Ugh! Winter Hair

by Valerie Gladstone — January 28, 2008

So, it's bad enough that the days are short and the temperature frigid, now your hair has taken on seasonable drabness, lays flat on your head, and breaks easily. Don't despair -- there are a few remedies, other than holing up in your home until the first bird of spring.

The Causes

The main culprit is dryness -- in the air and, consequently, in your hair. When there's little humidity, the hair shaft doesn't retain moisture, which makes the strand vulnerable in a number of ways. First, dry hair is brittle and breaks easily. The outer layer (cuticle) on a damaged strand doesn't lie flat but peels up. When the cuticle lies flat, your hair looks smooth and shiny; when it lifts, your hair looks a little rough and dull.

Blow-drying exacerbates the breakage problem, because if the dryer blows too hot, it can cause "bubble hair"--actually boiling the water in the strand. The water bubbles, the strand breaks. The lack of moisture also makes your hair a good conduit for static electricity; brushing it (or even rubbing it with a towel when it's wet) creates an abundance of positive electrical charges on the strands, which heightens the static.

The Remedies

Most important: condition your hair every time you wash it. If your hair is fine, apply conditioner only to the ends so that it isn't weighed down. While a daily rinse-out conditioner will add shine by sealing the cuticle, a deep conditioner will help trap moisture in the center of the shaft (cortex), not only sealing the cuticle but also strengthening the hair. Conditioners also make the hair less susceptible to static.

A natural bristle brush or a wide-tooth comb will cut down on some static. In addition, use the warm rather than hot setting on your blow dryer, or hold the dryer as far as you comfortably can from your head. It's also easier on your hair if you blot some of the water out first or blow-dry it just enough before styling so that it's not sopping wet.