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thankyousir74
January 1st, 2010, 12:03 AM
Hi all :waving:

Well, as you guys may or may not know, I've been going to college away from home, and am now back in my hometown, Miami, for break.

The truth is, I can't stop thinking about the cold New Hampshire winter that awaits me when I get back. I am completely and utterly clueless about what to expect, as it rarely dips below 60 degrees here in Miami.

So I've heard about hair freezing when wet, but are there any other things I should know before heading up? I already have my fair share of problems with moisturizing (just FYI) but really just any advice (even not hair related) on how to cope with Old Man Winter is greatly welcome.

Thank you all, LHC offers such a wealth of information :3

ericthegreat
January 1st, 2010, 12:24 AM
I live in NYC, not nearly as far north as NH, but even here I've seen temps as low as 0 degrees F or even in the negative numbers in some very cold winters. This December alone we've had two snow storms, one about two weeks ago and just yesterday on New Year's Eve we had two inches of wet snow.

I NEVER go outside with wet or even damp hair when the temp is below 32. Between the months of December to March, I always blow dry my hair at least 70% before going to bed after I do my nightly CO rinse. With my amount of length and thickness, its impossible for my hair to fully naturally air-dry by the next morning.

The winter is also the time to seriously step up your moisturizing routine. My CO conditioner is Suave Coconut which I've found to be plenty moisturizing for all kinds of seasons. I also do oilings at least once a week, sometimes even two days a week during the wintertime. For the past 5 months, I've been using Ojon nut oil as my oil of choice, but in winters past I've used coconut oil and I've found that to be just as protective against winter dryness on my hair as well. You might also want to try making your own SMT treatments if you haven't heard about them already. Ktani, a very good member here knows all about SMTs you can ask her about how to make this treatment if you'd like.

Anyway enjoy your break down in Miami and have a Happy New Year. :)

ericthegreat
January 1st, 2010, 12:35 AM
I should also add that in freezing cold, windy winter weather you definitely want to wear your hair up in a protective updo style. Freezing cold winter winds can cause so much damage to your hair, being so strong they will give you terrible tangles and knots if you wear it down. Also, these winds tend to be dry winds so they will suck the moisture right out of your hair. Wearing your hair up during the wintertime only makes practical sense.

In the winter, unless I'm going out somewhere nice and fancy, I will always twist it up and secure it with a giant hairclip, or I simply wear it up in a quick, casual bun.

thankyousir74
January 1st, 2010, 01:56 PM
Thanks for the advice, Eric :flower: I'm so excited, I'm packing right now :D

Fractalsofhair
January 1st, 2010, 02:10 PM
You may need more moisturizing things for your hair due to the dry heat, though that mostly applies to skin. Wearing it up is a good idea. Look for a hat that isn't too harsh on the inside. Also, expect hat hair if you take that route. It's not so strange to keep your hat on all day. It's not fun to go to sleep with cold wet hair,so you may consider a blowdrier on low, on cool for a short amount of time if your hair is damp.

Chromis
January 1st, 2010, 02:53 PM
I don't really change much in my haircare for the cold, other than to oil a little more. I still do not use a blowdrier and I still go out with it damp just fine. The trick for me is just to bun it and then throw a warm beret or slouchy hat over it.

I'd be more worried about the rest of you than your hair coming from Miami! Layers. Many, many layers will be your friend. Thin camis and long shirts are great as a base under warmer things btw. I often wear a silk thermal with a cami over it (thermal necklines look funny under more formal shirts) underneath a blouse with a sweater over it and maybe a blazer or cardigan over that. On my other half I wear a skirt, slip, two pairs of tights, socks, and boots (the boots hide the socks most of the time so I can wear nice wooly ones and not have it look funny). Then outside I pile on two scarves, a long coat, my beret, gloves or mittens and a cowl to pull over my cheeks and nose if it is very frigid. Oh and shoe chains! If it is icy you'll want something like these: http://www.yaktrax.com/ProductsPro.aspx Seriously. These save my life every winter since I have no balance and when I first moved here I also discovered all of my shoes were very slippery in snow!

deko
January 1st, 2010, 03:10 PM
I use coney condish in the winter. I also use SMT at least once a week. Here in Finland the usual winter temperature is about -15°C (5°F) so I tuck my hair under a cap and scarf and winter coat when I'm outside. My hair is very static and dry in wintertime so I only try to keep it manageable and treat it better when the weather turns warmer.

I (and my hair) hate wintertime, and I don't have a car so I use my cycle to move around. Hrrr...

sweet*things
January 1st, 2010, 05:31 PM
Oil, lots of conditioning, make sure your hair is dry (or well covered) when you are out in the cold. I wear my hair braided or bunned a lot in the winter to avoid getting huge knots on the back of my head from all the friction with all the layers of hats, scarves and coats. I recently switched to a natural horn comb, which is supposed to cut down on static electricity. It seems to be working so far, as I haven't had as many tangles.

Libilou
January 1st, 2010, 05:46 PM
Layers. Lots of layers are the best way to deal with the cold. I live in Utah and we had 0-10 degree weather already (early December). It's warmed up now to upper 20's, but we get dumped snow on when it warms up.

And keep your ears covered, with something you can possibly pull up to cover your nose if there's a cold wind.

I've got nothing for the hair. I've been here for many, many years, but I don't know what to do to protect my hair from the cold.

RavennaNight
January 1st, 2010, 06:05 PM
As other posters have also noted, I cannot emphasize enough the need for MORE moisture! The air is so dry that the hair gets dry too! I just tried dry conditioning, and it makes conditioning even more effective. Just take your favorite cheapie conditioner and soak it into dry hair. Let it sit an hour and go about your regular washing routine. I found this to make a big difference! Wear your hair up outside, as Eric pointed out the cold winds wreak havoc with hair.