Natural Hair Tips For Winter
As the colder months approach, the time for luscious curls and bountiful afros comes to a cease. Instead, naturalistas are trading in those styles for twists, braids, and other protective styles and coating their locks with shea butter and olive oil for extra protection from the harsh winter winds.
The same way "summer bodies are made in the winter" is the same way summer hair is made in the winter! I call the winter "protective style season" because due to the cold weather, natural hair should be resting and in styles that will protect hair from the cold. Here are a few very simple tips for your hair to thrive throughout the winter wonderland weather:
1. Eat A Healthy, Balanced Diet & Drink Plenty Water
Why am I making this tip number one? It's because a healthy diet is the core step to having healthy hair. When fellow naturals ask me for hair tips, one of the first questions they ask is what products do I put in my hair. While products and even maintenance are important in natural hair healthy, I'd say that diet makes up about 45%, if not a bit more. Drinking water and eating a diet full of fruits and vegetables will aid in keeping your hair hydrated, helps your hair grow, plus why not be healthy just because?
2.. Protective Style
I can't stress this enough! Protective styles are usually done in order to give hair a "rest" and for low maintenance reasons. Just let yo ish hibernate for the whole winter especially if you live in a city where it gets brutally cold like I do. Two strand twists, box braids, Senegalese twists, bantu knots, faux locs, and even wigs are helpful in protecting your tresses from the chilly winter winds and bitter cold temperatures. And for Pete's sake, absolutely NO wash 'n go styles!
3. Moisturize!
Natural hair already needs plenty moisture, but it's needed a lot more during the colder season. Heavy butters like shea butter and oils like castor oil are necessary for sealing moisture in from the roots to the ends. Be sure to find which butters and oils work best for you and your hair. Depending on how your hair works, adding those silky butters, creams, and curl smoothies to your hair daily or every other day will ensure moisture.
4. Deep Condition
Like your life depends on it. Your hair will need all the moisture it can get during the harsh winter and deep conditioning on wash day is one of the main steps in retaining moisture. Whether you're washing your hair weekly or biweekly, 30 minute deep conditioning needs to be done during every wash day in the winter (or it should be done often if not during every wash day).
5. LOC, LCO, or LOCO Method
After deep conditioning, follow up with what's commonly known as the LOC Method. The LOC Method is a way to retain moisture that involves Leave-In Conditioning (L), Oil (O), and Cream (C). You can use the method that way or the LCO way, or even the LOCO way. Just as long as you're locking in that moisture!
6. Stay Silky
Silk/satin lined bonnets and pillows are a necessity for sleeping while natural, but silk lined hats are needed just as much during winter. Wool and cotton hats can cause breakage with kinky, curly, and coily hair and similar to silk scarves and bonnets, silk lined hats protect the hair from breakage. You can grab a silk lined hat here.
7. Cover Your Hair
It's one thing to rock your faux locs and box braid weaves during the winter, but once in a while you may want to rock your real hair in a protective style, or you may just want to wear your hair down into a braid out for a day. When you're on your way outside, cover that hair up, sis! Satin lined caps or even headwraps will do the trick and save those locks from the ice cold weather.
8. Hot Oil Treatments
Extra moisture, extra moisture! If you haven't noticed, all throughout this post I've been placing great emphasis on moisture. Moisture is your friend! A 10-15 minute hot oil treatment on "wash day" adds shine and moisture into dry, dull hair. Keep in mind you don't have to do a hot oil treatment on your hair on every wash day. Once a month treatments will do the trick. Also, make sure you are using 100% natural oils! That means no oils filled with petroleum and mineral oils. What's so great about hot oil treatments is that you can personalize them based on your preference with as many or as little oils as you'd like.
9. Create Your Own Regimen
At the end of the day, I always encourage naturals to create their own regimen based on their schedules with using key steps in maintaining the health of the hair. I've read some blogs that suggested naturals wash their hair less in the winter. Although this may work for some, keep in mind that everyone's schedules and lifestyles vary. Plus, if you are concerned with growing your natural hair, weekly washing is highly suggested. Nonetheless, utilize the core ideals of hydration and health but also get to know your hair and what it needs and apply them to your regimen.
 |
| @thompsonlxs_ via Twenty20 |
The same way "summer bodies are made in the winter" is the same way summer hair is made in the winter! I call the winter "protective style season" because due to the cold weather, natural hair should be resting and in styles that will protect hair from the cold. Here are a few very simple tips for your hair to thrive throughout the winter wonderland weather:
1. Eat A Healthy, Balanced Diet & Drink Plenty Water
Why am I making this tip number one? It's because a healthy diet is the core step to having healthy hair. When fellow naturals ask me for hair tips, one of the first questions they ask is what products do I put in my hair. While products and even maintenance are important in natural hair healthy, I'd say that diet makes up about 45%, if not a bit more. Drinking water and eating a diet full of fruits and vegetables will aid in keeping your hair hydrated, helps your hair grow, plus why not be healthy just because?
2.. Protective Style
I can't stress this enough! Protective styles are usually done in order to give hair a "rest" and for low maintenance reasons. Just let yo ish hibernate for the whole winter especially if you live in a city where it gets brutally cold like I do. Two strand twists, box braids, Senegalese twists, bantu knots, faux locs, and even wigs are helpful in protecting your tresses from the chilly winter winds and bitter cold temperatures. And for Pete's sake, absolutely NO wash 'n go styles!
3. Moisturize!
Natural hair already needs plenty moisture, but it's needed a lot more during the colder season. Heavy butters like shea butter and oils like castor oil are necessary for sealing moisture in from the roots to the ends. Be sure to find which butters and oils work best for you and your hair. Depending on how your hair works, adding those silky butters, creams, and curl smoothies to your hair daily or every other day will ensure moisture.
4. Deep Condition
Like your life depends on it. Your hair will need all the moisture it can get during the harsh winter and deep conditioning on wash day is one of the main steps in retaining moisture. Whether you're washing your hair weekly or biweekly, 30 minute deep conditioning needs to be done during every wash day in the winter (or it should be done often if not during every wash day).
 |
| Photo: @bomane via Pixabay |
5. LOC, LCO, or LOCO Method
After deep conditioning, follow up with what's commonly known as the LOC Method. The LOC Method is a way to retain moisture that involves Leave-In Conditioning (L), Oil (O), and Cream (C). You can use the method that way or the LCO way, or even the LOCO way. Just as long as you're locking in that moisture!
6. Stay Silky
Silk/satin lined bonnets and pillows are a necessity for sleeping while natural, but silk lined hats are needed just as much during winter. Wool and cotton hats can cause breakage with kinky, curly, and coily hair and similar to silk scarves and bonnets, silk lined hats protect the hair from breakage. You can grab a silk lined hat here.
7. Cover Your Hair
It's one thing to rock your faux locs and box braid weaves during the winter, but once in a while you may want to rock your real hair in a protective style, or you may just want to wear your hair down into a braid out for a day. When you're on your way outside, cover that hair up, sis! Satin lined caps or even headwraps will do the trick and save those locks from the ice cold weather.
8. Hot Oil Treatments
Extra moisture, extra moisture! If you haven't noticed, all throughout this post I've been placing great emphasis on moisture. Moisture is your friend! A 10-15 minute hot oil treatment on "wash day" adds shine and moisture into dry, dull hair. Keep in mind you don't have to do a hot oil treatment on your hair on every wash day. Once a month treatments will do the trick. Also, make sure you are using 100% natural oils! That means no oils filled with petroleum and mineral oils. What's so great about hot oil treatments is that you can personalize them based on your preference with as many or as little oils as you'd like.
9. Create Your Own Regimen
At the end of the day, I always encourage naturals to create their own regimen based on their schedules with using key steps in maintaining the health of the hair. I've read some blogs that suggested naturals wash their hair less in the winter. Although this may work for some, keep in mind that everyone's schedules and lifestyles vary. Plus, if you are concerned with growing your natural hair, weekly washing is highly suggested. Nonetheless, utilize the core ideals of hydration and health but also get to know your hair and what it needs and apply them to your regimen.
What other tip(s) would you add to keep hair healthy during the winter? Share below!
