The fall months bring crisp weather, apples and pumpkins to be picked, and plenty of memories to be made. Between football games and roasting marshmallows by the bonfire, practicing self-care may be placed on the backburner. Most people associate a fall self-care routine with warm sweaters and pumpkin spice lattes, however, one of the most important areas of the body to treat with care during the fall is your hair! Below, we’re providing you with some advice on how to care for your hair now that the temperatures are getting colder. Keep reading to learn more about a few hair care tips specific to the fall months that will help you keep your locks healthy and strong throughout this season and beyond.
Switch Up Your Products
The summer months might have brought you a great tan, but they also came with excess sweat and chlorine damage from swimming. In the summer, we tend to wash our hair more often than any other season. For this reason alone, it’s necessary to swap out your summer products for a more moisturizing hair regimen once the cooler weather hits. While there are plenty of options available, there are a few key ingredients you want to look for to achieve true hydration.
Men looking to moisturize their locks can opt for this shampoo, which contains coconut oil and arginine, strengthening and repairing hair from the root up. Female friendly brands like hers offer a number of products, including this hair loss shampoo, which is formulated to moisturize and strengthen existing strands while simultaneously preventing shedding. If you want to go the extra step and are feeling creative, you can try out a DIY treatment mask like those featured here to lock in added moisture between washes.
Get Regular Haircuts
Each head of healthy hair begins with a fresh cut. Whether it’s a brand new style or just a trim, beginning your summer with a trip to your hairstylist starts you off on the right foot for healthy hair all summer long. Even if your hair is on the thinner side, hair tends to grow faster in the summer due to an increase in anagen, the active phase of the cycle when the cells in the root of the hair divide at a rapid rate. It’s likely come fall, you will need a serious trim to get rid of any dead ends or left over damage from the sun and chlorine.
Everyone’s hair grows at a different pace and while some may require more routine haircuts, others may only need to go once every few months. Those who are experiencing thinning hair may want to consider styles that will best flatter them. Men dealing with male pattern baldness may opt for these styles, while women experiencing female pattern baldness may find the styles shown here to be the most flattering.
Shield Your Strands
Throughout your lifetime, you may have heard wearing a hat can cause your hair to thin and even make you go completely bald. While there is no hard evidence around this, it has been proven that wearing a hat is an effective way to protect your hair from the sun’s harmful UV rays. This is especially true for those with thinning hair as the scalp is more exposed. Any hat is better than no hat at all, but if you want to optimize your protection, choose a hat with a wide brim to ensure you’re protected all around. Wearing a hat not only helps keep your hair healthy, but also protects the skin on your face and neck from unwanted sun exposure.
To take extra precaution, apply sunscreen directly to your scalp, making sure to focus on the area where you part your hair, as this can be the most sensitive. If rubbing gooey SPF into your hair doesn’t sound appealing, dab it on your scalp it while your hair is already wet, or avoid liquids all together and purchase a non-greasy sunscreen stick and reapply as needed.
Whether you’ve recently received a transplant, or have a full head of hair, it is important to protect it, especially in the summer months. These tips, in combination with other remedies, can help you maintain healthy hair during this season and beyond.