November 25th, 2025.

The Harmattan Hair Survival Guide: What Every Woman Needs to Know

Why Does My Hair Feel So Dry During Harmattan?

If you’ve been googling “why is my hair breaking during harmattan” or “how to stop hair dryness in December,” you’re not alone. Here’s what’s actually happening:

The Science Behind It: Harmattan winds carry dust particles from the Sahara, and humidity levels in Lagos drop dramatically (sometimes below 20%). Our hair has a unique structure. The natural oils from our scalp struggle to travel down the tight curls and coils of our strands.

When harmattan hits and the air gets this dry, the little moisture our hair manages to hold onto evaporates faster than ever. Add in the dust that settles on our hair and scalp, and you have the perfect recipe for dryness, breakage, and frustration.

How to Tell If Your Hair Is Struggling (Before It's Too Late)

Your hair will tell you it needs help. Watch for:

Early Warning Signs:

Hair feels rough or crunchy even right after moisturizing
Detangling takes twice as long as usual
More hair on your comb than normal
Scalp feels tight, itchy, or flaky (worse than usual)
Hair looks dull and ashy, no matter what you put on it
Your twists or braids unravel faster
Shrinkage is more extreme than normal

Red Alert Signs:

Breakage at the crown or nape
Single strand knots everywhere (those annoying fairy knots)
Hair won’t absorb product anymore, it just sits on top looking white and greasy
Ends splitting into 3-4 pieces
Your edges are thinning

If you’re experiencing 3+ of these, your hair needs serious intervention now.

What to Do Right Now (Even If You Can't Get to a Salon Today)

1. Deep Condition Like It’s Your Job

Let’s be real, most of us are not washing our hair every week anyway. But when you DO wash (whether that’s every 2 weeks, 3 weeks, or once a month), deep conditioning is non-negotiable during harmattan.

Use heat: a warm towel, dryer, or conditioning cap helps the product actually penetrate
Leave it on for minimum 45 minutes to 1 hour (not the 5 minutes the bottle says)
Look for ingredients: shea butter, glycerin, honey, sweet almond oil, coconut oil
If your hair is breaking, add a protein treatment once a month

2. Hydrate and Moisturise More Frequently

This is where we’re really dropping the ball. Harmattan means you need to refresh your moisture every 2-3 days, not once a week.

Spritz your hair with water.
Use a water based leave in. Focus products on your ends, they’re the oldest, driest part of your hair.
Use natural oils sparingly especially if you are not washing every week.

3. Actually Drink Water

Yes, we sound like your mother. But your hair is fed from the inside out. If your body is dehydrated, your hair will be too.

Aim for 2-3 liters daily. Keep a bottle at your desk. Your hair (and your skin) will thank you.

4. Protect Your Hair at Night, Every Single Night

This is where a lot of us lose the moisture we worked hard to put in:

Satin or silk bonnet, scarf, or pillowcase (NOT NEGOTIABLE)
If you must use a cotton scarf, line it with satin
Loose twists, braids, or the pineapple method to reduce friction
Re-moisturize in the morning if needed

Cotton sucks moisture out of your hair overnight. That’s why you wake up with dry, crunchy hair after spending 30 minutes moisturizing the night before.

5. Styling: Do It Right or Don’t Do It

Box braids, cornrows, twists, wigs, weaves, they can save you during harmattan. But only if you do them correctly:

Before installing:

Wash and deep condition your hair
Moisturize and seal thoroughly
Don’t braid on dry hair

While wearing:

Oil your scalp weekly
Spritz your braids/twists with a water-based spray
Don’t leave styles in longer than 4 weeks
If your scalp itches badly or smells, take it down

The style should not:

Be so tight it gives you a headache
Pull at your edges
Make your scalp sore

If any of these are happening, your style is damaging your hair and scalp, not protecting it.

7. Stop Playing With Heat (Especially Now)

Your hair is already stressed during harmattan. Adding, flat irons, and pressing combs is like pouring fuel on fire.

If you must use heat:

Always, ALWAYS use a heat protectant first
Keep temperature below 350°F (medium heat)
Don’t pass over the same section more than 2-3 times
Limit to once every 3-4 weeks maximum

8. Trim Those Dead Ends

We get it, we’re all trying to retain length. But here’s the truth: damaged ends won’t get better. No product, no treatment, no prayer will repair a split end.

If your ends are:

Splitting into 2-3 pieces
See-through or thin
Breaking off constantly
Refusing to stay twisted or curled

Cut them. Even just 1-2 inches. Split ends travel up the hair strand, causing more damage. Trimming actually helps you retain MORE length in the long run.

9. Cover Your Hair When You Are Outside

Harmattan means dust. Everywhere. In the air, on your hair, on your clothes. That dust settles on your hair and scalp, absorbing moisture and causing buildup.

Wear a scarf, headwrap, or hat when you’re outside for extended periods
If you wear your hair out, shake it out when you get home
Consider updos or other styling options using hair extensions if you please.

When Home Care Isn't Enough

Sometimes what we do at home just isn’t cutting it. Consider professional treatment if:

You’re doing everything right but your hair still feels like straw
Detangling sessions take a long time and you lose handfuls of hair
Your scalp feels painful, inflamed, or has open sores
Breakage is happening despite deep conditioning
You want to actually PREVENT damage instead of trying to fix it later

Professional treatments (like the ones we offer at Tresses Lagos) are formulated with advanced ingredients that penetrate deeper than the surface. A proper moisture treatment can keep your hair hydrated for 4-6 weeks versus the 2-3 days you get from home treatments.

Think of it like this: you can wash your clothes at home, but sometimes you need the dry cleaner for that special outfit. Same with your hair.

The Biggest Mistake Women Make During Harmattan

Waiting until the damage is already done.

By the time your hair is breaking badly, you’re in repair mode, which is harder and more expensive than prevention.

Harmattan comes every year, like clockwork. The women whose hair looks healthy and moisturized all through December and January? They started caring for it in October and November, before the dry winds even arrived.

Prevention is cheaper, easier, and less painful than trying to rescue damaged hair.

Your Harmattan Hair Checklist

Screenshot this:

☐ Deep condition every wash day
☐ Use leave in conditioners and moisturisers every 2-3 days, not once a week
☐ Drink at least 2 liters of water daily
☐ Sleep with satin/silk protection EVERY NIGHT
☐ Avoid unnecessary heat styling
☐ Style properly (not too tight, keep it clean, take it down on time)
☐ Trim damaged ends. Don’t hold onto dead hair
☐ Cover hair when outside in dusty conditions
☐ Consider a professional treatment BEFORE peak harmattan.

Harmattan is harsh on our hair. Our hair textures are already prone to dryness because of how our hair grows. Add in the driest season of the year, dust, and inconsistent moisture routines, and you have a recipe for breakage.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Your hair CAN thrive during harmattan. It requires intentionality, consistency, and sometimes professional help. But it’s absolutely possible.

The dryness you’re feeling right now? That’s your hair asking for help. Don’t wait until it’s breaking off in chunks to answer.

Ready to give your hair the deep moisture it’s been begging for? Our Harmattan Care Treatment Bundles are specifically designed for Nigerian weather and our hair

textures. We’ll help you choose the right treatment for exactly what your hair needs right now.

Book Your Harmattan Treatment Session & Save 10%

Let’s get your hair ready for the season together.

Get a wellness experience through holistic hair and scalp treatments.

November 25th, 2025.

The Harmattan Hair Survival Guide: What Every Woman Needs to Know

Why Does My Hair Feel So Dry During Harmattan?

How to Tell If Your Hair Is Struggling (Before It's Too Late)

What to Do Right Now (Even If You Can't Get to a Salon Today)

When Home Care Isn't Enough

The Biggest Mistake Women Make During Harmattan

Your Harmattan Hair Checklist

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