It’s easy to believe our bad hair days are behind us now that summer’s heat and humidity have flown south for the winter—taking our frizzy strands along for the ride. Why wouldn’t we assume it’s smooth sailing for our tresses until spring?

Unfortunately winter plays host to a whole slew of new hair problems and styling dilemmas. Topping the list is cold dry air and indoor heat, which lead to super-dry tresses that are prone to breakage and static. And hat hair—don’t even get us started!

That’s why we came up with a list of our favorite hairstyles for winter designed to solve the most common winter hair woes. They’re not only easy to style but they’ll help prevent damaging your delicate, aging tresses throughout the long winter ahead. 

Hair Dilemma #1: Static Hair

Once temperatures dip, the moisture in the air does, too—and bone-dry air becomes a breeding ground for static electricity that shows up on your hair. Your winter accessories only make matters worse. Your cozy cashmere hat and scarf and oversize coat collar create heat and friction that build up an electric charge, making flyaway strands more plentiful.

Hairstyle We Love: The Low Bun

There’s nothing sleeker or chicer than a chignon. In our opinion, it’s a flawless hairstyle for winter. But this perfectly polished hairstyle is purposeful, too, especially in the face of cold weather and dry indoor heat. The beauty of this look is that it allows you to sweep tresses up and away and pin them securely in place so you look pulled together all winter long.

Pro Hair-Care Tips for Reducing Static

To keep static at bay, use a shampoo and conditioner designed to hydrate your hair, balance your scalp oils (flaky scalp begone!) and nourish your strands all at once. The added moisture a hair mask brings to your tresses makes it another terrific tool for decreasing the likelihood of static. Use a hair mask like our Hair Redemption Restorative Butter Masque once a week during the cold weather months.

If air-drying isn’t an option—we get it, sometimes it’s not worth a case of the sniffles—make sure you’re using an ionic hair dryer to dry and style your hair. This type of hair dryer won’t deplete your hair of moisture, ensuring your sleekest strands possible. And never forget your No Remorse Heat Protection & Taming Spray, which is your saving grace not only for avoiding heat damage from your hair dryer but also frizz and flyaways—this includes static, too. As a finishing touch, you can also try combing your hair with hairspray and a metal comb to further safeguard against unwanted static.

Hair Dilemma #2: Tangled Tresses

While summer and free-flowing hair go hand in hand, winter’s cold weather forces us to keep our tresses under wraps. Tucked inside heavy wool coats and beneath endless scarf layers, it’s easy for your tresses, especially around the nape of your neck, to become a tangled-up, matted mess.

Hairstyle We Love: The Side Braid

The side braid, or any braid for that matter, is the perfect way to style your hair to protect your strands from becoming matted and tangled beneath heavy winter layers. Not into the braided look? Grab a fabric tie or scrunchie and create a temporary twist that you can easily undo once you arrive at your destination, without worrying about it crimping your style.

 Pro Hair-Care Tips for Tangled Tresses

Sometimes tangles are unavoidable. So when they do occur, knowing the right detangling technique for your hair type is key. How you detangle (always gently!) and the products you use, like a moisturizing conditioner that focuses on damage repair, are the best places to begin. A leave-in conditioner applied to towel-dried tresses after showering also helps to keep strands smooth and soft, and less likely to tangle in the first place.

Hair Dilemma #3: Split Ends and Breakage

The drier the air, the drier our hair and the greater the likelihood of split ends and breakage—it’s that simple. And once the damage is done, sometimes all you can do is start anew with a trim or even a new shorter ‘do. 

Hairstyle We Love: The Cropped Cut

While frequent trims are the guaranteed way to ensure your ends stay sleek and smooth throughout winter, a cropped cut is the perfect hairstyle to protect strands from split ends and breakage. Why? Shorter hair is newer hair, so it is generally stronger, healthier and more resistant to damage. Plus, a cropped cut not only lessens the likelihood of tangles, which can lead to breakage, but it can also make thinning hair appear thicker and fuller. Not to mention, a cute chin-length bob never goes out of style—like the French bob, which is one of the coolest cuts this season. 

Pro Hair-Care Tips for Split Ends and Breakage

A shampoo and conditioner designed to hydrate and strengthen hair is an important step in your winter hair-care regimen. Wake Up Call Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner not only do just that—with a volumizing boost to boot—but used together, they are clinically proven to reduce hair breakage by 98%!

winter hairstyles

Hair Dilemma #4: Hat Hair

Sometimes there’s no escaping your winter hat. And while there are certainly different hat styles from which to choose, many have a tendency to flatten, create static, absorb your hair’s moisture and alter your hairstyle before you’ve even walked out your door. Your good hair day never stood a fighting chance!

Hairstyle We Love: Textured Waves

The beauty of textured waves lies in their slightly undone style, which masterfully hides any ripples your hat may create. Got naturally curly hair? Lucky you—you already have a head start! Like most hairstyles for winter, moisture is essential for creating waves and for optimizing the health of your hair. A leave-in conditioner that adds and locks in moisture is key, as is a hair serum like our Superpower Fortifying Hair & Scalp Serum—it not only promotes healthy hair and nourishes skin and hair at the roots but also rebalances your scalp oils, eliminating a flaky scalp.

Pro Hair-Care Tips for Avoiding Hat Hair

Patience is key. Never put your hat on before your hair is fully dry. Warm hair is moldable, so even after you blow your hair dry, wait a few minutes for your tresses to cool. This will help retain your style’s original shape and prevent a lifeless look once you finally remove your hat.

Tell Us: What are your go-to hairstyles for winter? Share in the comments below!

Better Not Younger has everything your delicate tresses need to solve your winter hair problems and to optimize the health of your hair for all hair types from fine thinning hair, to gray hair and curly hair. Our shampoos, conditioners and hair serums offer the perfect complement to all your hairstyles for winter.