How to Reduce Hair Shedding With Scalp Care in Minnesota (Winter-Proof Plan)

Tabitha
6 days ago
4 min read

Quick answer (read this if you’re busy):

To reduce hair shedding with scalp care in Minnesota, focus on keeping your scalp calm, clean, and hydrated. Minnesota winters are dry, indoor heat pulls moisture out of your skin (including your scalp), and that can trigger irritation that makes shedding look worse. Use a gentle shampoo regularly, skip harsh “stripper” products, and add a leave-on scalp tonic to support the scalp barrier. Run a room humidifier because it adds moisture back into the air while you sleep, which helps reduce scalp dryness, itch, and that tight, flaky feeling that can ramp up irritation. If you have hard water, a good shower filter can also help reduce mineral buildup that makes the scalp feel coated and harder to cleanse. Book a Hair Check if shedding started fast (1–3 months), you have burning or tenderness, bumps, patchy loss, widening part, eyebrow thinning, or scalp scaling that will not calm down. My favorite product list

First, let’s clear this up: shedding is not always hair loss

If your hair is suddenly everywhere, it’s scary. I get it.

Here’s the simplest way to think about it:

Shedding is often more about the hair cycle shifting. You notice more hairs in the shower, brush, and on your clothes.
Thinning is more about the hair density shrinking over time. Ponytail gets smaller. Part gets wider. Hair feels “less.”

Both can happen together, but the approach changes based on which one is driving the situation.

Why Minnesota makes shedding feel worse

Minnesota is not gentle on the scalp.

Here’s what I see all the time here:

Cold, dry air + indoor heat
That combo dries out the scalp barrier. A cranky scalp can shed more, itch more, and feel tighter.
Hot showers
Feels amazing. Your scalp hates it. Hot water can increase dryness and irritation.
Hats, beanies, friction
Constant rubbing and trapped sweat can irritate follicles, especially if there’s buildup underneath.
Hard water in many areas
Mineral buildup can leave the scalp feeling coated, dull, itchy, or harder to cleanse properly.

This is why “just use a hair growth shampoo” usually does nothing. If the scalp environment is off, the hair responds.

The Minnesota scalp-care plan to reduce shedding

This is the routine I want most clients to start with because it is simple and it protects the scalp barrier.

Step 1: Wash your scalp like you mean it (but do not attack it)

If you are shedding, your scalp still needs regular washing. A dirty, inflamed scalp does not grow confident hair.

Do:

Use a gentle, scalp-focused shampoo regularly
Massage lightly with fingertips, not nails
Rinse longer than you think you need to

Avoid:

Aggressive scrubs
Super hot water
“Squeaky clean” shampoos every wash

If you are thinking, “But my scalp is dry, should I wash less?” Not necessarily. Sometimes a dry scalp is actually irritated scalp, and it needs calm, consistent cleansing.

Step 2: Add a leave-on scalp tonic (yes, like skincare)

Your scalp is skin. Treat it like skin.

A leave-on scalp tonic or serum can help support the scalp barrier and reduce irritation. This is especially helpful in winter when the air is dry and the heat is blasting.

What I like in a scalp tonic:

barrier support ingredients
soothing ingredients
lightweight, non-greasy feel

You want calm, not oily.

Step 3: Use a pre-shampoo step if you have buildup (common in winter)

Buildup can come from dry shampoo, styling products, hard water minerals, and even just winter sweat under hats.

A pre-shampoo scalp treatment helps loosen debris so you do not have to scrub your scalp like you’re trying to clean a frying pan.

Do:

Use a gentle pre-shampoo scalp product 1–2 times per week
Let it sit as directed
Then cleanse normally

Step 4: Be careful with “clarifying” shampoos

Clarifying shampoos are not evil. They are just often misused.

If your scalp is already dry or irritated, frequent clarifying can strip the barrier and increase scalp inflammation. That can make shedding look worse.

Better approach:

Use clarifying only when you truly need it (buildup, heavy styling, hard water issues)
Follow with scalp barrier support
Do not make it your daily shampoo

Step 5: Stop over-oiling the scalp if you are shedding

This one ruffles feathers, but I’m going to say it clearly.

Oils can be helpful for some people. Oils can also make some scalps worse.

If your scalp is:

itchy
bumpy
flaky with irritation
oily with buildup
sensitive in winter

…slathering oil on top can trap debris and feed the wrong environment. Not everyone reacts the same way, but if your shedding increased after heavy oiling, that is a clue.

If you love oils, keep them on the hair lengths. Let the scalp breathe.

Step 6: Do not “train” your scalp. Wash it.

If your scalp produces oil, sweat, or buildup, leaving it longer and longer between washes does not magically fix it. It can increase irritation, itch, and inflammation.

A clean scalp is a calmer scalp.

Minnesota winter hair habits that quietly increase shedding

If you fix nothing else, fix these:

Do not sleep with wet hair (scalp stays damp, friction increases, irritation rises)
Do not leave dry shampoo sitting for days (buildup city)
Do not scratch your scalp like it owes you money
Do not keep blasting heat tools on fragile shedding hair
Do not ignore scalp burning or tenderness (that is not “normal winter scalp”)