winter hair disaster - code red!

[fairytalehair]

hey hey (:

so, i recently moved from a hot, humid climate (which my hair loved) to the depths of a terrible northern winter.

and with that... my hair is DYING. i have never had to deal with a hair mess of this magnitude before! between the frigid cold, zero percent humidity, constant blustery winds, indoor heating, and getting tangled / caught on my scarves, coats, etc, i fear my hair is turning into one giant, permanently destroyed rats-nest. whether in or out, i cannot get away from the dry winter air. i have even tried to humidify the air of my house with no acceptable results. my hair is very fine and long (classic length now i believe) and this weather is just not at all conducive to keeping fine, long hair. for the first time ever it just feels perpetually dried out, and i fear it is breaking and thinning. additionally- and this is weird- but it feels almost SO dried out that using a leave-in oil treatment (which normally my hair loves and i have done for years) is actually _making_ my hair greasy and weighing it down. what the chemistry behind that happening is i have no idea, but i can say that i have had to almost stop leave-in oil treatments due to the adverse way my hair has started reacting to them. again, i have done these daily for years and NOW my hair is suddenly rejecting it? when it is most dried out? the only thing i can come up with is the balance in my hair is so off and it is so dry that the oil is just sitting on top of "straw" instead of being absorbed by healthy hair like it had been in the past. so far i've done coconut oiling, extra deep masque conditioning, aargon oiling, and even protein treatments (complemented by moisturizing treatments to keep the strength and elasticity harmonized) to try to re-balance my moisture levels but to no avail. after my hair is freshly washed and then dried (sometimes air, sometimes very light hair dryer) it is never like it used to be in the summer / my old climate. it used to be so lush and supple ): now within a few hours of washing (sometimes right after) and definitely after sleeping on it it will turn into a frazzled, kinked, dried up straw pile.

please tell me how to handle long hair in winter! i am truly getting worried this is the beginning of the end of my once-lovely long hair!

):

-notsofairytalehairanymore

[Hypnotica]

As a relative fine haired person living in a northern climate, I an related although winter here has been very damp.

My tricks: Damp bun every night before going to bed. I use a weak mix of water and argan oil. And keep it up - bun bun bun bun and bun some more. Did I mention damp bunning before bed? And you may want to condition the hair more often, how often do you condition now?

[CousinItt]

Welcome to my hair story. I live in a northern climate that's dry in summer and even dryer in winter. Before I went NW/SO, the only thing that made my hair feel really moisturized was co-washing. At the time, I had used renpure cleansing conditioner with great success.

[lapushka]

my hair is very fine and long (classic length now i believe) and this weather is just not at all conducive to keeping fine, long hair. for the first time ever it just feels perpetually dried out, and i fear it is breaking and thinning. additionally- and this is weird- but it feels almost SO dried out that using a leave-in oil treatment (which normally my hair loves and i have done for years) is actually _making_ my hair greasy and weighing it down. what the chemistry behind that happening is i have no idea, but i can say that i have had to almost stop leave-in oil treatments due to the adverse way my hair has started reacting to them. again, i have done these daily for years and NOW my hair is suddenly rejecting it? when it is most dried out

We use the method of conditioning twice after washing (WCC) and it works, don't ask me how, it just does. My hair was mainly dry from the harsh cleanser I have to have my hair washed with (I suffer from seborrheic dermatitis). After that the LOC method for styling is used (leave-in, oil/serum, cream/gel). For the LOC method tiny amounts of product are used for hair from ear down to the very tippy tips. And the conditioners are different for conditioning twice. One is a detangling product and the other mainly for slip and softness. Don't ask me how, but it does the trick!

[MandyBeth]

Another issue may be the change in water. Try clarifying and start from the beginning. That fixes my hair when I get build up enough that everything sits on top.

Tangles in scarf and coat is reality. Wear it up or live with tangles.

I will say I need cones in winter. Not enough slip otherwise. Any thing like honey or aloe will not work now - if it draws moisture from the air, it's not good now.

[truepeacenik]

I second Mandy Beth's comment about water.

Also, more water in you helps at the scalp.

I moved from high desert and snow, snow, snow to the Bay Area, damp, foggy, rainy and my hair hates me.
So the routine in one place does not always work in another.

[veryhairyfairy]

Thirding the clarifying suggestion. The water in your new place may be 'hard' (mineral-y), and one way to really help clear that buildup is to either add a few tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to a cup of water, also add about a tablespoon of your shampoo and use the mixture to clarify your hair. You can also do a final rinse of a TBPS of lemon juice or white vinegar in a gallon of water, but this doesn't work as well for really hard water. (I used to wash solely with that lemon juice water when I had extremely hard water, it made my hair feel awesome!)

Also, like MandyBeth said, any humectant products need to be discontinued ASAP. Honey, Aloe, Glycerin, etc (there might be a list on LHC somewhere), all draw moisture FROM your hair in dry conditions.

Wishing you luck!

[fairytalehair]

thanks everyone (:

i will try the damp bun @hypnotica, thank you! and i will also try conditioning twice @lapushka

i condition every time i wash, and am trying to coconut oil, etc regularly.

i've been using my clarifying shampoo to get the buildup off due to all the oiling, to start fresh, as you mentioned.

::sigh:: i just wish the humid weather would come back, my hair needs a big drink!

[just wanted to add: i know it's not the water here (my hair actually LOVES the water here), it is just the terrible weather.]

[Firefox7275]

Many humectants (water attracting ingredients, includes hydrolysed protein) can dehydrate hair in very low dews, you may well be best not focussing on moisture (= water). Maybe use more of the major emollients/ basic conditioning agents (fatty alcohols, cationic surfactants), natural oils and/ or silicones as a minor ingredient in a true leave in conditioner so application is light and even?

[velorutionista]

I'm going to second the suggestion to condition twice. It's the only way my hair doesn't fly into a giant ball of static and tangles this time of year.

[Fairlight63]

It also makes a BIG difference in my hair if I sleep in a silk sleep cap. The cap keeps the heat on my head & is almost like a sauna or something for my hair. I know that it keeps my hair from drying out from the dry heat in my home.

[Bagginslover]

It also makes a BIG difference in my hair if I sleep in a silk sleep cap. The cap keeps the heat on my head & is almost like a sauna or something for my hair. I know that it keeps my hair from drying out from the dry heat in my home.


THIS^ If I apply a leave-in oil (usually coconut for me) and dont wear my sleep cap, it just sits there on the top, looking greasy, but if I wear my cap, the extra heat and humidity from my body makes it soak up, and leaves it beautifully soft and silky.

[ositarosita]

As a finey from the Great White North ... I have learned the less you wash the better, I also use my oil/serum on DAMP hair, don't be afraid of a leave in.. and you need to really give the humidifier a chance ... have you ever tried the greenhouse effect???? if your hair likes the humidity it might be worth a shot for you

[0xalis]

I live in Eastern Washington and we have the craziest weather. In the summer it's hell and in the winter it's the arctic. And when the temperatures are nice and mild, it tends to be windy. :/ My hair seems to be used to it for some reason. I'd suggest a nicely oiled bun underneath a hat. And if you moved to a place with hard water, buy yourself some apple cider vinegar and add acv rinses to your routine!

[Brielle]

I'm no hair expert so this could be a really stupid thing to say, but would it help to warm up the oil treatment before you apply it? Maybe it would sink in a little better? I'm from a really hot place but recently I've moved to a much cooler climate, not as cold as where you are though. I've found that coconut oil is almost useless to me now as it just won't sink in. Hmmmm .......

[styric]

I live where it's been -40 and 0% humidity for three months already.

Discontinue all humectants.
Condition twice.Shampoo less
Use Nightblooming's Winter Salve
Triple the hydration level of all products. I'm a curly and I just deep conditioned with tresemme an hour ago. My hair soaked it up. It's bone dry and looks like I haven't touched it. I use anything up to and including pure Shea butter.
A silicone serum on the ends is necessary for me. Prevents static, gives slip, prevents tangling, and helps prevent breakage from clothes. I use Paul Mitchell's Super Skinny Serum.
Use a boar bristle brush before washing or updos to distribute natural oils and product evenly.
Apply product to DAMP hair if it's not absorbing.
Deep condition minimum once a week. When in doubt, deep condition.

I usually slather in salve, braid, put shea or a butter on my tassel, then bun hair. Keeps getaways minimal and hair happier. I spray with a mix of diluted triple moon oil, rosewater and water when I am styling, brushing or if it's looking lifeless and layaway.
I also find I need to use a protein mask more in winter.