Every year, right around the time I pull out my favorite chunky sweater, my hair starts acting up. It gets staticky, my ends feel like straw, and I find more little broken pieces on my coat than I'd like to admit. If you're growing your hair out and winter always seems to undo your progress, I promise it's not just you. I'm Mallory, founder of The Long Hair Lab, and I had to learn the hard way that winter needs its own hair routine.
Here's the short version: cold, dry air pulls moisture out of your hair, and dry hair snaps more easily. Moisture is what helps your hair hold onto its length. Once you know where winter is sneaking that moisture away, it's pretty easy to fight back.
Quick side note: I put everything I did to grow my own hair out into a free guide. If you'd like the full routine, you can grab The Ultimate Guide to Growing Long, Healthy Hair here. It's free.
Why Winter Is So Rough on Your Length
It's not one big thing. It's a bunch of small things happening every single day, all season long.
1. Dry indoor heat
The furnace keeps us cozy, but it also makes the air inside our homes, offices and cars really dry. Your hair sits in that air for hours, and it slowly gives up its moisture. Dry hair feels rough, tangles faster and breaks with less effort.
2. Cold wind outside
Then you step outside, and the wind whips your hair around. Windblown hair knots up, rubs against itself and against your coat, and those knots have to come out later. Every rough detangling session after a windy walk costs you a few strands.
3. Less moisture in the air
Cold air simply holds less moisture than warm air. In summer, your hair gets a little help from the humidity around you. In winter, that help disappears, so your hair has to rely on whatever moisture you give it.
4. Static
Dry hair plus dry air equals static. Flyaways stick to your face, your hat and your sweater, and a lot of us reach for a brush and keep brushing to calm it down. All that extra brushing on dry, fragile hair is an easy way to lose length.
5. Hats, scarves and sweater friction
I love a good knit hat, but wool and rough fabrics are tough on hair. Every time you pull a beanie on and off, wrap a scarf around your neck, or wear a fuzzy sweater, your hair is getting rubbed and tugged. That constant rubbing roughs up your strands and leaves them dry and frizzy.
6. Hot showers
When it's freezing out, a steaming hot shower feels amazing. The trouble is that really hot water strips away the natural oils that keep your hair soft. Your hair comes out of the shower drier than it went in, right when the air is already working against you.
How to Protect Your Length This Winter
The goal is to keep moisture in and keep rough handling to a minimum. None of this is complicated. It's just a few small swaps.
Turn down the heat on your styling tools
Your hair is already dealing with dry air, so it doesn't need extra heat on top of that. Air-dry when you can. When you do blow-dry or curl, use a low or medium setting, put on a heat protectant first, and try not to go over the same section again and again. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends the same thing: limit hot tools and use lower heat settings.
Wash with lukewarm water
Keep the shower warm instead of hot, at least while the water is on your hair. Lukewarm water still gets your hair clean, but it doesn't strip away as much of the natural oil your hair needs to stay soft. If you can stand it, a cooler final rinse is a nice extra.
Wash a little less often
If your hair isn't oily or dirty, you probably don't need to wash it as often in winter. Every wash takes away some natural oil, so stretching an extra day between washes can help your hair stay moisturized. Dermatologists suggest washing based on how oily your hair actually gets, and focusing shampoo on your scalp instead of scrubbing the full length.
Seal moisture into your ends
Your ends are the driest part of your hair, so they need the most love in winter. After washing, while your hair is still a little damp, smooth a small amount of a lightweight serum or oil onto your ends. That helps lock in the moisture from your wash so it doesn't disappear into the dry air.
Do a weekly deep oil treatment
Once a week, give your hair a deep oil treatment before wash day. Think of it as a big drink of water for your hair. It's my favorite winter habit, and it's the one that made the biggest difference for my ends.
Switch to satin or silk
Swap rough cotton pillowcases for a satin or silk one, and trade tight elastics for satin or silk scrunchies. Smooth fabric lets your hair glide instead of catching and rubbing all night. If you wear a hat a lot, a satin-lined beanie or a satin cap underneath your favorite knit hat helps too.
Try protective styles
A loose braid, a low bun or a soft twist keeps your hair tucked away from scarves, coat collars and wind. Less hair out in the open means less rubbing and fewer tangles. Just keep the style loose, since tight styles pull on your hair and can cause breakage of their own.
Run a humidifier
A humidifier adds moisture back into the air in your home. I keep one in my bedroom so my hair (and my skin) get a break from the dry heat while I sleep. It's a simple, set-it-and-forget-it way to help your hair stay soft.
Don't head out with wet hair
Wet hair is at its most delicate, and taking it out into freezing wind is asking for tangles and snapped strands. Give yourself time to let your hair dry fully before you leave. If you're short on time, wash at night, gently wrap your hair in a soft T-shirt or microfiber towel instead of rubbing it, and let it dry before bed.
My Winter Deep Oil Treatment Routine
Our Deep Oil Treatments are the heart of my winter routine. There are three formulas, so you can pick the one that fits your hair:
- Balanced Moisture Oil, for medium to dry hair
- Extra Dry Repair Oil, for very dry hair. It's the only one of the three with castor oil, which is extra thick and moisturizing. There are lots of testimonials about castor oil, but no proven studies yet.
- Buildup Reset Oil, for hair prone to buildup
Here's how I use mine:
- Start with dry hair before wash day. Once a week is perfect for winter.
- Massage it into your scalp. Use your fingertips and take your time. On a cold night, this feels like a little spa moment.
- Saturate your ends. They're the driest part of your hair, so be generous.
- Leave it on for 2 hours. Twist your hair into a loose bun, grab a blanket and a cup of tea, and relax.
- Wash it out. Shampoo with lukewarm water, condition if you like, and let your hair dry before heading outside.
All three include rosemary. If you've heard the buzz, the research on rosemary as an ingredient is promising, including a small 2015 study, but it's still early and limited, and it's about the ingredient, not any one product. What I can tell you is what the moisture does: it keeps your hair soft and flexible so it's less likely to snap.
A drop or two on your ends every day
Between treatments, I put 1 to 2 drops of the Daily Lightweight Hair Serum for Ends & Frizz Control on my ends in the morning and again at night, or whenever static and frizz show up. It's light, so it smooths flyaways without weighing my hair down.
If you'd like both in one go, our Growth & Glow Duos pair each Deep Oil Treatment with the Daily Serum: the Balanced Moisture–Growth & Glow Duo, the Extra Dry Repair–Growth & Glow Duo, and the Buildup Reset–Growth & Glow Duo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my hair feel so dry in winter?
Cold air holds less moisture, and indoor heating dries the air out even more. Add hot showers and rough winter fabrics, and your hair loses moisture faster than usual.
How do I stop static in my hair?
Static loves dry hair, so moisture is the fix. Smooth a drop of serum over your ends, run a humidifier at home, and choose satin or silk over wool where your hair touches it most.
Do hair oils make your hair grow faster?
Oils aren't proven to make hair grow faster. Where they really help is moisture. Soft, moisturized hair breaks less, so you get to keep more of the length you're already growing.
How often should I do a deep oil treatment in winter?
Once a week, before wash day, is a great rhythm. Massage it into your scalp, saturate your ends, leave it on for 2 hours, then wash it out.
Is it bad to wear a hat over long hair?
Not at all. Hats keep you warm, and that matters. Just tuck your hair into a loose braid or bun first, and try a satin-lined hat or a satin cap underneath to cut down on rubbing.
Should I wash my hair less in winter?
If your hair isn't oily, stretching the time between washes can help it stay moisturized. When you do wash, use lukewarm water and focus shampoo on your scalp.
The Bottom Line
Winter doesn't have to cost you your length. Dry air, wind, static, hot showers and cozy fabrics all pull moisture out of your hair, and dry hair breaks. Put moisture back in, handle your hair gently, and keep it tucked away from the cold, and you'll come out of winter with the length you went in with, and hopefully a little more.
I wrote down every habit and routine change that helped me stop breakage and grow my hair longer. Sign up to get The Ultimate Guide to Growing Long, Healthy Hair, free, and when you're ready, find your Deep Oil Treatment here.
Stay warm, and be gentle with those ends,
Mallory
Founder, The Long Hair Lab