To keep the cold out under your coat, a neck warmer is an essential accessory. However, your hairstyle doesn't stand a chance against cozy scarves, wool turtlenecks, and satin shawls. When you shed your winter layers, your hair suffers some collateral damage. But there's no need to sacrifice comfort or style. You can stay warm and sport a beautiful hairstyle, provided you follow these simple rules.
The secret of the pros: opt for "hair-friendly" materials
In this cold weather, a scarf is a welcome addition to any outfit. It protects against gusts of wind, cushions the morning chill, and envelops the neck in softness. It almost makes us forget the season's low temperatures. However, despite its many benefits, this soft accessory, which provides warmth and comfort, can sometimes be the downside of our look. The scarf is responsible for the biggest hair problem of winter. When we take it off, our hair is full of static electricity and gives shocks to anyone who touches it.
The scarf nicely barricades the neck, but it completely ruins our hairstyle. Judging by our appearance, you'd think we'd had a fight with a grizzly bear on the trail or braved a blizzard. However, there's no way we're going out in this freezing cold with our neck exposed. You might not know it, but the scarf isn't just for looks. It protects you against nasty colds by creating a point of warmth on a particularly vulnerable area of your body.
The problem? Rough fabrics like raw wool or acrylic cause friction, which generates static electricity, breakage, and immediate flattening. To keep your neck warm without ruining all your hard-working hairstyles, opt for scarves made from hair-friendly materials. Forget cheap scarves from the flea market; choose more luxurious versions in cashmere, merino wool, or down. Another chic and practical alternative is the satin shawl.
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Detachable collars: the Danish trick that preserves volume and style
To combine practicality with style and protect your neck without ruining your hairstyle, swap your bulky scarf for a detachable collar. These faux collars, which give the illusion of wearing a blouse underneath, are ubiquitous in Scandinavian fashion. In short: they're improved neck warmers.
Whether made of fleece, wool, knit, or other fabrics, plain, patterned, or zippered, they provide the same warmth as a fluffy scarf, but with the added benefit of leaving more room for your hair. They slip easily under coats, effectively warming the nape of the neck and upper torso without ever touching the lengths of your hair. They might just be the best hair-ruining innovation of recent years. And unlike scarves, which you never quite know how to style or tie, detachable collars are all you need to elevate an outfit.
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Strategic hairstyles that don't flatten
This is certainly the most obvious tip for keeping your neck warm without damaging your hair: style it consciously. Instead of repeating the same mistake every morning and leaving your hair loose, style it intelligently so that it barely touches your scarf.
Among the most effective hairstyles:
- The high half-tail, which keeps the top of the skull intact.
- The low, loose bun, placed just above the coat.
- The side braid, away from the nape of the neck and ultra-feminine.
- The "claw clip" (crab clip), which has become an unstoppable anti-flat weapon.
These hairstyles aren't meant to "hide the damage": on the contrary, they help maintain the shape, curls, and texture until the evening. It just goes to show that sometimes you just need to approach the problem from a different angle to solve it.
The final tip: apply a protective barrier
"Prevention is better than cure," and this saying is doubly relevant to your hair care routine. To keep your hairstyle intact after a few tight wraps in your scarf, prepare your hair beforehand. Maintaining your hair is a long-term commitment, even an art form.
Hairdressers have one last piece of advice that few people know: create an anti-friction barrier on the lengths of your hair before facing the cold. A few drops of light oil or a protective spray is enough to coat the hair and prevent fabric fibers from snagging.
Keeping your neck warm without ruining your hairstyle is neither a dream nor a privilege. With a few judicious choices, the right fabrics, the right accessories, and the right techniques, you can get through winter comfortably warm and impeccably styled. In fact, that scarf we both love and hate can even cover your hair. Fashionistas wear it as a head covering, making it an all-in-one accessory.
