Your hair after winter

With the onset of cooler temperatures comes a new set of haircare demands. Adding moisture is especially important at this time of year, and something many women neglect to do.As we spend less time in the sun, the natural highlights nature paints into our hair become less noticeable and hair loses its healthy, shimmering look. The cold air of winter is more drying and less humid, causing more damage than at other times of the year. Indoor heating devices create a dryer climate as well. All of this leads to duller-looking hair. Master hair designer and salon owner, Greg Amparan, offers some suggestions to keep your hair vibrant, well-moisturised and looking its best throughout the winter season:

Colour
People tend to apply more colour and highlights, and have more frequent perms in the winter. Colouring is one effective way to combat dull-looking winter hair, but highlights can look equally good. It's a sure-fire way to liven up your appearance and boost your morale!

Moisturiser

Moisture is essential for your hair, especially after it's been subjected to any chemical treatments. Look for a conditioner with cetyl alcohol. This is the best moisturising agent and is derived from coconut. Another ingredient to look for is cetearyl alcohol, which is an excellent hair moisturiser. A good moisturising conditioner is sufficient for many people. However, if your hair is very damaged or dry, look for a moisturising shampoo as well.




Lock in the moisture
Hair is much denser than skin, with cuticle layers that are difficult to penetrate. Once you've found and used a good product that moisturises your hair, you need to be sure to lock that moisture in. A cool rinse helps close the cuticles down, sealing in the moisture. Try this extra hair cocktail to lock moisture in: To flatten the cuticles, rinse your hair with apple cider vinegar. It's highly acidic and leaves hair with a fresh, clean fragrance. Let it sit on the hair for a few minutes before rinsing with cool or cold water. Apple cider vinegar contracts the cuticle, locking in not only moisture, but colour well. A vinegar rinse reduces the chances of colour fading.

Hats and hair
While wearing a hat is one of the best ways to stay warm in winter, these fashion accessories can be bad for your hair. "Continually wearing hats can lead to overworked sebaceous glands, resulting in limp, greasy locks," says Jan Przemyk, academy director for Toni & Guy salons. He advises women to make sure their hats fit correctly and also to dry-clean woollen hats regularly.