Written by Akesha Reid
Autumn calls for a hair routine switch-up, so here’s what you need to know for healthier hair this season.
After the blazing summer of 2022, you’re either breathing a sigh of relief at the return of crisp, non-humid weather or yearning for warming days again. One thing that can be agreed on is that summer is the worst season for hair health. Sun damage, humidity, chlorine-compromising colour: by autumn your hair is always ready for a reset. If you have coloured or bleached hair, as I do, you may have noticed how much your hair needs hydration via a mask during the hotter months and how colour fade becomes a real task to avoid.
Thankfully, autumn doesn’t wreak as much havoc on our hair, but it’s still a good time to think about renourishing the hair. It’s also a time to prepare the hair for the colder winter months when central heating and even accessories such as scarves (yes, scarves) can negatively affect the condition of our hair.
Stylist spoke to some of the UK’s top hair experts to find out the most important ways to switch up your hair care routine this season for every type and texture.
1. Colour care doesn’t stop
Just because the sun isn’t beating down on your hair anymore, it doesn’t mean you can skip on the colour care products. If you have coloured hair – such as the on-trend red or copper hues we’re seeing now or you’ve gone back to brunette for the darker days and nights – you still need to preserve your colour. “As colour tends to get darker and warmer through autumn and winter, I would recommend using colour-holding products to help protect the colour over the harsh months,” advises Jack Kilpatrick, owner and director of JKPHairspa.
2. Seal in moisture
Did you know the seasonal transitions of fashion can affect the texture of hair? Yes, really. Fibres from high necklines and scarves can rub against your hair cuticles, lifting it which, in turn, can lead to frizz and breakage. To help avoid this, Jemma Mewies, owner of Mewies & Co, has the following tip: “Apply your favourite hair oil to wet hair before styling, this will protect your hair and help to fight any frizz.” The new L’Oréal Professionnel Metal Detox Anti-deposit Protector Concentrated Hair Oil, £26, works for all hair types and is especially good when blow-dried in.
3. Ditch the dryness
“As the heating gets turned back on, hair can become dry so having a nourishing haircare routine in place will help keep hair soft,” says Kilpatrick. “I recommend that my clients do a nourishing hair mask routine at least once per week, depending on their hair and type.” For a thicker hair type or afro hair type, if you wash weekly to fortnightly, use a nourishing mask every wash to reinject moisture. If you have finer hair that you wash daily or every few days, using a mask twice a month will be enough to rehydrate without weighing hair down.
4. Elevate your bedding
Another way that fabrics and fibres can cause damage in the colder months is in bed. In fact, across the year, cotton pillowcases can sap moisture from the hair, but this is even more pertinent during autumn. “Upgrade your pillowcase to a silk one,” says Afroditi Koutsouki, senior stylist at Neville Hair & Beauty. “This will prevent unwanted breakage and friction.” Try the Slip Silk Pillowcase, £85.
Main image: Getty
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