Simple transitions that will take your hair beautifully from winter into spring
Taking the winter hats off necessitates a thoughtful refresh of the scalp care variety. Image by lookstudio for Freepik.
Season of Renewal
There are a few things we associate with the coming of spring. Cherry blossoms, longer days, warming weather, chocolate egg hunts…
It inspires a sense of growth and renewal.
But spring also brings with it some uniquely specific challenges where our hair is concerned: increased shedding, dryness, oil build-up.
Does your hair seem drier and lifeless as you leave winter behind? Chances are it’s not your imagination. Our hair can almost always be counted on to behave differently when the seasons shift, and when those changes catch you unaware, it can become a significant source of styling frustration.
Environmental Factors: Higher Humidity, UV Exposure, and Heat
Temperature, humidity, and UV exposure can all influence how your hair behaves. Image by Freepik.
With spring showers comes…frizz?
When hair gets wet, water penetrates the strand and temporarily disrupts the hydrogen bonds that maintain your hair’s shape. This, in turn, makes hair more pliable, stretchy, and more prone to damage.
Humidity is more subtle. Moisture in the air moves in and out of our porous hair as it strives to reach equilibrium. Because water molecules enter the strand unevenly, it expands and causes the hair fiber to swell. This leads to the outer cuticle lifting and roughening. Curls can appear bigger (more voluminous), and straight hair can become less smooth…
Voila! Frizz.
And the more porous (chemically treated) your hair is? The stronger this effect can be.
UV Exposure
The closer you live to the equator, the greater the likelihood you see year-round warm temperatures and sunshine, without the dramatic seasonal shifts. However, with that warmer weather, UV protection is a year-round must.
Further north or south, where days get significantly longer as spring arrives, the increased exposure can take people by surprise.
UV light is a problem for hair. It breaks and oxidizes the proteins (like keratin) that make up the hair shaft. Like with higher humidity, this leads to weaker, rougher, and more brittle hair over time. Unlike humidity, UV light can damage the hair follicle itself. Over a lifetime, that UV damage can be cumulative, affecting every aspect of your hair’s health (including increasing skin cancer risks in the surrounding scalp).
As if that’s not enough to worry about, sunlight can be unpredictable when it comes to dandruff (seborrheic dermatitis), improving things for some and worsening it for others.
A Matter of Biology
On a cellular side, warmer weather activates the sebaceous glands, which in turn respond to higher temperatures by ramping up sebum (oil) production. It can be great for hair that’s typically drier, not so much so for people who struggle with fine hair and oil control.
The heat also encourages keratinocytes (keratin-producing cells in the hair follicle) to shift their activity to anaphase — great news for new growth. Ironically, to go with all this growth, we also tend to see an increase in telogen effluvium in spring. A special kind of shedding, telogen effluvium, is triggered by stress, both emotional and physical. What we see in spring is often a result of holiday stress and bouts of winter flu. Though almost always temporary, telogen effluvium can take up to 3 months to appear, making it hard to link the cause back to, say, a particularly stressful New Year spent nursing a devastating cold (ironically leading to more stress).
What You Can do to Set Your Hair up for Spring Success
Setting your hair up for success this spring comes down to thoughtful changes and consistency. Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko
Clean Slate: Awakening, Not Layering
Spring is a great time to reevaluate your hair care routine. By doing a gentle, deep clean and exfoliating the scalp, you can get ahead of issues that come from extra oil production and moisturizing residue that remains on the cuticle from heavier winter treatments. If you have hard water in your area, minerals can build up, so you might also benefit from a chelating treatment.
If hair is feeling weighed down, swap out thicker conditioners and masks for lighter products or opt out entirely. For the fine-haired, avoid 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner products, which, though convenient, can leave a moisturizing residue on the hair shaft. Pare down heavier styling products and smoothing oils and reintroduce slowly to see which ones work best with the warmer weather.
Another great way to kick off spring is with a new look. A stylist can do great things to create volume and movement that work with the season.
Scalp Revival
Since your scalp is your foundation for growth, spring is a great time to take inventory. Dandruff, breakouts, sensitivity, and itching can all indicate important things about your hair and scalp health and hint that a product change is warranted. Investing in well-formulated haircare, like my Feel Confident line (https://feelconfident.com/collections/hair), that omits known irritants can help calm things down. For dandruff specifically, a product with salicylic acid, zinc pyrithione, or coal tar can effectively treat the underlying fungal cause of flakes and provide relief.
Kickstart Growth
Lastly, consider introducing products to your haircare routine that include proven hair growth supplemental ingredients: curcumin, saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil, and caffeine all clinically shown to support hair growth and follicle health by collectively increasing circulation, decreasing inflammation, and antiandrogenic properties.
I’ve personally formulated My Feel Confident haircare (https://feelconfident.com/collections/hair) with all four ingredients to help your hair feel and look its best. Research backed with clinical studies and packed with ingredients like caffeine, saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil, and curcumin, Feel Confident really can support your hair during season changes and is gentle enough to use all year round.
If you’re concerned the changes you’re seeing aren’t just seasonal, it’s a good time to seek out a professional consultation. Photo by SHTTEFAN on Unsplash.
And If You’re Concerned Something Else is Going on…
If you feel the hair fallout you’re experiencing is more than just seasonal shedding, spring is a great time to explore your hair’s health with a qualified professional. Catching changes in hair health earlier always leaves more options for intervention, such as doctor-guided treatments (https://feelconfident.com/pages/doctor-guided-treatment).
The content of this newsletter is for entertainment and educational purposes only. This content is not meant to provide any medical advice or treat any medical conditions. Patients must be evaluated by an appropriate healthcare provider on an individual basis and treatment must be tailored to meet that patient’s needs. Results and particular outcomes are not guaranteed.
