of hydration with moisturising products, minimise heat exposure as much as possible, and look out for fragrance and alcohol in any products you do use, as both have drying effects.
Moisture boost
If you are suffering from dry hair, look for a shampoo that contains natural essential oils, which will work to help the cuticle on the hair shaft absorb moisture. Malin+Goetz’s Moisturising Shampoo contains natural plant extracts to clean, condition and repair dry, damaged and chemically treated hair, so it’s a great option for this time of year. Follow up with the Intensive Hair Conditioner, which blends essential fatty acids with natural plant extracts to replace moisture and help repair damaged hair. When you wash your hair, take the time to give your head a quick massage too, to boost circulation.
Deep condition
Depending on how dry your hair is, treat it to a one or twice-weekly deep conditioning treatment. Phyto has an Intense Nutrition Mask for Ultra-Dry Hair, which is super-rich and luxurious. Rich in essential fatty acids, this mask will nourish hair, and add radiance and shine, which will work even on fine hair without weighing it down. Simply work into wet hair from mid-way down the hair shaft to the ends and leave on for up to five minutes. For thicker, coarser, very dry hair, leave on for up to 10 minutes before rinsing off, which makes it a quick and easy process to build into your weekly routine.
Bumble And Bumble’s Quenching Masque can be used weekly to restore moisture for soft, strong and tangle-free tresses. Kiehl’s Olive Fruit Oil Deeply Repairative Hair Pak is deeply nourishing and works to help restore smoothness to super-dry hair, while ESPA’s Pink Hair and Scalp Mud is an intensive mineral-rich treatment mask to nourish the hair and scalp.
Damage limitation
When it comes to styling, use a primer that will help to protect and nourish hair. Prepare + Protect from Lore Originals is a conditioning hair primer that will protect against colour fade and heat damage. It will smooth and detangle hair in readiness for styling and protect against damage when you are using anything from a hairdryer to straighteners. You can also spritz onto dry hair to give your style a bit of a lift.
Split with split ends
Regular trims will also help to keep hair healthy. Ideally have your hair trimmed every six to eight weeks, which will help keep the shape of your style looking its best and will help reduce the chance of dry, split ends becoming a problem.
Feed your hair
We all know our skin benefits from a good diet, but hair does too. Make sure you include foods that are rich in natural oils, as well as vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamins C, A and E, and iron. Vitamin C helps in the production of collagen, which strengthens the hair shaft, so make sure you include things like blackcurrants, blueberries, kiwi fruit, oranges, grapefruit, broccoli and sweet potatoes, which are all vitamin C rich. Ditch as much processed food and sugar as possible, and focus on fresh fruit and veg, lean meat, oily fish and nuts to boost hair health. Taking a multivitamin will help make sure you reach daily requirements of each, which will boost overall health as well as your hair!
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