Winter in Lausanne: bise, beanie and a blow-dry that holds
Under the beanie and in the bise, roots that keep their lift.
By Manel, M BRUSH5 min read
N° 02
Lausanne
The essentials
In winter in Lausanne, a blow-dry suffers above all from the bise, cold and dry, from static electricity and from the beanie that flattens the roots. Choose a beanie lined with silk or satin, put it on without tightening, protect the nape from the rubbing of the scarf and bring back volume upside down, with cool air, once you have taken it off.
Winter in Lausanne has a paradox. The air is often drier than in autumn, which is rather good news for a blow-dry.
But it brings the bise, the beanie, the wool scarf and the heating, four enemies that attack the roots and the lengths. Here is how to get through the season without sacrificing either your hair or your ears.
The bise, a cold and dry wind
The bise is a cold, dry wind that blows from the north to the north-east. According to MétéoSuisse, it is channelled between the Jura and the Alps, and its longest episodes occur from November to March, often accompanied by stratus over the Plateau.
For a blow-dry, it has two effects.
- A mechanical effect: the wind tangles the lengths, blows strands back over the face and knots the ends at the nape against the collar.
- A more insidious effect: cold, dry air, then the heated air of interiors, deprive the hair of its moisture and encourage static electricity.
The bise, on the other hand, does not bring the humidity that undoes a blow-dry in foggy weather. For those days, more frequent in autumn, see our article rain, fog, lake: making a blow-dry last.
Static electricity: where it comes from
Hair that lifts and sticks to the face when you take off a jumper has a simple explanation. The friction between two materials, hair and wool, hair and a synthetic beanie, charges the hair with electricity.
In humid air, this charge dissipates quickly. In the dry air of winter, it stays, and the strands repel one another. A few gestures limit it:
- Smooth materials against the hair: silk, satin, fine cotton rather than wool or acrylic.
- A suitable brush: natural bristles or an anti-static brush charge the hair less than some plastic brushes.
- A drop of cream or serum on the ends, at home and after the blow-dry, never before the appointment.
- Less dry indoor air, if you have the option.
In winter, it is not the cold that undoes a blow-dry, it is what you put on your head.
The beanie without flattening the volume
It is the big question of winter: how do you wear a beanie without arriving with flat roots and a mark around your head?
Choosing the right beanie
| Headwear | On the roots |
|---|---|
| Loose lined beanie | Protects without tightening |
| Wide hood, beret | Flattens little |
| Fitted beanie, headband | Marks the roots |
| Ear warmer with a band | Marks where it presses |
A loose beanie lined with silk or satin is the best compromise: it protects from the cold without rubbing or tightening. A beret sits towards the back of the head.
Putting it on and taking it off
Put it on dry hair.Hair that is completely dry and cooled, without pressing on the roots.
Free the lengths.Let them come out of the beanie naturally.
Take it off without rubbing.Head tilted forward, fingers slipped to the roots, shake gently.
Bring the volume back.If you have a hairdryer to hand, a few seconds of cool air upside down.
Scarf, collar, coat: the nape first
The nape is the area that suffers most in winter. The ends rub all day against the coat collar and the wool scarf: they knot, become charged and lose their shape.
- Slip a silk scarf between the hair and the scarf.
- For a long journey, bring the lengths over one shoulder or make a very loose low ponytail, to undo on arrival.
- Avoid wool collars that catch, and choose a soft collar instead.
In the evening, the same principle applies: a silk or satin pillowcase, a loose bun, and the style is easily refreshed the next morning, as we explain in reviving your blow-dry on the second day.
Which finish for winter
The volume blow-dry, with its lifted roots and moving ends, is the finish that gives the most presence back to a bundled-up face, between a turtleneck and a big scarf.
In return, it needs to be protected from a tight beanie: a loose hood, a lined beanie, or a bare head for short journeys. For fine hair that drops quickly under a beanie, our article on the volume blow-dry for fine hair gives useful pointers.
Soft is the most forgiving: a slight flattening of the roots is barely noticeable. Sleek, for its part, benefits from the dry air of bise days, provided the nape is protected from rubbing.
Book your winter blow-dry
Winter in Lausanne has its evenings, its end-of-year celebrations and its grey days that make you want to feel well styled.
For an appointment, come with clean hair, without oil, serum or styling product, and bring a loose beanie or a hood for the journey home. The only effort after that: sitting down.
Booking is done online in two minutes: your length, your finish, a free slot. The address is Avenue d'Yverdon 4, 1004 Lausanne, and the confirmation email gives you the directions. For roots that stand up to the scarf, book your volume blow-dry.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you stop a beanie flattening your hair?
- Choose a loose beanie lined with silk or satin, put it on perfectly dry hair, without pressing on the roots. When taking it off, head forward, fingers at the roots and a little cool air if possible.
- Why is my hair static in winter?
- Cold, dry air, then the heated air of interiors, prevent the charge created by friction from dissipating. Smooth materials against the hair and a drop of care on the ends limit the effect.
- Can you go out with hair still slightly damp in winter?
- Better to avoid it: hair that finishes drying under a beanie or in the wind takes the shape it is given. A blow-dry should be dry and cooled right to the roots before you go out.
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