The cold weather not only affects the way we dress, but it also influences how we style and care for our hair. When the thermometer drops to frigid temperatures, we tend to put a halt on wash-n-go styles and wear hats and scarves to keep warm. And while the cozy accessories were meant for good, they can be damaging to our hair, leaving us with an ultimatum: look stylish, or freeze trying. And for many of us, staying warm takes precedence.
So we tapped Miko Branch, founder and CEO of Miss Jessie’s hair care products, for her top tips for keeping out kinks, curls, and coils healthy this winter.
On Moisture Retention…
“Styling and moisturizing at night is a good way to do it. How you care for your hair at night could bring you through the next day. Those of us with a tighter coil curl can do natural styles like a double strand twist, pineapple, or ponytails. Putting a plastic cap over the style will keep moisture in. And in the morning, depending on the richness and decadence of the product, your hair will be moisturized.”
Product Recommendation: Miss Jessie’s Baby Buttercreme , $32
On Deep Conditioning and Deep Oil Treatments…
“Deep conditioning is excellent for the strands. If you do condition and add a heat source, like a steam cap or even a heat cap, that’s going to help to open up the cuticles, so the deep conditioning treatment will penetrate your strands more effectively. Hot oil treatment is excellent in that you get revitalize your scalp. Putting oil directly on your hair, particularly just for moisturizing, doesn’t always do the trick. Taking care of our scalp it’s going to help to assist in healthy hair growth.”
Product Recommendation: Miss Jessie’s Grow Strong Mafura Hair Oil, $11
On Wearing Accessories…
“There’s no way to get around wearing some of the things we need out there when it’s cold. Adding things that will give your hair some slip, and slide is a way to prevent breakage. The lubricant acts as a barrier between the friction, and particularly at the back of our hairline.”
Product Recommendation: Miss Jessie’s Gloss So Good , $11
On Trimming Our Tresses…
“The winter months [can be] used as a time to continue the growth cycle, so by the time you trim your hair, you’re able to hold on to all the length that you attained. I like to stretch it. I recommend every six months for people who want to grow it.
Some people want to keep their hair and their styles quaffed. Trim away, if your style is contingent upon keeping it maintained. People who have the sides trimmed, or etched up, look amazing with hats. They’re in a much better position to accessorize, and in a more frequent way during the winter months versus some of us who have a lot of volume, and a lot of texture.”