The Fall and Winter season is pretty tricky when it comes to retaining length because it is usually so cold and that your hair can really suffer due to the hash weather. I am not going to lie, I probably deep conditioned one time over the summer which in the grand scheme of things is not enough but I did keep up with my wash and go’s which helped.
In the summertime, retaining length is pretty simple, for some of us the constant moisture from wash and go’s helps to keep the strand healthy and we are so busy with summer activities we typically protect our hair all summer long.
Now that it is getting colder we might decide to wear less wash and go’s or maybe do some heat styling, regardless of what you choose to do you do not have to sacrifice length goals, you just have to stick with a few key things that will get you there at the same pace or faster without set backs.
Deep condition with heat
I might as well go ahead and get this one out of the way since whenever we talk about retention, or anything that has to do with strand preservation we cannot leave deep conditioning out of the conversation. I don’t like deep conditioning*, I used to, but lately I have not had the energy, so as a compromise my plan is to do it efficiently.
You have two options, pull out the steamer* and get it done in just over 18 minutes or don a plastic cap and sit with a heat cap, or under a hooded dryer* for about the same amount of time. 20 minutes is bear minimum, so just go ahead and knock it out.
Seal heavy
Pull out those heavy butters, creams and oils and seal your ends with the thick stuff. In the summer we could seal with light oils, allowing our hair to fly free, as it gets colder you want to protect the oldest part of your hair with the thick stuff like shea butter*, mango butter, olive oil*, or even castor oil*.
Have you tried the LOC method yet? Now is a great time to give it a go! As you layer up to protect your skin and keep warm, we need to be just as practical for our hair.
Pre poo
A pre poo is probably a fave among busy naturals because it is a form of deep conditioning* and you can probably skip the deep condition if your pre shampoo treatment is effect enough.
Using your favorite oil, or a great humectant like honey, go ahead and deep condition your hair before shampooing to help your strands retain maximum amount of moisture that it can. Hot oil treatments are great as pre poos and if you want to use a variety of oils this winter just for fun this is the time to experiment.
Shea butter is the truth in the winter time! it protects my strands very much. And I’m thinking long term protective styles like crochet braids and box braids.