How does your hair feel about WINTER?

[OleanderTime]

I've always lived in very, very cold climates (upstate New York and, for the last decade, Michigan). One of the major reasons I never thought I'd be able to give up my blow dryer is because--here--wet hair is a real health hazard, not to mention a hair hazard (icicle hair breaks!). So my question is, how do you deal with WINTER? I'm reluctant to start showering at night. There's nothing quite like a hot shower to start your day, not to mention the feeling of a warm DRY bed.

Is there something special you do with your hair care routine to adapt to the special challenges of a cold climate? People mention their having "growth spurts" during certain times of the year: does your hair "stall" in winter?

For those of you who have lived in different climates, what sort of advice could you offer on growing long, healthy hair in a way that actually works for your specific environment?

I look forward to getting your advice--just in time. It's mid-November here in Michigan, which is the beginning of what's always a loonnngg winter.

[Shiva]

The only thing that bothers my hair in winter is static from indoor heat.

Other than that I don't blow dry because I don't have to leave the house to go to work everyday.

I don't/have never experienced stalls or shed in winter, but perhaps it's because I've never really been consious of it before.

[Honestwitness]

I've been thinking about winter, too. I'm in Kansas City, and we can have some pretty harsh winters here, too. Although, it's probably a piece of cake compared to Michigan.

I have already gotten to the point where I don't want to wear updos or even ponytails any more. We're still having daytime highs in the fifties and sixties, instead of the nineties of summer, but I like the warmth of my hair covering my ears and neck, even in this very pleasant, but cooler fall weather.

I was inspired by a post by Spidermom in another thread. She said she crocheted herself an angora slouchy hat and wears her damp hair inside it and still stays warm when she goes outside.

So, I bought myself a crochet needle and some yarn and found a free pattern online and made myself a clouchy hat, too. You can see pics in my blog. I tried it on one of the cooler mornings as I was taking out the trash. It works really well.

Also, I still use heat on my hair some mornings. I use the diffuser on the lowest heat setting and alternate between warm and cool air. I aim the air flow at my scalp, so I can feel if it's getting too warm for comfort. I don't use the dryer on my length, because it dries pretty fast all by itself. But, I don't like a cold, wet scalp, especially in really cold weather.

Last winter, before I discovered LHC, I was using much more heat on my hair, and wondering what to do about all the static electricity. DUH!

This winter, I'm much more educated about how to keep the moisture level in my hair higher by using aloe vera gel and leave-in conditioner. And I have stocked my purse and my desk at work with little spray bottles of water/aloe/conditioner mix.

[Longlocks3]

I'm in Michigan too! Alas, I shower at night. I only get up as early as necessary so my train of thought is I get to sleep in later! What I do is shower by 9pm, since I go to sleep around 11pm or midnight. By then my hair is dry, or mostly.

Oils are going to be my friend this winter. Lots of moisture added, so I don't get the dreaded static!

I wear my hair up 99.9% of the time I'm outside the house. This helps too.

[Longlocks3]

You could always wash your hair at night and just do a body only shower in the morning to warm you up!

I do find that during the winter I take hotter showers. Like bordering on scalding myself hot. This tends to lead to drier skin, and scalp.

[Shermie Girl]

It likes it not! We don't get harsh Winters, here. It gets cold and we even get snow, but it isn't like the upper Midwest and East. It does get incredibly dry and we get a lot of wind and that is a combination that can really play havoc on my hair.

I use a lot of conditioner, cones and oils and damp bun a lot to counteract the effects of Winter.

[Themyst]

I'm in Maine. I don't go out with damp/wet hair at all in the winter. If I wash and have to go out, I blow dry it. Yes I do. When I go to bed that night I will oil it and bun it, then I'm fortunate enough for it to look okay when I get up in the morning and I just keep it bunned. Oiled and nicely bunned. :)

[motormuffin]

I lived in Denver when my hair was long...before I cut it. I remember washing it at night and then standing in front of the wall heater or fireplace. I remember using the hair dryer quite a bit and I really liked Pantene...I don't now though... I do remember throwing it up wet in a bun and wearing a big scarf but only if I didn't have time to dry it. I would always wear it up if I wore a sweater, I hated the static!

[pepperminttea]

You could always wash your hair at night and just do a body only shower in the morning to warm you up!

I do this in winter sometimes; it works like a charm. :)

[yogachic]

It definately feels dryer. Another excuse to grab the oil.
:D

[Themyst]

I lived in Denver when my hair was long...before I cut it. I remember washing it at night and then standing in front of the wall heater or fireplace. I remember using the hair dryer quite a bit and I really liked Pantene...I don't now though... I do remember throwing it up wet in a bun and wearing a big scarf but only if I didn't have time to dry it. I would always wear it up if I wore a sweater, I hated the static!

Oh my goodness, I almost forgot. I used to live in Denver, also up in Summit County. That's about 0% humidity. I sure wish I new about oiling back then.

[teela1978]

Oh my goodness, I almost forgot. I used to live in Denver, also up in Summit County. That's about 0% humidity. I sure wish I new about oiling back then.

I was up in fort collins for a while. Once nice thing was that my hair would air dry in less than an hour ;) It was a lot shorter then though.

[motormuffin]

Oh my goodness, I almost forgot. I used to live in Denver, also up in Summit County. That's about 0% humidity. I sure wish I new about oiling back then.
You and me both!

[RancheroTheBee]

My hair seems to like it, actually. Humidity raises about 10% in my city over the winter, which is a slight improvement and almost feels like real moisture. As long as I keep it covered from the blustery winds, my hair feels pretty okay over the winter. I also don't seem to need to trim it as much.

[hanne jensen]

I use a lot of coconut oil in winter. My hair grows like a weed in winter and stalls in summer.
I never use a blow fryer. I wash my hair in the evening and it's dry by bedtime. I also wear it up all the time to protect my ends.

[Honestwitness]

Those of you who wear your hair up in winter, don't your ears and neck get cold, even indoors? Do you wear hats over your updos? Do you know any updos that still have some hair covering the ears?

[The Empress]

I've always lived in very, very cold climates (upstate New York and, for the last decade, Michigan). One of the major reasons I never thought I'd be able to give up my blow dryer is because--here--wet hair is a real health hazard, not to mention a hair hazard (icicle hair breaks!). So my question is, how do you deal with WINTER? I'm reluctant to start showering at night. There's nothing quite like a hot shower to start your day, not to mention the feeling of a warm DRY bed.

Is there something special you do with your hair care routine to adapt to the special challenges of a cold climate? People mention their having "growth spurts" during certain times of the year: does your hair "stall" in winter?

For those of you who have lived in different climates, what sort of advice could you offer on growing long, healthy hair in a way that actually works for your specific environment?

I look forward to getting your advice--just in time. It's mid-November here in Michigan, which is the beginning of what's always a loonnngg winter.

I live in harsh winter enviroment and i know what you are talking about it.
I never go out with wet hair. Ever.
And always blow dry it. Even in the summer. And never have problems with it.

I know they say blow drying is not good for the hair, but then again there are so many products on the market today, all you have to do is pick the right one for you and you'll survive throughout the winter.

Also lets not forget that when you blow dry it it gives you more volume, then when you let it dry itself.

[The Empress]

And another thing.

I find my hair getting bad when in a hot climate, caribbean for example. It just dries your hair out like crazy, loses shine and is totally, totally damaged.

So compared to that, the winter is a bliss.

Be thankful you dont have such summer ;)

[Othala]

I am in England, in the U.K, and we have relatively mild winters. The main problem is the central heating which dries out my already dry, porous hair. Hence, my main concern is lack of moisture.

I wash my hair once a week in the mornings and wrap it in a microfibre towel whilst I go about breakfast. I apply leave-in conditioner while it is still damp and then bun it. It is still damp when I go out. On cold days I wear a fleece hat. My hair then dries out slowly through the day.

I have to wet my hair (not wash it) every day in winter otherwise my hair breaks. Coconut oil is not something I can use in the winter as it hardens with the cold and on very cold days it can freeze very hard. I tend to use avocado oil instead which does not solidify on my head whilst I am walking the dog.

[pinkbunny]

My hair only takes an hour or two to dry, so I rarely have problems washing it at night. I do hate the cold, so if I want to speed it up I'll sit by the fire (if we have one & not too close) but I make sure to keep moving it & fluffing it with my fingers, and I'll keep my ends over the front of my shoulder so the back can dry. I'll also sit over the heater vents (we have central heat with ducting in the floor). My blowdryer is only an absolute last resort & I always use a diffuser with the lowest heat settings.

[embee]

I wash hair less frequently in winter, so I can plan my hair air drying time when I don't have to go out.

My hair is always up unless it's air drying, and I wear warm knitted or crocheted turtleneck "collars" to keep my neck warm in winter. Kinda like leg warmers for my neck! ;) Fasten my collar with a big decorative pin and it's attractive as well as warm.

Damp bunning doesn't work for me, the hair in the bun seems to stay damp for *days* and is very fragile. FAIL.

Using very dilute shampoo, scalp only, helps greatly with any static electricity problem. I've not used conditioner in a couple of years as it flattens my already flat slick hair. Perhaps this is similar to oiling, using my own natural oils instead of a purchased product?

[cobblersmaid]

It can get a bit dry, so I try to to DT more often. I always wash at night, so that's not an issue.

[Laululintu]

I've lived in Finland for most of my life, and winters can get really cold (particularly once you figure in the windchill). I've mostly washed my hair at night since I was a child, so on the few occasions I wash it in the mornings during winter, I'll just shove on a hat for the time I have to be outdoors. That keeps the worst of the cold away, at least I find.

Can't comment on giving up the hair dryer, as I'm FAR too lazy to even own, let alone use, one :o

[Themyst]

Those of you who wear your hair up in winter, don't your ears and neck get cold, even indoors? Do you wear hats over your updos? Do you know any updos that still have some hair covering the ears?

I have a woodstove and it stays very toasty in my house all winter long. I am rarely cold indoors. When I go out (which is only maybe four times a month, I'm somewhat reclusive), I would like to wear a hat. The past winters, I've mostly used a winter scarf, but I've been trying to find someone to knit one of those Hanna Hats for me so my bun will stick out. I haven't been able to, so I think I'll go shopping this weekend for a roomy winter hat, cut a hole in the back, and improvise.

[elianne]

Those of you who wear your hair up in winter, don't your ears and neck get cold, even indoors? Do you wear hats over your updos? Do you know any updos that still have some hair covering the ears?

I live in Massachusetts and usually wear my hair up in the winter. I oil my length very heavily in the winter (to avoid static and crunchyness) and if I wear it down it'll be for a special occasion only. I'm a knitter, so I've made several knitted headbands ("calorimetry" is the name of the pattern) and if I wear a very low bun I can wear a hat. Also, I was recently at a festival and purchased some of these earmuffs: http://www.shepherdsflock.com/earmuffs.html They are very soft and comfy and I adore them!

[Babyfine]

Minnesota here!-anyone who lives here knows how cold this place can get!!
I have a part time job-but it's in retail and I don't have to be there before 10 a.m., so if I do wash in the morning(which I like to do) then my hair is mostly dry by the time I have to leave the house. Otherwise I diffuse on low heat. My hair dries fairly fast(it's fine, thin and not that long yet) On winter mornings I must leave early I just don't wash that morning and usually wear an updo as my hair doesn't do second day hair. I used to volunteer at a preschool and had to be there by 7:45am so those were usually updo days in the winter(good idea anyway being around little ones) I had to wash at night if I was going to wash.

[viking_quest]

I shower in the afternoon, so by the time I go to bed it's dry. You can always wash your hair the night before and make sure it doesn't get wet with your shower in the morning. I think there are a few people here that do that.

[Babyfine]

Those of you who wear your hair up in winter, don't your ears and neck get cold, even indoors? Do you wear hats over your updos? Do you know any updos that still have some hair covering the ears?

Yes especially in the wind!!Brrrr. I finally found a hat I like( a black beret type thing) and I wore it to one of my son's football games awhile ago(we had a cold October!)
but I had my hair down-looks better that way. Haven't tried it with my hair up with my hair toys. I'm not really a hat wearer but I should start!
I usually put the hood of my coat up if I'm outside otherwise.

[GeoJ]

When I used to live in Minnesota I used to walk to school every morning with wet hair (I thought the hair-cicles were funny, I didn't realize they were damaging). I never got sick from going out in the cold with wet hair, by the way.

Now when I visit cold places I wash in the early evening so my hair is mostly dry by bedtime. I also will use hats or scarves to give my hair some protection from harsh weather.

[Stephichan]

I currently live in Arizona, so winters aren't so bad. It does get "cold" here, but nothing compared to the midwest. I'm going to be watching this thread, though, as I'm moving to Illinois in a year and a half. Brr... I'm definitely not looking forward to that first year...

[Honestwitness]

Embee-I would love to see a pic of your cozy collar with the pretty pin. Is there such a pic in your album(s) or can you post one in this thread? Pretty please?

[mira-chan]

My hair feels dryer and becomes an oil hog. It just wants oil, lots of oil.

[spidermom]

It is so funny to me that people talk about their hair like it makes independent decisions. I think that winter around here is generally more wet than anything, so my hair will have lots of opportunity to soak up moisture from the environment. I'll try to help by applying oil, conditioner, and CHI serum to prevent it from drying out because of the furnace and gas-log fireplace.

[ChrissieM]

My hair need extra moisture in the winter..I used to use just extra heavy conditioner all the time, but I'm glad I have SMTs in my arsenal this year. My hair gets very dry and tangly in the winter, and I have gotten some matting tangles behind my neck where I wore a wool scarf. I plan on wearing it up this winter with lots of moisturizing and oiling to see if I can get through the season without the damage I have sustained in the past. I'm working on stretching my washes to only twice a week, so that will help. And I wash in the afternoon, ususally, so my hair is dry before bed.

[pinkbunny]

It is so funny to me that people talk about their hair like it makes independent decisions.

What - yours doesn't? lol :eyebrows:

[mira-chan]

It is so funny to me that people talk about their hair like it makes independent decisions.

When mine started to eat things, I deemed it sentient. :silly:

[HildeMV]

I love winter.

I usually only shower at evenings. But sometimes i can go out with not completely dried hair and it's no problem.

I don't think snow and cold weather has any negative impact on growth or the health of my hair.

I've never really thought about it before, and our winters are very long.

[Lamb]

I am in Canada where we have long and cold winters with lots of wind and snow. Not something my hair (or skin) likes. :(
Lots of conditioner, moving to a relatively warm part of my apartment to air-dry my hair in the morning (short and curly hair needs to be washed in the morning), use lots of conditioner, and cover my head with a snood or a hooded scarf.
I look aweful in hats and they give my coiffure a weird shape - hooded scarves only flatten it a little, plus they cover my ears (and smy chin) nicely. :)

[embee]

Embee-I would love to see a pic of your cozy collar with the pretty pin. Is there such a pic in your album(s) or can you post one in this thread? Pretty please?

Here's a link to the black one, it's turned out to be most useful as it goes with everything. I also have one in shades of lavendars/blues and another in yellows/white. Turns out they're much warmer than regular scarves because of the flare at the bottom, it will cover the neckline of my shirt/sweater! :)

http://buncombe.main.nc.us/~mbbweb/longhair/BlackCrochetCollarR.jpg

[DARKMARTIAN]

My hair feels great about winter because it knows it keeps my scalp warmer....:p

[LilyMunster]

More shea/oils after CO washes. Try to protect from extreme tempurature swings with buffs, beanies, hoodies.

[JamieLeigh]

It never gets super-cold here - we haven't had a good snow in years. But my hair does get pretty dry, probably from all the dry heat in the house. I usually try to keep a humidifier going in the house in the cold weather, because my allergies are so bad in the spring, and my doctor recommended it. :p I definitely try to wear my hair up more in the wintertime, even though it does make a very nice sweater.... :D

[Honestwitness]

Awesome collar, embee!! That's beautiful! Is that crochet or knitting?

[RancheroTheBee]

It is so funny to me that people talk about their hair like it makes independent decisions.

It totally does, though. Having long hair is like... owning an exotic, stubborn pet that is very unruly but impressive.

[OleanderTime]

I love body-only showers on the days I don't wash my hair, too. They are essential for me because I too like scalding hot showers and baths, but I'm trying to wash my hair in luke warm water. When I wash my hair in the shower, I go back and forth between boiling (read: warm) and luke warm (read: freezing) and it's torture, haha. I don't know how some of the LHC women wash in cold... brrr!

[RoseRedDead]

I wear it up even more than normal, I damp bun it after practically every wash, and I lightly oil more frequently to keep things nice and static-free.

[Little_Bird]

I do LOVE Winter... But my hair doesn't :( It's not like it disbihaves all that much, but it doesn't like humidity (my new growth frizzes a lot) and it doesn't like the fuss of all the clothes too...

Oh well... Still Winter is awesome :p

[florenonite]

I grew up in Canada and I don't think my hair routine changed much between summer and winter. During the school year I tended to shower in the early evening because I didn't like getting up early to shower, but on weekends or holidays I would shower in the morning. I also swam and latterly taught swimming, so I was outside with wet hair after this.

If it was particularly cold I'd plonk a hat on, but I usually just went outside with my hair damp. I'd towel dry it a bit, and in the mornings it would air dry a bit, too, but honestly it never caused me problems. If it formed icicles, I would be careful not to touch it till it melted, and I never had health issues from it :shrug:

[Elfe]

It don't get really cold here, maybe sometimes -10°C. But most of the time it's just around 0°C.
My hair don't care if it's winter or summer.
Maybe I blowdry my hair more often in winter, but because I wash it in the evening I usually don't have to do it.

[aprilmay]

My hair feels dirty. I resist washing it when the weather gets colder.

[camirra555]

I'm in Canada and my curls get crunchy when I go outside. Even if they are dry (I think it's from the oil and leave in) they still turn crunchy. I usually wash my hair on my day off. I get Sunday off and then one day during the week. It usually turns out to be a Wednesday or Thursday so it works well. I deep condition and wash my hair around 7 so it's pretty dry by midnight when I go to bed.

[deja]

I never noticed/cared about my hair until the end of last winter and I don't know if it reacted badly due to the weather or the fact that I was still learning about my hair and using random products that weren't the best for it. I hope this winter is good to my hair because I do not need any setbacks at this point. :rolleyes:

[Sharysa]

My hair goes frizzy and greasy during the winter. We don't get freezing temperatures in Northern California, but it RAINS LIKE HELL.

And being a borderline-wavy, my hair hates that, so I actually have to do the OPPOSITE of extra moisturizing.

[GrowingGlory]

My hair fares well in Winter as long as the space heater is friendly, the oil bottle is nearby, and it is covered before I step outside.

[HintOfMint]

Northern winters are definitely pretty bad for my hair. After moving to New York, I've found that no matter what I do, I have to cut about two inches as soon as spring arrives. The cold and dryness just kills the ends, and my scalp goes into oil over-production mode. So I'm washing it far more often and exposing my hair to horribly dry air. Definitely not a good recipe.

Every winter I always resolve to be more careful with my hair, but that always involves obsessively wearing it up, not washing it even when it's greasy, and doing deep conditioning treatments. In the end, I'm really not up for a slightly more involved version of hair-hibernation. So I end up not changing a thing and going in for a bigger cut than I'd like. Ah well.

[Mononoke]

I live in a not-too-cold place, and in the winter my hair is usually much softer and less frizzy (probably because the cuticles are more closed when it's cold).

[Nadine <3]

My hair love winter. It smoother, shiny, and softer. My hair doesn't like heat and LOATHES humidity. Bring on a Wisconsin winter!

[chen bao jun]

My hair doesn't mind winter. It does mind harsh coat collars and hats that rub it off. Last winter I wore a satin sleeping cap over my hair under all my hats and my hair grew a bunch.

[ositarosita]

I'm from Ontario, Canada ... winter about 8 months a year lol.. I would shower at night so by the time I woke up my hair was dry.. and the rest of the week shower with my hair out of the way so it stayed dry... you know those turban towels.. I would use one of those, it kept the humidity out and my hair dry... I don't know if that helps you at all it was just what I did.

[longNred]

Me and my hair pretty much hate winter. Static is a huge problem, and always pulling it up and out of sweaters and coats, pinning it up so it fits under a hat, hat head, wanting to wear it down for warmth, but then dealing with tangles, clogging my shower drain with henna mud since using the hose in the yard isn't an option, ugh. Not a fan of the winter thing.

[Naiadryade]

Well, my hair hates winter hats, though I like the idea of a satin sleep cap under the hat - I will try that this winter!

Other than that, well, my work is seasonal so I have a lot more free time in winter. Which means I treat my hair extra nice, so it likes winter for that! I gain more length because I tangle and split less than in the busy summer, and have time to let it soak in catnip and all sorts of delicious treats.

[which.chick]

I have a woodstove for heat, so the winter air at my house is super dry. I like that my hair dries in a reasonable timeframe in front of the woodstove. I hate that the six non-wash days in a week, I am battling static. (My hair gets totally alarmingly static in the winter.) I am hoping that oiling my hair helps with the static.

[Leeloo]

I joined LHC this summer, so past winters I didn't really take care of my hair. It gets very dry (my hair and skin) and staticy.

[PolarCathy]

I'm fearing the winter coming this year. 66 deg North, with temps regularly under -22F/-30C, and I think this winter I'll have to resort to hats as my hair has thinned out significantly due to a shed. Usually I don't wear hats simply because I hate them, I look like I put a condom on my head. So just a knitted headband, even that only since last winter when I got back into knitting, LOL. Our winter is also very dry. My skin has no problems at all but my hair doesn't love it. But I think what it hates most is the indoors heating. Normally it poofs up but at the same time it loses curl completely. I used a lot of castor oil last winter since coconut is no bueno. LOL
So I have no idea how it will deal with this winter. I expect it to get much worse (both greasy and staticky) if I really put on a hat.

[VixenWolfMare]

I find myself washing my hair a lot more in the winter.

[jacqueline101]

I wash at night or use the blow fryer on cool setting with a heat protector.

[Marika]

My hair absolutely hates winter and it doesn't help that winter (= snow and freeze) lasts for about 6 months around here!:mad: Well, at least it feels like 6 months... I get icicle hair every year which is obviously very damaging. But I have to breathe, you know!:lol: I shower at nights and try to keep my ends under my winter coat when I'm outside. I don't have to work this coming winter (I'm having a baby in Nov) which is going to be great. My hair is fine indoors, just a little bit more static. I think I'm going to do more deep treatments and oiling this winter. My hair growth is definitely more slower in the winter, I think it has something to do with vitamin D. Did I mention it's bloody pitch dark around here!:rant::bluebiggr

[RavennaNight]

Usually the air is drier, and I wash less often. I read the farmer's almanac for this winter and for the Northeastern US there will be below normal temperatures and above average snow from Boston to Atlanta. Doesn't surprise me, the leaves started showing signs of turning the last week of August up here, and some trees are already peaking and dropping leaves. I have begun to prepare by stretching my washes back to winter schedule, once or twice a week. The air is drier, so the hair will be drier and I have to distribute the natural oils in preparation. FWIW I'm on a cone-free stretch right now as well. I wear it up more in the winter.

[inanna]

Another Finn chiming in, yes the winter is LONG and dark. I take vitamin D supplements from around September until June, but I couldn't really say whether that makes a difference in hair growth.

My hair is still short and thin enough (or then my winter hat is huge enough) that I can easily fold my hair inside my hat. When it gets colder, I wear two hats on top of each other and admittedly wearing them over a bun makes my head look kinda funny, but it keeps me warm!

Because I have fineish hair, the winter static is definitely not my friend. Mostly I try to just live with the sticky outy bits and keep my hair up, because the line between moisturising just enough and looking like a greaseball is very easy to cross. When I was younger and had long hair, my favourite thing on a freezing cold morning was to leave for school with wet hair sticking out from under my hat, and then bending my frozen plaits to hear them crunch. shudder:

[Stray_mind]

My hair feels good in winter, only problem is that they get static, but that shouldn't be the problem if i wear them up, i think. Winter is long in my country too. About 5 months... *sigh*

[embee]

I go to NW/SO in winter because of the "cold wet hair dripping down my back" thing. Fortunately NW/SO seems to eliminate most static for me. (Some scalp rinses keep things clean, and lots of combing/brushing/preening.) I have a number of calorimetry style headband things that I wear all winter long, even under my winter hat. It's always a shock in spring to suddenly see my true hairline! :D

So I'd say, in winter my hair looks and feels horrid. But I never wear it loose, so the horrid doesn't show, thank heaven.

[Nerine]

I usually either shower the night before, shower earlier so my hair has more time to dry before I go out, or just deal with it and cover it up with a beanie. :P

[HairFaerie]

My hair LOVES winter! I can get up to 2" of growth per month during the winter months and I am REALLY looking forward to that! :)
I have to keep it moisturized. (Oil) I use cones a lot more in the winter to help keep it from getting dry as well. I live in an area that gets cold in the winter so I blow dry on medium heat when I wash it. I don't like to air dry in the winter because of the low temperatures. Way too cold!
So, to sum it up...Winter - Bring it on! :joy:

[jupiterinleo]

Usually my hair has a hard time in winter, but this time around I'm gonna stop being lazy and actually sleep with a little oil in my hair every few days. I think it would really help my scalp and ends. My scalp with generally be less dry this winter also because I'm growing out my bangs and can finally wear hats again.

[samanthajenalyn]

I don't really know how my hair reacts to winter, I never really payed attention before. This will be my first winter since joining TLHC. But I'm guessing since my skin doesn't like it, my hair doesn't either. My hair has always been dry, and obviously screaming for moisture, so I'm thinking it will be even worse in the cooler months. But now that I know to oil my hair and CO wash, I don't think it will be too bad. I live in south Georgia, so it doesn't get cold here compared to the rest of the United States. But it's still cold to me lol :p I'll be sure to keep oil handy, and to wear it up. We have a woodburning stove in my house, so I imagine it will become really dry with the heat. I'll probably have to look into some deep treatments.

[RileyJane]

This is when I really focus on braids right after oiling my ends, the braids really help keep that moisture in more than buns! I tend to braid the ends into the braid itself, making it a little more secure. Wearing a scarf or a hat during those blistering winds reallyy helps too! If you want your hair down in winter, at least wait til you are inside before taking it down :) my hair grows about the same length all year round, but in winter I just need to stick with my hair care routine perfectly:p

[AnthonyB93]

My hair loves winter. In the south(GA) the dry, hot air is a pain. My hair is always dry and brittle. But in the winter my hair is so much better.

[samanthajenalyn]

My hair loves winter. In the south(GA) the dry, hot air is a pain. My hair is always dry and brittle. But in the winter my hair is so much better.

I live in south Georgia too! I know in the summer, my hair is always so dry also! The humidity makes it so difficult! I'm hoping the cooler air will help with all of that :)

[Komao]

I've always lived in very, very cold climates (upstate New York and, for the last decade, Michigan). One of the major reasons I never thought I'd be able to give up my blow dryer is because--here--wet hair is a real health hazard, not to mention a hair hazard (icicle hair breaks!). So my question is, how do you deal with WINTER? I'm reluctant to start showering at night. There's nothing quite like a hot shower to start your day, not to mention the feeling of a warm DRY bed.

Is there something special you do with your hair care routine to adapt to the special challenges of a cold climate? People mention their having "growth spurts" during certain times of the year: does your hair "stall" in winter?

For those of you who have lived in different climates, what sort of advice could you offer on growing long, healthy hair in a way that actually works for your specific environment?

I look forward to getting your advice--just in time. It's mid-November here in Michigan, which is the beginning of what's always a loonnngg winter.


Hi, I live near the capital of NY, about 30 miles west of Albany. I wash my hair on Friday night or weekend usually. I only wash once a week so planning the most convenient time is sort of easy for me. I love to knit and crochet, so I make my own hats, scarves, etc. I never go out in howling winds and bitter cold without hair protected.
I've heard that hair grows the fastest in summer. Mine seems to grow the fastest in the winter months. Not sure why this is?
I use oil almost every day on length of hair and specially the ends. I can't think of anything else that I do differently. :)

[catasa]

Hmm, last winter my hair was much nicer, softer, and less poofy and frizzy than it has ever been before, and also compared to how it has been this spring and summer. But then I am a wavy with hair that hates humidity, and I also started to use mineral oil as leave in last autumn. It kind of seems like my hair is more prone to over-moisturizing/protein-loss than dryness, but I haven´t been able to really figure out my hair´s properties and needs fully even after years of trying...

[Lady Mary]

Gosh, I have no idea actually. I've only lived in hot places (southern CA, southern FL, etc.) I've never even seen snow. I imagine my hair wouldn't do very well, just a guess though.

[stachelbeere]

I don't like winter so my hair doesn't like it either because my hair is a part of me. I'm really not looking forward to snow, cold rain, cold winds and minus temperatures :/ ugh.

[velorutionista]

I love winter (and MN does it well!), and my hair seems to do OK as long as I don't go running around outside with wet hair. I usually wear it up in the winter to combat static, and this year is the first time in ages I'll have forced heat instead of radiators, so static may become an even worse issue--we'll see.

[veryhairyfairy]

My hair definitely has feelings about winter, and it is not shy about sharing them! :p Mostly it gets super tangly because of the dryness in the air caused by heating. I have to remember to oil for better slip (I really hate to, though, because oil causes tangles when it attracts dust, lint, and cat hairs). And I very rarely use humectants (aloe, glycerin, honey, etc) because in low humidity they actually draw moisture out of your hair. The only time I use humectants in winter is in an SMT while in a steamy shower or tub, but I rinse it out super well and then coat my hair in conditioner and oil to seal it.

[Naiadryade]

I tend to braid the ends into the braid itself, making it a little more secure.

:bigeyes: What do you mean? How do you do that??

[Ambystoma]

It always looks worse in winter thanks to the humidity - I see a few wavies in this thread have the same winter frizz problem. My hair tends to look nicer in summer, the extra hot dry days seem to help it stay sleek instead of "just escaped from a disco" fluffy.

[Flor]

Where I live, winter is more humid season than summer, A LOT more humid. It doesn't get below 0ºC (aside from a few nights a year, maybe), but it rains constantly. I find it that it takes a lot longer for my hair to air-dry and that's inconvenient, but overall I get less damage in Winter.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I keep my air oiled and bunned.