Hair Care News

Cold Weather Spells Dry, Fly-Away Hair

Posted on October 1, 2009 with No Comments

For those of us in the mid-south, this was our first week of temperatures that dipped down below 60 degrees.  The last few days in Atlanta have been arguably the best we have had all year – highs in the mid-70′s, low humidity, and night-time lows in the low 60′s ad mid-50′s.  This is just the kind of weather that reminds you of camping, the mountains, and spending a lot of time outside.  It is also reminds you of how dry, colder weather treats your hair.

Managing Dry, Fly-Away Hair

Low humidity mixed with colder, dryer air creates static electricity – resulting in fly-away hair, loss of control, and increased difficulty styling.  Gone are the highly humid days that help keep your style in place;  But, also are the days where you hairstyle soaks-up humidity and frizzy hair is the problem.

Here’s a couple of tips we recommend as temperatures begin to drop:

• If you can avoid blow drying with high temperature settings do so.  Heat further robs the follicles of moisture.
• Leave-in conditioners can help control fly-away.  We most often suggest spray-on, leave-in conditioners that have some heat protect.  Heat-activated “Thermal Protector”-type sprays help keep your style in place while protecting from flat irons, etc.
• Use a daily mositurizing shampoo.  Products with panthenol, jojoba oil, or emu oil are great for retaining moisture.  If your hair is extremely dry (but not dirty), you might consider skipping shampooing for a day or two.  For some of us this might sound out of the question, but for many with acute dryness, it is not uncommon – especially if your hair is prone to breaking.

A couple of other recommendations you might consider:

• Add some emu oil to your favorite shampoo or conditioner.  A lot of folks use it by itself – rubbing into their hands and massaging into the scalp.  Personally, I prefer to mix into a shampoo – a little dab of emu oil and a bigger dab of shampoo.
• Try argan oil.  This has become very popular the past several years.  It will give your hair a lot of shine and some brands smell great (Marrakesh Oil).  It is used either before or after you style.