Winter brings with it cooler weather, less sunlight, snow and that dry winter air. It also blows in with a number of flyaways, static electricity and some brittle, bad hair days for your kiddos.

What causes dry winter hair damage?

Damaging UV rays from the sun are closer to the earth right now; the cold air is harsh and drying—it makes hair brittle. The measures we take to combat the cold also wreak havoc on tiny tot tresses. Turning on the heat dries out the indoor air, while the continual temperature change from going in and out of doors is an endless barrage on those lovely locks.

Try these tips to protect your little one’s mane:

Moisturize!

Moisturize your kid’s hair—of course, but moisturizing in the winter doesn’t stop with just a good conditioner. Moisturize the body—make sure your kids are drinking plenty of water during the cold weather months. Moisturize the air—counteract some of those drying effects with a humidifier in your child’s room. Moisturize the scalp—it’s skin after all and needs the same TLC. Add a dry scalp treatment like the one from Moroccanoil to your tot’s hair care regimen in the winter.

Deep Condition.

An extra dose of moisture this time of year leads to healthy, manageable hair. Try an extra conditioning treatment like Deep Conditioner from Original Sprout.

Go Natural.

Defend your small one’s tresses against winter damage with a natural, non-harsh apple cider vinegar rinse. This home remedy balances out the pH in your child’s hair and naturally counteracts the dry winter air—¼ c. vinegar to 1 c. filtered water is all it takes. Make sure the hair is well saturated with water, and then apply the apple cider vinegar concoction. Leave in the hair for 30 minutes to an hour and rinse out (multiple times). A leave-in conditioner, like Snip-its Tangle Tamer Detangling Spray can be applied for extra protection afterwards.

Decrease Shampoo and Increase Conditioning.

If your kiddo’s hair is already susceptible to dryness on a regular basis, seriously consider using far less shampoo during the winter months. You might also want to switch to a conditioning shampoo like Snip-its Tangy Apple 3-in-1 Conditioning Shampoo.

Flyaway Fixes.

Fight the frizzes during dry, cold weather with detangling sprays, leave-in conditioners, serums and smoothing creams. Try a ceramic brush to help smooth the hair shaft, and add a leave-in spray or detangling spray whenever using a brush or comb on your kiddo’s tresses.

Wet Hair and Winter Wind Don’t Mix!

Stop the damage before it starts. Do not send your kids out the door with wet hair in the winter. Frozen, brittle hair is the opposite of healthy hair and will start an avalanche of split ends, frizz, and severe damage.

You need a first aid kit for your child’s winter hair care regimen. Stop by your local Snip-its salon and talk to one of our Kids Hair Experts about what products will work best for your tiny tot’s hair type and fight the dry, cold weather this season.