How To Air Dry Your Hair When It’s Cold & Other Winter Hair Dilemmas, Solved

Faded colour, parched strands and split ends are just a handful of consequences of basking in the summer sun, but when the cold hits and the central heating is switched on, you're likely to experience a host of new issues.

A flaky scalp, hat hair and waiting twice as long for lengths to air dry isn't exactly ideal, so we tasked world-renowned hairstylist and brand founder Philip B with solving our most common autumn and winter hair dilemmas.

"Microfibre towels 'pre-dry' your hair much better than ordinary towels, but to speed things up if you don't want to sit around all cold, invest in a diffuser for your hairdryer. Simply place the diffuser above your head without touching your hair, bounce it around a bit, and the water will evaporate much faster. That way, you can air dry the rest easily."

"Firstly, avoid wearing wool scarves. They cause friction to the hair follicle and when it is roughened, this results in static and flyaways. Secondly, when water in the atmosphere hits the bond of the hair it starts to erode and the strand kinks up, so I'd suggest opting for a good leave-in conditioner to prevent this from happening so quickly. They also work to re-moisturise the hair post-wash."

"You can easily restyle rained-on hair with a leave-in conditioner. Spray it right on the hair and smooth it out with your hands and it'll be transformed. You can also create a really nice sleek up-do with it. If that fails, go for the wet look. Grab some mousse, slick it back, and when it’s dry, just brush it out."

"Split ends shrink like a prune and then literally crack, so using oil treatments is one of the best ways to revive hair. Hair oil lubricates the cuticle and allows it to open and close so that you can seal it shut. Using products which contain amino acids and peptides (what keratin is made of) will also glue them back together, but only temporarily, so go for regular trims."

"Hot oil treatments are amazing for your hair and scalp because they even out the hair’s porosity and help lift and dissolve dead skin. Your ends are always thirsty for lipids, too, so it's a bit like a reboot for your head. I also love scalp massagers. They invigorate the scalp, gently lift excess sebum and product buildup and distribute natural oils. All of which controls flakiness."

"Again, stock up on oils, which really are the best for textured, super curly hair. I would always put the product on towel-dried hair that is still slightly damp. This is because water will carry the product through."

"No, it doesn’t. That's what I would call fake news! You aren’t more prone to hair loss in the winter. One thing I would advise is to be gentler on your hair, for example using natural bristles, which are better for your hair all year round."

"Dry shampoo. It's not bad for your hair or scalp. Your scalp is so coated with sebum, which is one of the waxiest, heaviest substances. If you brush the dry shampoo through, it will absorb the natural oils and move them away. Always brush it through. Don't spritz and go."

"Any type of leave-in conditioner is going to re-silken the hair and take out any kinks. Just spritz it in and run your hands through. Curls need more of a cream to hold it down, so if your hair is curly, scrunch upwards instead."

"In-shower conditioner. This may sound obvious, but there's a particular way of using it. You have so many hair follicles, so using a comb will help zip it through. Always apply conditioner on soaking wet hair, otherwise you’ll end up using twice as much. Water is the vehicle for good ingredients in products."

Winter weather can zap hair of moisture, causing frizz and flyaways. A nourishing shampoo is your best bet for keeping strands in tip top condition.