Winter hair woes? Experts list common hair care blunders and ways to fix them, check here

Winter, a season of cosiness, comfort and warmth is here! Alongside the comforting weather, this season also leads to many hair problems including fizziness, dandruff, dehydrated scalp and hair loss.

There are various mistakes one makes while taking care of their hair. One of the most common hair care mistakes that people make during the winter is not washing their hair frequently. Many tend to avoid washing their hair regularly due to the chilly weather. While it may seem normal and harmless, it can negatively hamper your hair health.

Over time, it can lead to a buildup of dirt, dust, oil, and styling products in your hair, particularly on your scalp. ¡°A dirty scalp can clog the hair follicles which can cause extreme itching, dandruff, and thinning of the hair. It can also make you look greasy and flat,¡± warns Dr. Rinky Kapoor, Consultant Dermatologist, Cosmetic Dermatologist & Dermato-Surgeon, at The Esthetic Clinics.

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Busting myths: Hair care blunders you must avoid this winter season

Now, there are certain things that we need to debunk on winter skin care. ¡°One that you don't have to cleanse it regularly, you know, because it winters and it's cold. So excessive cleansing or cleansing more frequently is not advisable. It's a myth,¡± says Dr. Soma Sarkar, MBBS, MD, Dermatology, Co-Founder, SkinBB.

You need to cleanse your face at least twice a day, not more than that, which is required regularly for your skincare to work well. Second, you also always, you know, people go on looking at the ingredients to start with for good skin care.

But simultaneously, the myth is that not only the ingredients are important, but the formulations are important as well. Dr Sarkar explains, ¡°The technology used is also very important because your skincare has to penetrate your epidermis layer. Not every product will do that. Not every moisturiser will do that. So please ensure that you are checking on these things.¡±

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Third, normally people feel that, you know, in this season, we need to use a lot of lot of layering. Again, layering has to be done wisely, specifically looking at your skin type. Sharing an example of this, Dr Sarkar shares, ¡°If you have very, very dry and dull skin, I would always start with a hyaluronic acid serum followed by an occlusive cream. Now occlusive cream doesn't mean that it is going to wrap you like a plastic sheet and cause you to sweat.¡±

Occlusive cream means that it is going to maintain, it is going to retain the moisturizer locked into your skin. So use a nice occlusive or a barrier cream and then loathe yourself with a lot of sunscreen. Now the other myth is that in winter, you don't require so much of sunscreens. Now that's another way around.

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Tips to take care of hair and skin during winters

In winter, especially because of the cold, you don't feel the warmth of the sun so much, but the rays are still there and you equally require them daily, even if you are inside the house. So something more important to understand is during winters, if you don't protect your skin through the sun's rays, you're going to have more photoaging, fine lines, flaking skin, dull skin and dry skin.

• Stay hydrated: Ensure that you are drinking a lot of, lot of water to stay hydrated.
• Avoid taking long showers: Do not take long showers, especially in hot waters. Try to keep your showers minimum.
• Cleanse your face: Exfoliation is another thing which you have to take very cautiously. Normally if you're going to exfoliate your skin once in 15 days, in winter months, take it once a month because you do not want to make your skin too dry as well.
• Use good hair care products: Following a proper hair care routine that consists of a hair mask, shampoo, conditioner, and hair serum can be rewarding. Always go for hair care products that contain natural ingredients for the betterment of your hair.
• Do not wash your hair with hot water: Washing your hair with hot water is the biggest hair care blunder one could make. Use only lukewarm water when it comes to washing your hair. Using hot water can cause damage to your scalp while stripping out its natural oil.