Winter haircare

There are a few things I do differently in the colder weather. First, I don't usually wash my hair in the morning. I tend to have a relatively long walk from where I park to the lab I work in, and allowing hair to freeze is a very bad idea. Instead of washing it in the morning, I often wash it in the evening. I like to wash it early, so it has time to dry before I go to bed, but I often don't get to, as I have evening classes and practices.Second, conditioning is very important. The air outside tends to be drier in the winter, and indoors many types of heating systems dry the air even more. Summer conditioning is mostly about dealing with damage from sun and so on (which I don't get, really - I'm inside in the lab almost all the time), while winter conditioning is about dealing with dryness and static.In winter, I tend to wear my hair braided or up somehow whenever I am outside, and frequently indoors also. Tangles can be a big issue with the winter wind, and tucking hair inside a coat can often be just as bad, especially if, like me, you must carry a backpack.Static is also an issue. A little water on your brush, or misted onto your hair, can help a lot with this if you experience it when brushing. Unfortunately, the building in which I work is extremely dry during the winter, and I tend to have problems with static constantly. Last winter, sections of my hair would float up of its own accord if I left it loose, without any provocation. I bought a hairspray that claims to offer help with conditioning and detangling while providing a very light hold (Aveda's Styling Curessence). I found it had essentially no hold, and did a wonderful job dealing with the static. The only thing I didn't like about it was the smell - it was a bit strong for my preference, although I decided I could live with it as long as it kept the static under control.Of course, with winter, you also get the holiday season, so it's probably a good idea to think ahead about what styles you might wear for festive events. If a style is new, it's a good idea to practice it a few times, both to make sure it will go well for the occasion, and to see how it looks with your face and figure. (That last - the face and figure thing - may not be a big deal for most people, but I've found there are certain styles that just don't work on me. I have a narrow face, a long neck, and a small bust, so with the wrong style, I can look just like a stick! I also have a somewhat prominent nose and chin, so I can end up looking like the stereotypical "wicked witch" if I choose wrong, also not good.)Well, those are about all the things I can think of as far as what I do for winter. In spite of some of the attendant hair challenges, I'm eager for the weather to cool off. It was cool enough to wear jeans rather than shorts here today, and I was so happy!Laura Janelswanson@sunflower.bio.indiana.edu