With winter in full swing and a blizzard under some of our belts, we’re all feeling the winter hair woes. Static electricity hat hair. Frizzed-out strands. Dry, brittle locks. We’ve all been there. But that doesn’t mean we have to go there again.

To help you combat the winter hair woes, BeautyStat sought the help of Nicholas Penna, Jr., owner and lead stylist of SalonCapri in Newton & Dedham, Mass. Follow Nick’s top five tips for “winterizing your hair” and your hair will be the envy of every girl in town.

1. Stock up on leave-in conditioners and protective oils!

It’s no secret that regular curling or straightening can wreak havoc on your hair. But winter’s cold, dry months only make heat damage worse. Nick suggests shielding your locks with a great leave-in conditioner or protective oil to create a barrier between your hair and the heat.

Nick’s Pick: Shu Uemura’s “Essence Absolue.” This leave-in oil contains Camellia oil to help defend your hair from damage and keep it healthy.

BeautyStat Picks: Aubrey Organics Rosa Mosqueta® Rose Hip Seed Oil; Bosley Professional Nourishing Leave In; Alba Botanica Leave-in Conditioner.

Use a bit of hot Rosa Mosqueta® Rose Hip Seed Oil to cure a dry scalp and damaged hair; massage Bosley Professional Nourishing Leave In into hair to create thickness and volume while guarding against the winter’s bitter freeze; or apply Alba Botanica Leave-in Conditioner to wet hair for hydration and supple, shiny hair.

2. Air dry!

Mother always told you not to venture out in the cold with wet hair, right? Well, sometimes mother’s advice isn’t always the best. If you can bear the cold chill your post shower wet hair, Nick suggests letting your hair air dry a bit before blowing it completely dry. Or even better: Let it all air dry completely!

Avoiding the hot air from your drier during the dry winter months will help you seal in the moisture from your shampoo and conditioners, so it’s worth a bit of chill once in awhile.

3. Stay moisturized!

If you’re losing the battle for healthy, shiny hair this winter, Nick recommends visiting your favorite salon for a professional deep conditioning treatment at least once a month. But if you can’t afford pricey monthly treatments, you can get the same results at home for cheaper!

Nick’s Pick: Shu Uemura’s Art of Hair Moisture Velvet Nourishing Treatment. Apply this product to clean, damp hair; leave it on for 5-10 minutes; then rinse out. Repeat this process daily on thick hair or once a week as a deep treatment on fine hair.

BeautyStat Pick: Smooth ‘N Shine Therapy – Silk Fusion Sixty-Second Critical Repair. The Silk Amino Acids in this treatment repair damaged hair while the pearl extracts add moisture and luminosity.

4. Keep frizz away.

If static cling and frizzy hat hair has you in a tizzy, fight back! Nick suggests eliminating frizz before it can surface, and swears by anti-frizz products during the winter.

Nick’s Pick: L’Oreal Professionnel’s Gelée Riche; L’Oreal Professionnel’s Freezing Mist. Apply Gelée Riche to towel-dried, damp hair OR spray a small amount of Freezing Mist (or any other strong hold finishing spray) on a hairbrush, then lightly brush it through hair from top to bottom.

BeautyStat Pick: göt2b smooth operator smoothing drops; Citre Shine Shine Mist Anti-Frizz Spray Laminator. The cashmere extract in göt2b smooth operator smoothing drops keeps hair smooth and touchable while fighting frizz. The pure citrus extracts, vitamins and botanicals in Citre Shine’s create strong, frizz-free locks while UV protectants shield hair from environmental damage.

5. Be dirty!

Ok, so unless you’ve got a thing for not washing your hair (ahem, Rob Pattinson…) we’d never tell you to be dirty. But Nick recommends washing your hair less frequently during the winter. Why? The daily rinse-repeat cycle can seriously rob your strands of important moisture.

And you know what results from a lack of moisture? Yep, enemy #1: frizz! Do yourself a favor and go an extra day between washes. Aim for a shampoo every third day or every other day.

Nick’s Pick: Shu Uemura’s Silk Bloom. Use this shampoo to help restore moisture to dry, damaged hair and cure your dry locks and split ends.

BeautyStat Pick: Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner. The sweet almond, honeysuckle and rosa mosqueta oils in this duo help rehydrate hair fiber and overcome dryness and brittleness.

– Chrissy Callahan

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