Winter Hair & Skin Care

Here’s a good article on how to treat your hair and skin in wintery conditions.

"Old man winter is bearing down and leaving our skin, hair and flaky facade fit for a do-over.

But before you consider a face transplant, take these tips from the pros.

"In the wintertime, everything dries out. Our skin dries out, our nails, everything. We want something that will be very hydrating," said Sandy Demers, general manager of Hair Cosmopolitan in Nashua, N.H.

She recommends using hydrating hair products and protecting the scalp with 20-minute hair mask treatments.

A hair mask is a more intensive treatment that Demers says will spell the difference between scary grab-a-hat hair and bouncy check-me-out tresses.

The difference between a mask and deep conditioner?

"Sorbet ice cream versus Edy’s. One is heavier then the other," she said.

You may never achieve a magnificent mane like Heather Locklear, but you don’t have to look like a casualty of a New England winter either.

Hydrating and moisturizing shampoo such as Kerasilk from Goldwell, adds control and moisture to the hair shaft and gives curls back their bounce, it can also help restore perms, said Demers.

"Your hair and nails are both dead things, waste from the body. So it’s all about how we take care of it," she said.

You may have to shell out some extra ducats for the right products but, after all, you only have one head.

"As far as I’m concerned there is nothing that’s too expensive when it comes to hair," said Demers.

Even more susceptible to the wrath of winter is skin.

Chelmsford dermatologist Khalil Khatri has seen his share of dry, cracked and oozing hands, which, if not properly treated, could lead to infection.

He blames the double whammy of cold air outside and heat inside as havoc wreakers. The only prescription for dry skin is to moisturize.

And the best time to slather on the cream is right after a lukewarm shower. As tempting as it is to take a scalding hot blast this time of year, "hot water sucks the moisture out of the skin," said Khatri.

He recommends using creams such as Cetaphil or Eucerin when the skin is still damp after a shower. "It seals water in the skin," he said.

And be liberal, said Khatri. "Cover yourself from head to toe, not just on hands and your face."

To notch up the defense, try a humidifier in the bedroom and reach for sunblock when hitting the slopes, sledding or going for a winter walk.

If You Have

Fine Hair: Use volumizing shampoo and conditioner. Be careful using masks; they can weigh hair down. Look for weightless products.

Damaged, Colored Dried-out Hair: Try Bonacure by Schwarkophy, "a treatment line with a brain. It will target the problem area, go in and take care of the negative by co-acting with a positive," said Sandy Demers of Hair Cosmopolitan.

Coarse Hair: Silk Results by Joico. It helps define curls, soothes straightened hair, won’t weigh hair down, lifts and volumizes.

Best Buy For a Family: Shampoo One by Paul Mitchell and The Conditioner. Works for all and is reasonably priced."