With the end of January still a couple hundred days away, and many of us ladies trying to figure out how to slay with very little or no funds, it is important to take advantage of some tips we use during harmattan so your hair doesn’t go all crusty and break away. Whether you plan to rock braids, locs, a bone straight wig, or your own tresses, you should always have a haircare plan.
The golden rule? Never let your hair dry out.
How can you do this, you ask? Today, we’ll be sharing five tips to show you how.
Moisturize and Seal, Yes Even Under Protective Styles
Ladies with looser curl patterns can sometimes get away with not moisturizing their hair regularly. Don’t ever take such a risk regardless of the time of the year. In January, with the almost harmattan weather, your hair will dry out faster than normal, so it is essential to use a leave-in conditioner to moisturize and an oil and cream to seal the moisture in everyday or every other day.
Use a Deep Conditioner More Often
Using a deep conditioner is a key part of keeping your hair moisturized and free from breakage. You’ll want to do this more often especially if you’ll be leaving your hair out or doing styles without added hair. So if you typically deep condition your hair once a month, you may want to consider doing it twice a month instead.
Silk/Satin Bonnet/Pillowcase
It’s not enough to seal moisture into your hair with products, you also have to take protective steps to prevent that moisture from escaping through rubbing against surfaces like bed sheets. Keep moisture in your hair overnight by wearing a silk/satin bonnet or using a silk/satin pillowcase. These fabrics don’t absorb moisture as much as fabrics like cotton.
Avoid Humectants
Humectants are ingredients in products that draw moisture out of the environment and into your hair. In dry weather, they do the exact opposite. Since the weather is dry and your hair probably has more moisture than the environment, they draw moisture out of your hair and into the environment. This wastes all your effort and makes your hair dry again. Examples of popular humectants found in hair products are glycerin, honey, and panthenol.
Stay Calm and Drink More Water
Drinking more water is an easy way to keep your body refreshed and hydrated. When you’re hydrated on the inside, your hair and your skin are refreshed and hydrated too. Don’t skip this step. It might help you more than you know.
Keeping your hair healthy is important, but in dry weather more than any other. It is a simple matter of making sure the lack of moisture in the environment doesn’t overwhelm you and cause your hair to dry up. There are probably more tips to keep your hair healthy in this weather, but these are some basics. I hope they help!
Image source: harpers bazaar
