Indoor heating wrecking your waves?

The heating goes on, the windows stay closed, and suddenly your waves are acting as if they belong to someone else.

They're frizzier. Your ends feel rough. Definition isn't lasting as long. You might even find yourself reaching for more styling product, only to end up with hair that's somehow dry and weighed down at the same time.

Welcome to indoor heating season.

Central heating can create a much drier indoor environment, and spending hours in warm, low-humidity rooms can leave already moisture-prone wavy hair feeling increasingly dehydrated.

The solution isn't to completely overhaul your routine. You just need to make a few seasonal adjustments.

Wavy hair can already be prone to dryness because natural oils from the scalp don't travel as easily along bends in the hair as they do down straight strands.

Then autumn and winter arrive.

Cold outdoor air tends to hold less moisture, while heating our homes and workplaces can reduce indoor relative humidity further. Add wind, hot showers and constantly moving between cold and heated environments, and your waves will quickly start wishing for a holiday.

When hair becomes dry, the outer cuticle can become rougher, and strands are more likely to separate rather than form smooth wave clumps.

The result?

More frizz, less definition and waves that feel rough rather than soft and flexible.

Don't immediately start piling on conditioning products just because the heating is on.

Instead, pay attention to your hair.

You may need more moisture if your waves:

• Feel rough or straw-like
• Tangle more easily than usual
• Have noticeably dry ends
• Look dull
• Feel less flexible
• Have become frizzier alongside dryness

If your hair feels extremely soft, limp and unable to hold a wave, that's different. You could actually be dealing with too much moisture rather than too little.

1. Don't over-cleanse

If your scalp doesn't need washing, don't increase your shampoo frequency simply because your waves look frizzier.

Over-cleansing can remove oils that help protect your hair, particularly if you're already experiencing seasonal dryness.

Cleanse when your scalp needs it and save your deeper Clarifying Shampoo for when you actually have build-up.

2. Increase moisture gradually

Your summer routine might not provide quite enough hydration once you're spending most of the day indoors with the heating running.

You don't necessarily need heavier products at every stage.

Start small. Leave your conditioner on slightly longer, introduce a Deep Conditioning Mask when your hair feels particularly dry, or add a little more Wave Cream to your styling routine.

Then see how your waves respond.

3. Keep your styling lightweight

This is where people often go wrong.

Dry hair makes you think: MORE PRODUCT.

Suddenly you're layering oils, leave-ins, creams and masks, and your previously bouncy waves are flatter than a pancake.

Wavy hair still needs lightweight products, even when it needs more moisture.

Aim for enough hydration to restore softness and flexibility without coating your strands in products they don't need.

4. Seal dry ends

Your ends are the oldest part of your hair and often the first place you'll notice seasonal dryness.

A small amount of lightweight hair oil through the ends can help smooth them and reduce friction without needing to coat your entire head.

5. Protect your waves overnight

Dry hair plus eight hours rubbing against bedding isn't a brilliant combination.

Reducing overnight friction with a satin or silk pillowcase, bonnet or loose protective hairstyle can help preserve your wave clumps and prevent unnecessary tangling.

That can also mean less brushing, refreshing and manipulation the following morning.

The products your waves loved in July won't necessarily give you identical results in November.

And that's normal.

As temperatures, humidity and your environment change, your hair's needs can change too.

So if your waves suddenly become drier, rougher and frizzier when the heating comes on, don't assume your entire routine has stopped working.

Keep the fundamentals the same, but adjust the moisture dial.

A little more conditioning, a little more protection and a little less unnecessary cleansing might be all your winter waves need.