Best ways to take care of hair in winter

Jan 04, 2018 | By Dr. Sangay Bhutia (Hair Transplant Specialist in Delhi)

Winter months can be equally tough for both hair and skin. While most of us will change our skincare regime and stock up on winter creams for our skin, we will just ignore our hair. With hair exposed to the cold winter air outside, and to heaters and blowers inside the house, it risks losing essential moisture and become dry and brittle, which can lead to hair fall.

Here are a few ways to take care of your hair during the winter months and prevent hair fall:

1. Don't overheat your bath
While it is very tempting to take prolonged hot showers and soaks in winter, it isn’t the best thing for your hair or your skin. Keep the baths short and use cool or lukewarm water. If you expose your hair to hot water for a long time, it will strip the moisture and essential oils off and make hair dry and brittle.

2. Consume healthy fats and protein
Protein, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12 are excellent for hair. These are available in leafy greens, lean meats, nuts, beans, and fish, and they boost hair growth. In winter it can be especially helpful for your hair and scalp if you are on a well-balanced diet that includes all these foods.
The other essential is Protein, as hair is made of protein. In certain cases when the body is not getting enough protein, it basically stops the production of protein, like hair. It can happen in instances of crash dieting. Protein in the diet helps the production of keratin. Protein is essential because if keratin weakens, hair becomes weak as well, and can fall. Dairy products, eggs, beans, soy, pork tenderloin are all rich in protein. So on your next trip to the supermarket, load up on these protein-rich foods.

3. Be gentle with your hair
Winter is a rough time for hair. The dry air can cause a dry and flaky scalp, which can make the roots weak, leading to hair fall. You do no want to increase the dryness by over-shampooing. While it is important to keep the scalp clean, do not shampoo too often. Use a mild shampoo two to three times a weak, and ideally let the hair air-dry.
The natural oils in the scalp help in keeping your hair healthy. And if your hair is dry or damaged, too much shampooing will only elevate the problem. You can use dry shampoo if your hair gets too limp, but make sure you don’t allow the residue to build up. Once in a while, you can use apple cider vinegar to rinse your hair to get all the product build up out.
You can also change your shampoo in the winter and find something more moisturizing. For scalp prone to dandruff, get a medicated anti-dandruff shampoo.

Simply put, Creatine is not directly damaging hair follicles but it is creating DHT that leads to hair loss. Therefore if you have family history of hair loss, it might be best to avoid Creatine.

4. Dealing with a dry scalp
Dry and flaky scalp is a common problem for the winter months. As we discussed, the best ways to avoid it is to avoid prolonged exposure to dry air and hot showers. It can also be helpful to get a shampoo meant for dry scalp, and massage your scalp with olive or coconut oil, or vitamin E. These can help replenish the moisture on your scalp.

5. Protect it from heat
If you use heat styling products like curling irons, straighteners, or hair dryers, be sure to apply some heat protectant serum before that. Excessive usage of heat styling products can lead to the destruction of hair structure, weakening of hair and falling off.
If you live in extremely cold temperatures, it can be helpful to cover your head with a scarf to avoid too much exposure to the dry air. But if you still face hair loss or extremely dry scalp, despite all the precautions, it is best to consult a doctor and tackle the problem before it becomes unmanageable.