Curly hair is both a blessing and a curse. Unfortunately in the winter, it often feels like a curse more than a blessing. Whether you have loose waves or kinky curls, you can have healthy, fabulous hair during the coldest and driest months if you follow these simple tips.
1 Co-wash
Co-washing is short for "conditioner washing." Basically, instead of using shampoo to wash your hair, you just use conditioner. Black hair is generally less oily than other types of hair, so skipping the shampoo won't mean that your hair will get greasy and gross any time soon. Instead, it will be able to produce some healthy oils as well as absorb the moisture from your conditioner so give you soft, touchable hair all year long!
Frequently asked questions
2 Use Dry Oils
Black hair being less oily than other types of hair has it's ups and downs. To accommodate for the "downs", you can use dry oils to gently supplement the natural oils your hair produces in small quantities. Dry oils like argon or jojoba oil are the super heroes of the black hair world! Since they are dry oils, they don't feel heavy and work well whether you have straightened your hair or wear it curly.
3 Don't Go outside with Wet Hair
I like to shower in the mornings and I'm always in a rush, so I'm guilty of doing this all the time. However, going outside with wet hair during winter can seriously damage your hair! The water in your hair actually freezes and causes breakage. Now maybe it's worth waking up ten minutes early to protect your gorgeous locks!
4 Wear a Hat
If you can't change your shower routine or wake up early enough to dry your hair before going outside, simply wear a hat. Not only do hats help lock in your hair's moisture and prevent breakage, they are also just fun to experiment with! You can spice up your winter wardrobe by adding fun accessories like hats and scarves to your outfits.
5 Go Natural
My favorite thing about black hair is having options. I can choose to straighten my hair one day and go curly the next. If you go back and forth between straight and curly, or keep your hair straight most of the time, winter might be the best season to go natural. You shouldn't apply extra heat to your hair during the cold months because indoor heating is already drying out your hair. Take this season as an opportunity to embrace your natural hair by protecting it from damaging treatments.
6 Deep Condition
On those cozy winter days when you drink cocoa and watch Christmas movies, you may as well do some important hair-care, too! Before you watch your favorite cheesy Hallmark films, why not put a deep conditioner in your hair and let your hair absorb its moisture.
7 Cover Your Hair at Night
My mom certainly taught me to cover my hair with a bonnet at night. Does that mean I still do it? Definitely not! But if you too have gotten out of habit of wrapping up your hair at night, winter is the time to get back into it. I never understood why I needed to wrap my hair when my non-black friends ever did. Luckily, now I know that wrapping your hair not only prevents friction against your pillow case while you are sleeping, it also helps trap in moisture to keep your hair healthy and soft even during the winter.
Maintaining fabulous hair all year long takes some effort, but is definitely worth it in the long run. How do you keep your hair healthy in the winter months?
