Happy New Year! Let’s start it out right!

Winter time in Arizona wreaks havoc on our hair and skin. The air is even dryer and that means more electrons, which create static electricity! Hair gets full of static in the winter due to the lack of moisture in the air. Our heaters at home cause more dry air, too. We also tend to take hotter showers that cause drier skin and hair. Washing hands frequently to avoid germs, as well as using hand sanitizers, adds to our skin being dry. We remove scarves and other warm clothing items, creating static electricity and hair fly-aways. The bottom line is that between nature and nurture, it’s a perfect storm for dry skin and crazy hair!

Year after year my clients come to me with these issues. So after years of experience, serious research, and personal testing, here are my best tips to reduce dry skin and static-y and frizzy hair:

  • Drink lots of water! You can never be too hydrated in the desert; this affects the hair and skin more than you think.
  • Leave-on conditioner or a serum that is right for your hair type – applied to both wet and dry hair – can moisturize nicely and reduce static electricity.
  • Believe it or not, dryer sheets gently rubbed on dry hair are very effective for reducing the static. It is their job after all.
  • Deep moisturizing treatments performed with moist heat work wonders and will leave your hair feeling better.
  • Brazilian Blowout treatments are designed to reduce frizz to the hair. Clients that have this treatment done almost never have problems with static or dry hair.
  • A humidifier in your home (particularly in the bedroom at night) helps with sinus issues, dry skin/hair, and static electricity.
  • Use combs that are metal or rubber – not plastic – to reduce static.
  • Hairspray applied to your brush or comb before using on your hair can help reduce static.
  • Use an ionic blow dryer to keep the static at a minimum. The negative ions emitted by the blow dryer attach to the positive ions on wet hair, more quickly evaporating and exposing hair to less heat during the blow dry process. Less heat = less frizz.
  • For the skin, I find Melaleuca brand lotions and hand creams to be the best. If your hands are often in water, I recommend Avon’s Silicone Glove (it is a lotion that puts a silicone layer on your hands to protect).
  • Finally, a nice cleanser, serum and moisturizer for your face will help with flakiness and that dry feeling. I do complimentary skin assessments and can recommend the best facial products for your at-home use. Often these products will change from winter to summer because of our drastic weather changes.

I know that these tips will help you get through the rest of this season. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.