In the winter, it’s always the same thing. The cold, dry weather can not only leave you feeling depressed and drained, it also takes a toll on your skin and hair. But it is possible to have silky smooth hair all year long; you just need to take some extra steps to keep it healthy.

If you want to keep your hair looking great through the winter, you’ve got to start early. In the late autumn, get your hair trimmed and use a deep conditioning treatment. This will help make your hair healthy to begin with and stop winter damage before it starts. Just remember to maintain the health with regular trims and treatments through the winter.

In addition to special treatments, it will help to change your daily hair care routine as well. During the winter, try alternating your regular conditioner with an extra moisturizing one or even a leave-in conditioner. While you may benefit from simply switching, you’ll probably need to alternate daily or weekly to keep your hair from getting limp and weighed down by too much moisture.

During the cold winter months, you’re much more likely to blow-dry your hair to keep it from freezing when you step outside. Take extra steps to keep your dryer (and other styling tools) from doing damage to your hair. Always remember to apply styling products like sprays, gels, or conditioners that are specially designed to protect and repair styled hair.

While treating your hair from the outside is great, it is also important to take steps to strengthen and soften it from the inside. Vitamins like A, C, E, and various B vitamins can all help improve hair quality. The best is to eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and “good” fats, but you can boost your hair (and your health) by adding a daily multivitamin.

Just like your skin, your hair gets its moisture from your body. That means that if you want to keep your hair hydrated, you have to keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water. This will also help make your skin look better, leave you feeling better, and may even help you lose weight.

If you want to keep your hair looking and feeling great, you can’t just pay attention to the hair, you also have to worry about your scalp. Not only does an unhealthy scalp cause annoying problems like dandruff, your scalp is where the hair gets its moisture and life. It the skin isn’t healthy, it’s likely that the hair isn’t either. Be sure to use products that moisturize the skin and hair on your head. Another good tip is to massage your scalp regularly to keep the roots stimulated and growing.

While it may take a bit of extra work, you can keep your hair moisturized and looking beautiful all year round.