7 Little Known Secrets to Maintain and Protect Your Hair During Winter

Bonsoir tout le monde!

I had the pleasure of attending a wonderful event at the Afrotherapy Salon in Edmonton all about how to care for natural black hair during winter months on the 4th November. They claimed to have 7 secrets to success with regards to looking after natural black hair. I must admit it was very useful and interesting to learn about. Before I give you a lowdown on the secrets I thought it best to explain the layout of the night. We spent a decent amount of time being let in on the 7 secrets before being given a presentation by one of the representatives and hair experts for a French company Phytospecific. This company produces hair products which are completely plant based and their Phytospecific range is made just for kinky/coily hair. They have some amazing products and I'll be trying some of their range pretty soon so keep an eye out for that! There was also a Q&A section and some of the stylists were able to demonstrate a few useful protective hairstyles perfect for the winter for all different hair lengths and hair types. 

Now onto the 7 secrets!

1) Science of Hair - our hair texture is influenced by each strand of hair. The thicker each strand of hair is, the thicker your overall hair is. Most people who believe that they're suffering from hair may in fact be experiencing thin strands of hair. In order to rectify that problem, it's recommended that you use a thickening or strengthening product to bring back the original texture of your hair. Porosity is also a key feature to understand about your hair. If the porosity of your hair has increased, this means that the cuticles of your hair (like snake scales that protect the cortex of your hair) become raised and damaged. This could be due to either relaxing or over-styling so moisturizing products are great to reinstall moisture back into your hair. 

2) Effects of Weather on Hair - cold hair can cause the cuticle layer of you hair to lift up. Dry/hot air can also draw all of the moisture out of your hair due to the change in temperature from cold to hot. Strong winds can cause tangling and increase the rate at which hair moisture evaporates. 

3) Effects of Water on the Hair - hard water found in many countries such as England, can cause your hair to dry out and become itchy. This is because this water is rich in calcium and magnesium ions which cause it to dry up. You can buy special wipes to pass through your hair to remove the calcium and magnesium build up. 

4) Best Treatments for Winter Hair - during the winter time, natural hair is prone to moisture loss so the best products to use and those rich in moisture (eg. Shea butter, coconut oil etc). Shampooing too frequently can also dry hair as it is bracing stripped of its essential oils. 

5) Best Products for Winter Hair - moisture-rich products are the way to go. The Phytospecific range has a lot of very good hair products which allow the re-installation of moisture. Some other good products are Shea butter or Jamaican Black Castor Oil. 

6) Protective Styling - this is especially important during the winter months as the extreme wind and cold can cause damage to the hair and create splint ends. So it is recommended that during this period, you shampoo your hair every 7 - 10 days. If your hair is very dry and brittle then make sure you incorporate treatments into your hair regime every 2-3 weeks. 

I've only just realised there were only 6 secrets but still very good to know! Each attendee was given a goodie bag with a few samples from the Phytospecific range which I shall be trying very soon. 

All in all it was a great night and I enjoyed myself. Hope to go to more natural black hair events like this in the future,

Au revoir x