During the winter months, hair needs extra loving care. You’ve heard it all before: Winter equals dry, brittle hair that lacks luster. Not only can you safeguard the overall health of your clients' hair in times of cold, you can keep winter’s bite from eating at hair color. While protection and moisture retention are ideal goals, more often than not we’re busy out in the elements, in which case it’s all about replenishment. If you’re not prepared, hair damage and color loss is inevitable, so here are some tips I recommend for helping clients look after their locks when the temperatures plummet.
- Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! That begins with shampooing; use a moisture rich shampoo made for color-treated hair or even the precautionary use of a dandruff shampoo like Pureology DandruffScalpCure Shampoo to prevent flakes from cluttering your coif. Rinse in lukewarm or cool water, as it’s less drying and increases the longevity of your color. Another consideration is frequency. Cutting back on the frequency of washes is generally good advice, but I know some of you just insist on washing daily. If that’s the case, hydrate once a week with a deep conditioning treatment like Hydrate HydraCure, otherwise every other week works.
- When blow-drying, curling or using a flat iron, make sure to use thermal protectors. In addition, a conditioning colour gloss will not only richen up your colour, but also seal the cuticle, adding further protection and shine.
- Believe it or not, hair needs to be trimmed often. People get in the habit of thinking that less is more in the winter…don’t touch it and you’ll be better off. That can actually work against you because of cold and windy outdoor activities and dry conditions inside due to heaters, the odds of you getting breakage and split ends increase. Since clients won’t be at the salon long for a cut, promote holiday services geared toward moisturizing and conditioning.
- Finally, just cover up. You’ll be warmer, your hair won’t whip you in the face, the colour will be protected from the sun’s UV rays and the cold’s icy grip, plus you’ll maintain the style that you had when you first walked out the door.
Ruth Roche is a salon owner, editorial stylist, platform artist and educator, whose work has appeared in magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Vanity Fair, Interview, Self, More and Cosmopolitan. Her celebrity clients have included Sheryl Crow, Claire Danes, Lindsay Lohan, Kelly Ripa, and Mariska Hargitay. With almost two decades in beauty, Ruth has been honored multiple times by the North American Hairstyling Awards, including Master Stylist of the Year, and is featured in the newly released documentary, Stars Behind the Chair: The Leading Ladies of Hair. She opened Rare Salon in 2003.