Hair is not immune to the winter blues. A dry scalp and frizzy, dull, lifeless hair can all be issues at this time of year. But giving stressed-out tresses a little extra TLC will pay off and bestow you with healthier hair throughout the year.

Roz Orr, Salon Director from award-winning salon group, Charlie Miller agrees. “The scalp is more prone to dehydration and brittle ends over the winter due to a combination of cold weather outside and cranked-up heating inside, while pulling woolly hats on and off causes extra friction on hair strands.”

Dry spell

"It may seem obvious, but make sure hair is properly dry before you leave the house, however seldom that may be right now,” stresses Roz. "Any moisture left in hair, combined with cold air outside, will only serve to make it brittle and dry.” Make sure thirsty hair gets plenty of hydration with moisturising products. Also, minimise heat exposure as much as possible.

Moisture boost

If you are suffering from dry hair, look for a shampoo that will work to help the cuticle on the hair shaft absorb moisture.

“Charlie Miller Hydrate Shampoo will clean, condition and repair dry hair and is specifically formulated with Jasmine Extract, Organic Calendula Flower Extract and Organic Sage Oil to help lock in moisture,” reveals Roz. “I’d also recommend, when shampooing, to take the time to give your scalp a quick massage, as this will help boost circulation.”

Then, follow with an intensive hair masque such as award-winning Kérastase Nutritive Masquintense to replace moisture and help repair damaged hair.

Deep condition

“If hair is in particularly poor condition, a conditioning treatment is a must to nourish hair, and add radiance and shine,” suggests Amber Swift, Charlie Miller Salon Director.

"In the salon, Kérastase Fusio-Dose instant treatments will keep your hair well-nourished. With 20 possible combinations these treatments can be tailor-made to target your primary and secondary hair problems resulting in smooth, shiny tangle-free tresses”.

For a regular pamper at home, try Kérastase Fusio Homelab once every 10 days to help restore smoothness to super-dry hair—it will even work on fine hair without weighing it down.

Damage limitation

When it comes to styling, use a product that will help to protect and nourish hair.

“I love Charlie Miller Smoothing Blow Dry Crème, as it expertly protects against colour fade and heat damage,” reveals Charlie Miller Salon Director, Cat Nicholson. "It will smooth and detangle hair in readiness for styling and protect against damage when using anything from a hairdryer to straighteners”.

Add a glass-like finish with Shu Uemura Art of Hair Essence Absolue.

Split with split ends

Regular trims will also help to keep hair healthy. Ideally, out with lockdown, you should have hair trimmed every six to eight weeks. This helps keep the shape of your style looking its best and will help reduce the chance of dry, split ends becoming a problem. Of course, that might not be an option this year, so ensure you use masques and conditioning treatments to better bond your hair. Olaplex’s Hair Perfector was a 2020 best-seller for this reason alone.

Feed your hair

We all know our skin benefits from a good diet, but hair does, too. Make sure to include foods that are rich in natural oils, as well as vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamins B, C, A and E, and iron. Vitamin C helps in the production of collagen, which strengthens the hair shaft; so top up on blackcurrants, blueberries, kiwi fruit, oranges, grapefruit, broccoli and sweet potatoes, which are all vitamin C rich.

“The new year is as good a time as any to ditch as much processed food and sugar as possible, and focus on fresh fruit and veg, lean meat, oily fish, and nuts to boost hair health,” stresses Roz. "Taking a multi-vitamin will help make sure you reach daily requirements of each, which will boost overall health as well as your hair. It’s a win-win!”

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