How to Revive Dull Tresses in Winter

How to Revive Dull Tresses in Winter

If you are like the millions of women who are fighting the dry wintery weather and tired of dull hair, keep reading to learn some ways to bring back your hair's  vibrancy and shine to your hair!

Ah winter.  The time to switch wardrobes and our thermostats.  It seems everyone experiences the effects of dry winter weather including chapped lips and dry hands.  Lip balm and lotion companies probably celebrate their best months during winter!

But what about our hair?  Winter can not only make our hair look dull and lifeless, but it can damage our locks if not properly taken care of.  The reason why?  A hair strand has ridges called a cuticle and when dry and damaged, that cuticle will lift and light won't be to bounce off and exposing the hair to damaging effects.

Here are somethings you can do today to ensure that your hair won't need major repair in the spring!

In this article I'm going to share with you:

1. The invisible dull hair culprits
2. How to keep moisture locked in your locks
3. How to safely remove product buildup
4. How to bring back shine without coloring your hair... (and possibly create more damage)

The invisible culprits that are creating dull hair

A. Dry winter weather and B. Product buildup and C. Styling Tools

Well, they aren't really invisible - except for the weather aspect.

Not only do wintery days and nights mean that we get to dress and snuggle to stay warmer, but we're also turning the heat on everywhere we go!  Heat and lack of moisture in the hair means that evaporation is happening and sucking every bit of moisture out of the air which is effecting our skin and out hair!

Then while trying to fight back to make sure that our hairstyles stay in place when the weather isn't being helpful means we've got to add more product to our hair and without properly shampooing and conditioning, we could be leaving a residue on our hair shaft that is depleting the hair of moisture and not allowing natural oils to condition hair cuticles.

How to safely remove product build-up

One of the easiest ways to remove product build-up without having to buy special shampoo's is to really clean your hair with what you're already using.  You'll need your shampoo and conditioner and a wide-tooth comb, if you don't have a comb, use your fingers no brush or regular comb.

Here's how you do it:

1. Wet your hair and then squeeze out as much of the moisture as you can
2. Lather your hair with shampoo and scrub your scalp with your finger tips (not nails), and work the shampoo into your scalp and hair.  During this time you will notice that there aren't a lot of suds.
3. Rinse hair and squeeze out as much water as you can, no twisting, just squeeze.
4. Lather your hair again with shampoo and scrub your scalp with your finger tips again working the shampoo again into your scalp and hair.  You may notice that a lot of suds are forming, this is a good sign - it means that a lot of product was picked up and rinsed away the first time.
5. Repeat step 3 again.  Feel your hair starting from your scalp to your ends.  Does it feel different?  Does it feel "clean" or does it feel a little slick?  If it feels slick repeat step 4, if it feels clean, make sure you've got a lot of moisture out.
6. Starting from ends to roots, lather your hair with conditioner. With your  wide-tooth comb or fingers, start combing the conditioner through your hair, again starting at your ends and working your way up.  You just spent a lot of time removing build-up from your scalp, no reason to do it all over again just yet!
7. Rinse your hair with water that is a little cooler than your previous rinses and the squeeze moisture from your hair and towel dry.
8. While damp, you could spray some leave-in conditioner, if you have any, starting from ends and working your way up.
9. Style as usual.

How to give your hair a beautiful shine without coloring

Shine occurs when your hair cuticle is smooth!  Using product with moisturizing properties will help, but the way you style your hair will also work wonders!

Depending on your hair type, fine, normal, coarse, you need to choose a product that boosts shine and provides thermal protection.  If you are using a flat iron, a blow dryer, or a curling tool on your hair - it needs to be protected more than ever during winter months!

If the cuticle of your hair is full of cracks, light isn't able to bounce off and shine on the hair.  Filling and repairing cracks so the cuticle is smooth is our main priority.

Grab some serum or spray specialized for your hair type and get ready to add some shine!

1. Section your hair into 4 quadrants.
2. Rub the serum in between your hands to warm it up and spread it out.
3. Apply the serum from your ends to your roots by finger combing into your hair.
4. Apply the spray by starting at the roots and working your way up and then finger combing in.
5. Then grab that section of hair between your two palms starting at your roots like your clapping your hair, and smooth the hair going downward.  This will help close the cuticle and light will bounce off your shiny hair! 

Did you find this article helpful? Let me know, and if you tried the steps here, let me know in the comments below.