Best Ways to Retain Hair Moisture During Winter Months

Hair like plants go through transitions along with the change in weather. During the brutal winter months hair tends to get severely damaged from the dry cold air as well as hats and scarves which lead to dry, brittle split ends. But there is hope and it's free! So what's the magic cure for your hair you ask? Plain ole STEAM and body heat! Steam works magic on hair and skin to combat the harsh elements and helps to add moisture.  It's imperative that we retain moisture but it's hard to do with just topical ointment and oils alone. This is exactly why the Baggy Method is simple but works perfectly to moisturize and add shine back to your winter beaten hair.

If you're unfamiliar with the Baggy Method, basically it's adding oil or a light leave-in conditioner to the hair and sitting with a plastic cap to retain your natural body heat. When applying the oil I like to concentrating on the ends working my way to the scalp. After applying oil to the hair and leaving a plastic cap on overnight will result in great results but over night treatments aren't necessary. Adding the baggy method to your nightly regimen two to three times per week, making sure you leave the cap on for a minimum of 30 minutes each session works perfectly too.  You'll also noticeably hear the difference in your dry hair versus that of your moisturized hair. Dry hair sounds like straw rubbing when you rub it between your fingers or against your head. Where as hair that has the proper moisture does not have that same coarse sound. The hair follicles slide against each other without severe friction and experience less tangles.

In regards to your skin the winter chill impacts us each in multiple ways. The most noticeable being that it strips our skin of it's natural oils and is easily seen and felt on the hands and face. The colder temperature reduces sebum which acts as our skins barrier and protections by trapping in moisture. Perfect example of how our natural oil is severely compromised is the higher use of lip balms during the winter months. Your lips don't produce sebum because they lack sebaceous glands therefore you experience higher chapped lip in colder temperature. Topical moisture and steam are the only ways to combat severe chapped lips.  For skin to benefit quickly from steam treatments it's best to carve aside 10 minutes twice a week to steam clean your skin. Also you'll benefit from adding a small humidifier in your bedroom while you sleep. Covering the hands and feet with Vaseline also works wonders! (covered here in an earlier post: Vaseline: save-your-money-skin-tip)