How to care for your hair this winter
The winter months are the perfect time to show your hair some extra love and care to keep it looking healthy and feeling hydrated. From using heated styling tools to whether you should reach for a hair mask or an oil, we have put together our best tips for soft and supple glossy locks this winter.
Hair masks v.s hair oils: what are the benefits?
Hair masks offer restorative hydration and deep levels of conditioning for very dry and damaged hair that could have been caused by environmental factors like central heating, heavy brushing, or heat styling. A hair oil will just coat the surface of the hair, providing it with a top coat layer of shine that looks glorious. If your hair is damaged or the condition is weakened you will need to use a hair mask to restore your hair back to its former glory first and then seal it in with an oil for shine and an instant boost of moisture to make hair more manageable.
Haug London Haus Colour Director Siobhan Haug’s top tip for using a conditioning hair mask:
“Once a week I treat the lengths of my hair to a Fibre Clinix Fortify mask, I apply it in the shower and leave it for five-ten minutes, allowing the steam from the shower encourage the cuticle to lift and the mask to soak deeper into my hair. It’s perfect for strengthening my bleached hair, leaving it super soft and silky and prolonging the conditioning effects.”
How to use hair oil
Oils are great for sealing the cuticle down, helping your hair to appear super shiny. Rub the oil between your hands and then run your hands from the underneath of your hair starting at the nape first, then with what’s left on your hands start to work through the surface, just avoid the root area.
For hair that is frizz prone or very thick work your oil in on wet hair before blow drying. Use a little to seal flyways at the end too. Beware that rich oils on finer hair can quickly overload it making it look heavy and feel greasy.
What is the best way to protect hair from constant heat styling?
Spritz each section with a thermal protection spray.
Make sure your hair is fully dry before using any heated styling equipment.
Check the temperature on your electrical’s. Finer hair types shouldn’t have a very high heat setting.
Finally, adjust the size of your sections according to the density of your hair. Thicker hair needs small sections to allow the heat to penetrate through.
Finer hair needs thicker sections to avoid damaging it.
How can I make sure my colour lasts throughout winter?
The great news about the cold winter months is that our hair doesn’t get that constant blast of the sun that makes colour fade in the summer so you should get more longevity from your colour. But of course other factors like swimming, heated styling tools and the winter elements can cause your colour fade.
Enter the Colour Mask!
Colour masks are tailor made to your exact shade by your Haug London Haus colourist. They are the perfect way to maintain your colour in between appointments, particularly if your shade is prone to fading. Our colourists combine a mixture of shades with a conditioning hair mask to perfectly match your hair colour. You apply it once a week at home and leave it in for 5-10 minutes and rinse out for freshly toned, soft supple hair. If you are thinking about changing your hair colour read our article de-coding professional hair colour to get the lowdown on what to request.
Would you like to know more about protecting your hair during the winter? Book a digital analysis of your hair and a onsultation with one of our experts here.
Here are a few other interesting reads about nourishing your hair during the winter months:
Why you should use hair masks and hair oils in winter by Byrdie
Image credits: Hair by Siobhan Haug using Schwarzkopf Professional Igora Zero Amm colour. Photo by Chris Bulezuik. Fashion Styling by Lewis Robert Cameron. Make up by Maddie Austin.