It’s so important to go that extra mile to care for your hair, especially during the winter months.
Whether your hair is low or high maintenance, we all need to manage our hair differently when the temperatures fall and central heating is turned up.
With that being said, top hair extensions brand Great Lengths has put together some easy tips for keeping your hair in tip-top shape during the cold spell.
Great quality hair products are your best friend
You get what you pay for when it comes to great quality hair products.
Pharmacy products may be cheaper and give you a nice lather in the shower, but they can strip your hair of colour and moisture.
Chat to your hairdresser about aftercare to suit your particular hair type, and invest in professional products to keep your hair healthy and strong.
Emma Leung from Kelly Leung Hair Design said: “The best piece of advice I can give to my clients is to continue the professional treatment at home after you leave the salon chair by investing in quality aftercare.”
“For my extensions clients, I recommend Great Lengths Daily Shampoo and the Great Lengths 60 Second Conditioner to keep the hair in the best possible condition until I see them for their next appointment.”
Regular trims keep your hair healthy
Removing dead ends every couple of months during winter will keep your hair looking sharp and feeling healthy.
While some people may avoid getting their hair cut to keep the length, getting a regular trim actually promotes hair growth long term and strengthens your hair.
If you want to keep your hair at the same length, get it cut every 6 to 8 weeks.
If you want to grow it a little longer, cut it every 8 to 12 weeks.
A weekly deep condition is essential
During the colder months we spend the day going between hot and cold environments, which can seriously damage our hair.
Aggressive weather and indoor heating can zap our hair of moisture, leaving it weak and dry.
A deep-conditioning mask like Great Lengths High Performance mask is the perfect treatment for dry, unruly and stressed out hair.
Aileen Barnby from Barnby & Brennan says: “Using leave in-conditioners and serums helps to tame dry, static hair over the winter months. The new Great Lengths Leave In Conditioner helps lock moisture in and keep hair looking and feeling silky smooth.”
Fewer washes
A simple but effective tip: try your best to wash your hair less during the cold months, and get a couple of extra days from your hair with a good quality dry shampoo.
Less washing means less blow-drying and styling, so you’ll have more time to get ready in the mornings.
Plus you’ll also be using less water, so it’s better for the environment. A win win!
Wash at a lower temperature
Another simple but effective tip is making sure to wash your hair at a lower temperature.
Washing our hair with very hot water during the colder months can leave our scalp dry and dehydrated.
Colder water helps to seal the moisture in the hair, and also closes the pores preventing excess oil from entering the scalp – making it less greasy.
Put down the heated tools!
This is a no-brainer but, try your best to avoid over-styling your hair with heated tools this winter.
With your hair more prone to breakage due to internal and external environmental factors, make sure to give your hair a break from excess heat.
Your hair will thank you for it!
Never leave the house with wet hair
This may sound like an obvious tip but people often forego the blowdry in the morning if they are running late.
Our hair is more brittle when wet so it’s very important during winter to make sure hair is dry before we go outside.
Wearing a hat outside will also protect your hair from the elements.
Plait it up
Plait, braid or wear your hair in a low pony tail whilst resting or sleeping, especially if you wear extensions.
This prevents your extensions from matting or getting tangled, and will avoid the dreaded bed head look.
Plaits are also a great way to give you beautiful heat free waves when you wake up!
Sleep on silk
The best thing you can do for your hair this winter is invest in a good quality silk pillowcase.
Silk gives off less friction than cotton, leaving your hair smoother and tangle free.
Applying serum/hair oil to your ends before bed is also a great way of taming your hair and keeping it smooth throughout the winter months.
Brush your extensions!
This sounds pretty simple but it’s essential to prevent matting.
Great Lengths recommend to brush your hair 2-3 times a day, and brush row by row over the bond or tape.
The Great Lengths Hair Extension brushes are designed to gently detangle hair and tame it from the roots to the tips without damaging any extensions.
For Great Lengths bonded extension-wearers: make sure to separate your bonds daily with your fingers at the root to prevent matting.
Treat your hair from within
Many factors can leaving our hair feeling lank and unhealthy.
Alongside using quality hair products, Great Lengths recommend investing in a good supplement for an extra boost during the winter months.
Your skin and nails will see the benefit too!
