Three solutions to winter hair woes

Known for making edgy styles wearable, hair expert Mario Russo has 30 years of cutting Bostonians’ trendy tresses under his belt. He’s since expanded his flagship Newbury Street location to the Seaport, where he opened his second Salon Mario Russo late last summer.

The new 22 Liberty Dr.space has allowed Russo to bring his affinity for art into the salon. Currently, the salon is showing fine art works from Samson’s Project, a gallery in the South End. The art displayed in the salon is updated regularly.

“We try to change the art around because it recreates the atmosphere of the space and inspires clients,” Russo says.

Meanwhile, our own ever-changing atmosphere has us fighting hat hair, static cling and winter dryness. We asked Russo for his sage advice for protecting against New England hair struggles.

Slow down on the shampoo

With the winter cold comes excessively dry, brittle hair. Russo explains that blasting heaters in your apartment or office in combination with outdoor conditions exacerbates common hair dryness. Over-shampooing only adds to the problem. Russo recommends shampooing twice a week to keep strands strong. “Typically every three to four days is more than enough,” Russo says. He notes that a shampoo designed for dry hair — even if used just in the wintertime — can be a worthwhile purchase. He recommendsKerastase Bain Magistral Shampoo($41, kerastase-usa.com/bain) for an extra coat of moisture.

Give hair extra protection to preserve shine

Protecting against dry hair can also happen outside the shower. While you may know the best conditioner route for your hair (and maybe that route is none), Russo recommends still adding the step of a leave-in protectant after every shampoo to seal in moisture.

“Outside the shower, use a conditioning spray to protect the hair from dryness. Use it after you towel dry hair and proceed with styling,” he says. The result? Sleek, shiny strands.

Use a moisturizing cream to kill flyaways and frizz

Wearing a hat or hood on your morning commute can leave your ‘do looking tousled, and not in the cool girl-meets-bedhead way. Russo suggests a solution that doesn’t involve ditching your trusty warm layers. Use an anti-frizz cream with a lotion-like texture to smooth tresses without getting sticky or heavy. “Lightly apply the product and fluff the hair back up,” Russo says. “Even if you have a light moisturizing lotion in your purse [for skin], use the leftover lotion on your hands and run it through your hair.”