Come sit with me for a second. I can see it before you even say it, your hair doesn’t feel like you right now. It’s drier, duller, maybe breaking more easily, and that can feel unsettling. I want you to hear this first: you’re not doing anything wrong. Winter is genuinely hard on hair.
I see this every year, on set, backstage, and in my chair. When the seasons change, hair responds. Once you understand why, the fear eases, and from there, we can take care of it together.
What Cold Weather Is Doing to Your Hair
Winter creates the perfect storm for dehydration and damage.
Cold air holds far less moisture than warm air. According to the Cleveland Clinic, low-humidity environments cause moisture to evaporate from hair more quickly, leaving strands dry and brittle. Then we move indoors, where heating systems dry the air out even more. That constant shift between cold outside and dry heat inside stresses both your hair and scalp.
Add hot showers, which feel amazing but strip natural oils, and friction from winter hats that rough up the cuticle, especially around the hairline. The result is more static, more breakage, and hair that just doesn’t behave the way it usually does.
This isn’t your hair failing. It’s your hair reacting.
What Winter Does to Your Scalp (And Why That Matters)
Your scalp is skin, and it reacts to winter the same way your face does. Dryness, flaking, irritation. All common this time of year. When the scalp is compromised, the environment your follicles are growing in changes.
Research published in the International Journal of Trichology shows that scalp health directly influences hair quality and the growth cycle. A dry, irritated, or inflamed scalp can contribute to increased shedding and weaker strands.
Some people experience the opposite, increased oiliness as the scalp tries to protect itself. That can lead to buildup, which isn’t ideal either. A healthy scalp is the foundation for healthy hair, and winter is when it needs the most attention.
External Support: Gentle Winter Adjustments
Winter hair care isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing things a little differently.
Turn down the water temperature. Lukewarm is better. If you can’t give up the heat, rinse your hair with cooler water at the end. Switch to a richer conditioner and consider a weekly deep-conditioning mask. Don’t skip leave-in products; they help seal in moisture and protect the cuticle.
Be especially gentle when your hair is wet. Use a wide-tooth comb, pat dry instead of rubbing, and avoid tight styles that pull. If you wear hats, reduce friction by lining them with silk or satin or wrapping your hair underneath.
Small changes make a big difference in winter.
Internal Support: Why It Matters More in Winter
Here’s something I always explain to my clients: products treat what you see, nourishment supports what you don’t.
Hair is built at the follicle level. Proteins, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals come together inside your body to create each strand. In winter, when sunlight drops and diets shift, those resources can dip.
A study in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology links deficiencies in nutrients like iron, zinc, biotin, and vitamin D to increased shedding and thinning, and winter is a prime time for those gaps to show up.
That’s why I often recommend Wellbel as part of a gentle, consistent winter routine.
Here’s my thinking as a stylist who’s seen hair under every kind of stress imaginable: the Wellbel supplement supports hair where I can’t reach with my hands or products, at the follicle level. In winter, when nutrient gaps are more common, having steady, daily internal support helps ensure the hair growing in is stronger, more resilient, and less reactive to environmental stress. I like that it focuses on nourishment rather than quick cosmetic promises. It’s about supporting the process, not rushing the outcome.
Scalp Care as a Winter Ritual
On the external side, I’m very particular about what touches the scalp in winter.
The Detox Shampoo is something I recommend when the scalp feels “off,” whether that’s dryness, irritation, buildup from hats, dry shampoo, or oiliness from overcompensation. It cleans thoroughly without stripping, which is critical when the scalp barrier is already vulnerable.
The Restorative Conditioner steps in right after to replenish what winter takes away. It helps smooth the cuticle, restore softness, and reduce breakage, especially at the ends and along the hairline, where winter damage shows up first.
I don’t see these as standalone products. I see them as a support system: internal nourishment for the hair that’s growing in, and external care to protect the hair you already have.
A Gentle Reminder Before You Go
Winter hair struggles are real, but they’re not permanent. When you understand what the season is doing to your hair and scalp, you can respond with care instead of fear.
Cold weather is temporary.
Your hair wellness habits don’t have to be.
And I promise, with the right support, your hair will find its way back.
