4 Ways to Keep Your Curly Hair Extra Healthy in the Winter

"The most important thing you can do to protect your natural curly hair in the winter is to make sure that it is properly moisturized," Annagjid "Kee" Taylor, owner of Deeper Than Hair Salon in Philadelphia, told POPSUGAR. You should be doing your best to moisturize your hair during all seasons, but as Taylor pointed out, it's an easy problem for people to forget about in the colder months: "Moisture is key for healthy hair. The moisture helps create a barrier between your strands and the cold weather."

A few of Taylor's favorite products for moisturizing and sealing hair include the Deeper Than Hair Resurrection Masque ($23) because it's "fortified with proteins, moisturizing ingredients like jojoba, and other extracts to improve moisture and prevent breakage"; the E'tae Natural Products Buttershine Moisturizing Hair and Scalp Cream ($19); and the Daily Dose Miracle Moisture Spray Leave-In Conditioner & Detangler ($18).

The heavier clothing you typically wear in the winter to stay warm is often made with harsher materials (like wool) that can snag on your hair and cause it to break. So it's important to be mindful of how your clothing can affect your hair.

"One of the most significant things I notice with my clients in the winter is the amount of breakage on the backs of their heads," Taylor said. "This is due to the materials of warm winter clothes like scarves, hats, hoodies, sweaters. The fabrics are really harsh on the hair, pulling on the strands and causing them to break off, particularly at the nape."

To prevent this from happening, Taylor recommends using a silk or satin scarf to create a barrier between your hair and your scarf or sweater. "Honestly, avoid wool altogether, unless your hair is wrapped in silk," she added.

Speaking of fabrics, if you don't have a silk or satin pillowcase — like the Slip Satin Zippered Pillowcase ($89) — we highly recommend investing in one since these are much easier on your curls than regular, cotton pillowcases. "Sleeping on silk pillowcases is always a good idea for your hair, especially in winter when you want to retain as much moisture as you can," Taylor said.

Satin pillowcases aren't always cheap, so alternatively, if you're not ready to spend the money on one, or even if you feel like you want some extra protection throughout the night, you could always buy a satin scarf or head wrap to sleep in that'll work just as well.

Other than moisture (or lack thereof), breakage and overmanipulation are two more problems you should be mindful of in the winter. A good way to get ahead of both of these is to spend a few weeks wearing a protective style that'll keep your ends tucked away and free from any extra stress. If you need some inspiration, check out our protective style guide here.