Winter Hair Care Tips for Natural Hair

Consistency is the best way to see results in your hair. Natural hair takes more maintenance. It's more than going to the salon weekly/biweekly or having in braids consistently, or wearing sew ins, you need to be aware of the time you'll need to set aside to get the results you want to see.

"Since I started my transition I've used shea moisture, because that's the only brand I knew about at the time. I used the coconut and hibiscus line, the shampoo and the conditioner for wash, and after the styling products such as the style milk and the curl enhancing smoothie, you need your hair to air dry before going outside due to the cold," said Walki Perez, a Dominican criminal justice major from Queens.

Perez says trying out new and different brands of products work best for her during the winter. "I've recently used Carol's Daughter, I like it but I don't stick to just one brand during this time of the year, your hair gets used to it and then it just doesn't function well," she said.

Perez decided to go natural in January 2017. "My hair still curled, nut some of them would just stay straight; I decided to go natural to see my hair's full potential and repair all of the heat damage," she reported.

"When I went the first few months without heat my hair really changed, then I cut my hair in July and that's when I really started seeing change," said Perez.

She expressed that no matter the time of the year, and especially in the winter, it is important to always trim your hair and keep in mind your hair's health, over length.

Don't dry your hair with a regular towel, the cotton will soak the moisture from your hair. "Drying your hair with a t-shirt or a microfiber towel during your routine will help your hair keep its moisture especially in the winter," said Perez.

"Deep conditioning is important!" said N'aia Anderson, an African American Communications major from Queens.

"You can either make your own deep conditioner watching YouTube videos, or you can buy one and see if it works for your hair," said Anderson.

Perez showed the same sentiments, "You basically just do your regular shampoo routine, if you want extra moisture you could use a conditioner, detangle your hair, wash everything out, and then put the leave-in conditioner product on your hair for about 45 minutes," she said.

Learning how to train your curls and the shingling method will be useful when dealing with frizz and shrinkage during the winter.

"I also do a lot of hot oil treatments and moisturize my scalp more in the winter because my hair gets very dry," said Anderson. Any hair oil will do the trick.

"Get into sleeping with a bonnet," said Anderson, she explained it's the easiest way to put your hair down and just shake it out in the morning.

"In the winter it is also easier to just do protective styles to not damage your hair, such as braids, and updos," said Perez.