Hair requires special attention during winter

By Sarah Szczepanski
Assistant Features Editor

It takes Purdue student Maritza Calo over an hour and a half to straighten her long, naturally curly hair. She partially blow-dries it in rollers, and finishes with a brush.

"It just takes a long time," said Calo, a junior in the School of Liberal Arts.

But, she said her hair is easier to style in the winter because the weather is not as humid.

According to Annie Crosser, the owner of Emporium Hairstyling and Tanning Center, this is typical of hairstyles in winter.

Crosser said humidity, atmospheric conditions and health can change the way that a hairstyle looks. "I can cut the same haircut in two different seasons, but different factors determine how it will fall. It will look a little different, and that's hard for people to realize."

Air is more dry in winter and may change the haircut or even the type of hair care that is required this time of year, Crosser said.

"Of course, all of this depends on the person. It depends on their lifestyle. For example, those on Purdue's campus who spend time inside with no humidifier, their hair will dry out. A hot oil treatment once a month wouldn’t hurt anyone around here."

Winter hairstyles involve much more than deep moisturizing and patience; looking good in the dark, gray months means incorporating carefully considered colors.

Margaret Taylor, a junior in the School of Liberal Arts, said she gets highlights to liven up her hair. "Otherwise it is dull and boring," she said.

Croser pointed out that hair coloring could do a lot more than liven up dull hair.

"In the winter, skin gets a blah color," said Crosser. "So a lot of people lighten up their hair to make their skin look brighter."

For example, Crosser said if a person changes their hair from dark brown to light brown or auburn, this will give them a warmer skin tone.

Very dark hair shouldn’t go too light, or light hair too dark, because it will make the person look washed out, she said.

"In the winter, normally people don’t get as much sunlight, so their hair gets a little darker," said Marie Gonya, a graduate of Honors Beauty College in Indianapolis. If students want a natural look, they can use lowlights, a blend of two different colors in the same family such as brown or reddish brown.

But winter hairstyles are about much more than color and shading; they're also about the cut.

"A haircut should be determined by face shape, type of hair, ability and lifestyle," said Crosser.

Shawna Fogleman, part owner of Eclectic Hair Salon & Massage, said many of her clients request short, collar-length cuts with lots of layers.

"A lot of people are getting that shaggy haircut," she said. "It's flipped up in the back and longer on top. It is straighter in the front, and has a lot of height in the crown."

Fogleman said that this haircut can be low or high maintenance, depending on the person.

"A lot of people just blow-dry it, and run their fingers through it. But others will curl it, and that might take longer. It's their own preference."

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