Question: Is your hair dry? If it’s wintertime, with the Arctic-cold blasts outside and overly heated rooms inside, chances are that the answer is a resounding YES! But don’t despair, dear reader; fortunately, there are hydrating hair treatments you can do at home as well as in our Hair Cuttery salons to save your thirsty, weather-beaten hair—whether it needs just a sip of moisture or the equivalent of a Big Gulp. The fact is, whatever your hair type, everyone should have a good deep conditioning hair mask in their haircare repertoire to infuse moisture, prevent breakage and restore great shine—especially during the cold winter months.
When searching for the perfect treatment, keep in mind a couple of basic guidelines: Curly and coarser hair can handle thicker, more intensive moisturizing hair masks since it’s naturally drier than straighter hair. Finer hair should use lighter-weight treatments that avoid heavier oils (like coconut and shea) to prevent hair from looking too greasy or flat.
If you’re looking for an all-around great moisturizing treatment…
For starters, we love Redken’s All Soft Heavy Cream. Lightweight yet ultra-moisturizing, this deep conditioning rinse-out mask strikes that perfect balance of nourishing oils (think argan, avocado and olive) plus keratin to lock in hydration, control frizz and strengthen the hair shaft. To transform porous, moisture-deprived strands, Matrix’s Multi-Tasking Oil-In-Cream is a daily leave-in conditioning treatment that’s powered by lightweight micro-oil particles to quench, protect and nourish dry hair. Biolage Hydrasource Daily Leave In Tonic from Matrix Biolage is a leave-in treatment that balances moisture in the hair shaft as well as restores shine. To really get the total hydrating benefits of this treatment, try using it in conjunction with their Hydrasource Shampoo and Conditioning Balm.
If you have fine hair…
Since fine hair can get weighed down by extra-rich conditioners and moisturizing treatments, you might need to go a bit lighter. Cibu’s Knot So Knotty Spray—which, by the way, received a Best Product award from Harper’s Bazaar—is a weightless leave-in conditioner and detangler that’s infused with keratin (a super-hero moisturizing ingredient) to strengthen and hydrate hair and help to reduce breakage. Another one worth trying is Renewal Spray from Matrix Biolage, which conditions hair with pro-keratin and silk to add moisture and shine to over-processed or fragile hair.
If your hair is dying of thirst…
Is your hair desperately seeking moisture? Time to bring out the big guns. First up: AG Hair’s Reconstruct Intense Restorative Mask. Packed with keratin amino acids, Abyssinian oil, shea butter and silk proteins, this ultra-luxe treatment helps restore serious moisture and elasticity to dry, damaged hair. For hair that’s ultra-stressed out, the Potion 10 Miracle Repair Hair Mask from It’s a 10 is a rich, creamy leave-on mask that penetrates deep into the hair shaft to repair breakage, eliminate frizz and smooth the cuticle for gorgeous shine. Redken’s All Soft Mega Hydramelt is a lightweight, leave-in lotion designed to tackle supreme dryness for coarse hair while improving manageability and shine. Extreme Mega Mask—also from Redken—is one of our favorite treatments for fortifying and intensely conditioning distressed, brittle hair from root to tip. (Another plus: It lasts through three washes.) For African-American hair of all curl types, Design Essentials Coconut & Monoi Deep Moisture Milk Soufflé is a lightweight yet moisture-packed formula rich in shea butter and milk protein that intensely hydrates and nourishes dry hair. We especially love that it can be used on wet or dry hair.
If you want to get your shine on…
In addition to dryness, winter hair often means dull hair, so now’s a great time to bring back some shine. Known as “liquid gold,” argan oil has been used for centuries to protect and hydrate the hair. With that in mind, Cibu’s Shine Squad Argan Oil Treatment is our go-to for adding amazing shine to thirsty hair. Finer hair types might want to try the lighter weight Shine Squad Argan Oil Mist (also from Cibu). Another great pick: Miracle Silk Leave-In Conditioner from It’s A 10. Infused with silk proteins, it shields against frizz, deeply hydrates and promotes glossy, glassy shine.
If you want to treat yourself…
Come visit one of our salons where you can treat yourself to a relaxing, restorative hair treatment. You deserve it! Our services menu includes a number of great hair masks to help with everything from taming frizzies and locking in moisture to softening brittle tresses and extending the color-life of your hair.
