December is about to begin and the season has surely turned to the colder side. Now with pleasant sides, winter also bring dry frizzy cold winds that can be your hair’s worst nightmare. Find out
what causes these tress troubles and get a slew of solutions to fix them. Dr
Sheilly Kapoor, Consultant Dermatology Medanta the Medicity shares the
solutions. Read on.
Problem #1 – Dandruff
What causes it
When
the mercury drops and there’s little moisture in the air, skin — including our
scalps — becomes dry, tight and uncomfortably itchy, causing scaly dandruffs. However,
there are other causes as well like not washing or conditioning your hair for
than a week or so. A sweaty scalp also contributes to dandruff. Another culprit is the Pityrosporum ovale
fungus. A mixture of oil and fungus speeds up the rate at which dead skin cells
are shed from your scalp, leading to dandruff flakes.
What you can do
Alternate
shampoos and conditioners that contain different ingredients, such as salicylic
acid, selenium sulfide and pyrithione zinc rather using just one anti-dandruff
shampoo or conditioner exclusively as the fungus can adapt and become immune to
it. Also each ingredient has a different effect, like exfoliating dead cells
soothing your scalp and reducing inflammation. Specifically, shampoos rich in ingredient
pyrithione zinc can help remove dandruff up to 70 percent more effective.
Problem # 2 – Dryness
What causes it
As
winter falls, the wind starts howling and the air gets frigid with very little
moisture left in the atmosphere to breathe. And to counter this chill, we crank
up our heater that again kills moisture causing more drying effect. So whether
you move in or out, your hair surely turns dry and brittle. Moreover, if you
love following a regular hairstyling routine, be it colouring or using heat
styling tools like blow-dryers, curling irons or straightening irons, your hair
dryness gets even worse. Reason is any chemical processing, such as coloring or
perming, adds to dryness and affects hair’s structure to retain moisture.
What you can do
- Use a humidifier to replenish moisture in the air and combat the drying effects of indoor heat.
- Don’t shampoo your hair daily to restore its natural oils and moisture.
- Opt for rich, creamy shampoos and conditioners containing moisturizing ingredients, like lanolin, protein, silicone, panthenol or shea butter. They’ll smooth your hair and add hydration.
- Steer clear of ingredients such as ammonium lauryl sulfate and tea tree oil, because these can strip hair’s natural oils and exacerbate dryness.
- Use luke warm water to rinse out shampoo, because hot water will make hair dryer. Finish with a blast of cool water to close up and smooth the hair cuticle. When the cuticle is smooth, light reflects off and makes your hair shiny.
- Once a week, try a deep conditioning intensive treatment with moisturizing aloe, jojoba butter or avocado oil. Choose shea butter hair mask. It is a super-rich formula with shea butter, avocado oil, panthenol and protein that repairs and rehydrates dry, damaged, coarse hair.
- Be careful drying and styling your hair. Gently squeeze and pat it with a towel to soak up moisture, but don’t rub hair with the towel, as this can damage the cuticle.
- Avoid heat-styling your hair. But, if you must use one of the heating tools, let your hair air dry for about 30 minutes to lock in some of the moisture and to avoid blow dry.
- When using hair spray or styling products do skip ones that are loaded with alcohol or strong fragrances as these further dry your hair.
Problem #3 – Hat head
What causes it
Your
tresses get crushed and flattened by caps and hats. In particular, headwear
that are tight-fitting or made from certain materials — like wool or acrylic —
can cause you to perspire. Oil and sweat make your hair look limp and greasy.
What you can do
- As hats crush your hair, so you need to avoid anything that weigh down your locks even further, like piling on loads of styling products.
- Don’t miss shampooing alternately. Reason is if you long the gap oil, grease and residue will accumulate and weigh hair down.
- Before putting on your hat, pull hair into a ponytail, or push short hair back. If possible, choose a hat made from cotton, which is less likely to cause static.
- Wait until hair is completely dry after shampoo and has cooled off from a hot blow-dry before putting on a hat.
- For another trick, turn your head upside down, mist the underside of your hair lightly with hair spray then straighten up again. It will give hair lift and volume with no sticky, heavy residue.
Problem #4 – Split ends
What causes it
Split
ends are another crucial concern gets triggered in winters. And the reasons go
similar, lack of moisture in the air, heat-styling tools or chemical processes
such as colouring, rebonding, perming, etc. The drier your hair is, the more
split ends you’ll have, tells Dr Kapoor.
What you can do
If
you already have split ends, they can’t be repaired or reversed. All you can do
is to get a trim. And to stop it grow, your best bet is to avoid heat styling,
keep hair hydrated and visit your stylist for regular trims every couple
months.
Problem #5 – Static and frizz
What causes them
Do
you remember those static generators from science class that would make your
hair stand on end if you touched them? Our tresses often take on the same look
in winter. Reason is dry air and cold temperatures, which zap moisture from
hair. Pulling wooly sweaters on and off over your head also contributes to the
problem.
What you can do
- Hydrate your hair frequently. Use
moisturizing shampoos and conditioners, or skip those labeled “volumizing”
or “clarifying, products, because they can be drying and make hair more
prone to static.
- Opt for leave-in conditioners which
feature special polymers that adhere to hair, preventing flyaway strands.
- Serums are another good choice to coat
and moisturize hair.
Whatever your winter
hair woes are, these simple tips can surely prove beneficial to give you
beautiful locks even during the harsh, blistering weather! So now take a chill
pill.
