Wake up in the morning and open your curtains to a foggy, misty morning; there is a chill in the air and the time to start bundling up is here – winters are here! And while there are plenty of things to love about the winters – steaming cups of tea, warm bowls of soup and an abundance of fruits and vegetables, this also the time when you need to take a little extra care of your hair and skin. The winter season can prove to be quite brutal and is often the time when you lose a lot of hair, mainly because you are not taking proper care of it.

Here are some of the things that you need to keep in mind during the winters, to ensure that you have hair that everyone will fall in love with!

• Wash only when needed – The hair and scalp have oil – in oily hair there is an excess, in dry hair there is less than what is needed. But every time you wash your hair with shampoo, you are washing away all the natural oils on your scalp, leaving your hair dry and brittle. During the winters, it is essential that you wash your hair only once or twice a week and preferably with a shampoo that is paraben and SLS/SLES free.
• Olive oil or coconut oil – It doesn’t matter whether you choose the luxurious jojoba oil, the exquisite extra virgin olive oil or the ever trusty coconut oil – you need to make sure that you oil your hair, before every shampoo session. If you are in the mood to pamper your hair, you could even add a few drops of an essential oil like rosemary, which is good for hair. Alternately, you could look at ayurvedic oils with the goodness of brahmi, bhringaraj, amla and other herbs. Whichever oil you choose, make sure to warm it up a little and then massage it into the scalp and the length of the hair. Allow the oil to nourish your hair for a minimum of 30 minutes, before washing it off.
• Condition first, wash second – Many people tend to wash their hair with shampoo first and then condition. However, if you go to any good hair & skin clinic , chances are that they will tell you to do it the other way around. When you condition after shampooing, there is a chance that all the conditioner might not get washed away; this can lead to dirt and grime to get stuck to those conditioner particles, leading to hair damage. However, if you apply conditioner first and the let the nourishment soak in, the shampoo will wash all the excess away, leaving your hair feeling healthy and soft!
• Hot water or lukewarm? – While it might feel great to stand under a hot water shower on a cold winter morning, your hair might not feel that great. Have you ever wondered why you use hot water to wash oily dishes – because hot water will remove the traces of oil faster and more effectively. So naturally, when you pour hot water on your hair, all natural oils will get washed off, making your hair dry and brittle, while also making your scalp dry and prone to flakes. No matter what the season, it is best that you stick to lukewarm water for your hair.
• Hide those styling tools – Winters are that time of the year, when your hair is already feeling very delicate; so when you use harsh chemicals or styling tools that use extreme heat, you are exposing them to more prospective damage. So, just for the winter months, keep those styling tools and styling products away and use them only when you really need them.
• Pamper your hair – This is also the season to pamper your hair – whether you want to massage your hair with some warm oil or go all out for a proper hair spa, go ahead and do it. You can use a hair serum or even an overnight oil to ensure that your hair gets the moisture it needs. Based on your hair type, you can also look at hair masks, made with aloe vera, yoghurt or egg, as these can provide deep hydration.

Finally, as is the case with any season, make sure that you drink plenty of water and eat sufficient amounts of fruits and vegetables, as these will provide the nourishment required, from within.