Can Cold Weather Damage Your Hair?

For your hair’s sake, it’s wise to research the factors that may affect it. In your research, you might read about people stating that cold weather could damage the hair. Could there be any truth to this claim? That’s what we’ll address in this article. Let’s get right into it!

Cold Weather Can Damage Your Hair

We won’t waste your time - cold weather can damage your hair. And here’s how:

Cold, dry air zaps moisture from the outer cuticle of your hair. But that’s not all it does; it also lifts your hair cuticles, which makes it easier for hydration to escape. The result is hair that feels stiff, looks dull, and begins to frizz out. It can also cause split ends, which can progress to breakage.

Of course, just because you go outside in the cold for a few minutes doesn’t mean your hair is doomed. The effects of cold weather don’t usually affect the hair on a substantial level right away. It takes time for the low temperatures and dry air to seriously damage the hair.

What Hair Types are Most Susceptible to Cold Weather Damage?

It’s important to know that certain hair types are more likely to incur damage from cold weather than others. Here are a few hair types that are most susceptible and why:

1. Curly hair. Curly hair is already naturally dry due to the structure of the curls (which doesn’t allow scalp oils to adequately moisturize the hair). Going outside in cold weather will dry the hair out further, dramatically increasing the hair’s damage risk.

2. Fine hair. Fine hair has a very small diameter, meaning the individual strands are thinner than normal. This hair type tends to be more vulnerable to damage as a result.

3. Chemically treated hair. Any time you apply chemicals like hair color, relaxers, or bleach to your hair, the chemicals in them wear away at the hair’s structure. This leaves them in worse condition than before and more vulnerable to damage from cold weather.

4. High porosity hair. High porosity hair is classified as hair that both absorbs and loses moisture quickly. This makes it much more susceptible to moisture loss from cold weather.

How to Protect Your Hair in Cold Weather

After reading about how cold weather can be damaging, you might worry about the health of your hair, especially if you live in a cold climate. But you’re not powerless. There are ways to protect your hair in cold weather:

• Deep condition your hair from time to time to keep its hydration levels up.

• Stay away from heat styling tools as much as you can to preserve the structure of your hair.

• Use oil on the ends of your hair to reduce the occurrence of split ends.

• Cover your hair whenever you’ll be in the cold for longer than a few minutes.

So, there you have it - cold weather can damage your hair. But if you utilize the tips given in the previous section, you can reduce its effects and preserve the health of your hair. We hope you found all the information you were looking for, and we wish you the best with your hair!

Author: Andrea Reyes

Andrea is a mother, wife, writer, and natural hair enthusiast of 15 years. Currently on her natural hair journey, she’s been trying countless products and techniques to understand and embrace her natural hair. She is the creator of NaturallyTextured.com, a new website featuring informative articles that share tips, tricks, and techniques aimed to help others learn to love their hair through proper hair care. She writes with the hope of making hair care easier to understand and implement.