Fall hair care: How to adjust your routine as temperatures drop
There’s something in the air when autumn arrives. A crispness, a dryness, a change that your hair senses before you’ve even had a chance to change your wardrobe. Dry indoor air, cold winds and snug hats create a combination that wears on your hair in a way summer never does.
But autumn is also one of the year’s most beautiful seasons for hair care. With the right adjustments to your routine, your hair can actually be in better shape now than during the summer months.
What autumn does to your hair
As the temperature drops and we start heating the air indoors, humidity levels fall. Dry air draws moisture from the hair’s outer layer, making it more prone to frizz, static electricity and breakage. Hats and scarves create friction against your hair and can cause mechanical stress, especially along the hairline.
Your scalp reacts too. Just as skin can become drier and more sensitive in autumn and winter, your scalp can become irritated by temperature changes and dry air.
The Editor’s Note: Static electricity in your hair is a classic autumn problem. It occurs when your hair is dry and friction against clothes and hats creates a charge. The solution isn’t an antistatic product, but moisture: a well-hydrated hair strand naturally dissipates the charge.
Adjust your routine
Moisturize more. Autumn and winter call for more moisture than summer. Use conditioner every time you wash your hair and give it a deeper treatment every other week. FOAM’s Dreamy Hair conditioner bar works wonderfully as an intensive hair mask. Work it into damp hair, leave it on for five minutes and rinse it out.
Protect against friction. Swap your cotton hat for one with a silk lining.
Massage your scalp regularly. Scalp massage stimulates blood circulation and counteracts the dryness caused by cold air. Two to three minutes with each wash is enough.
Give your hair a break. Autumn is a good time to cut back on heat styling. Blow-dry at a lower temperature, let your hair air-dry when you can, and give it a break from straighteners and curling irons.
Autumn doesn’t call for a dramatic overhaul of your routine. It just calls for a little more care and a little more attention to what your hair is telling you.