By Faith Beverly Sapp | Image & Beauty Editor
Photo by Skyy Wonders
Fall is one of my favorite times of year in the beauty industry, not just because of the change in season, but because it is the perfect time to reset, repair, hydrate, and prepare.
After months of sun, heat, humidity, swimming, sweat, and outdoor activity, your hair and skin have been through a lot. What you do during the fall and winter months can make a major difference in how healthy, radiant, and beautiful you look when spring and summer return.
As a master cosmetologist with more than 25 years of experience, I always tell my clients: beautiful hair and beautiful skin don’t happen by accident. They are maintained.
Here are some of my favorite fall beauty tips to help you preserve your glow, strengthen your hair, and prepare your beauty routine for the seasons ahead.
1. Make Fall Your Hydration Season
When temperatures begin to drop, the air becomes drier, and both your skin and hair can lose moisture. This is the time to become intentional about hydration. For your skin, your routine should generally include:
● A gentle cleanser
● A hydrating toner or essence
● A quality serum
● Hyaluronic acid for hydration
● Vitamin C for antioxidant support and brightening
● A moisturizer appropriate for your skin type
● Daily sunscreen
And don’t forget your neck and décolletage! Your skincare routine shouldn’t stop at your jawline.
One of my biggest beauty philosophies is consistency over complication. You don’t necessarily need 15 products. You need the right products used consistently.
2. Consider Collagen Peptides
Collagen peptides have become a popular addition to many beauty and wellness routines, and fall can be a great time to incorporate them if they are appropriate for you.
Collagen is an important structural protein found throughout the body, including the skin, hair follicles, nails, bones, and connective tissue. As we age, our natural collagen production decreases.
Collagen peptide supplements may support skin hydration and elasticity. Although they aren’t a magic solution, when used it can improve your routine. Quality products, nutrition, hydration, sleep, and overall health still matter.
My philosophy is simple: beauty starts from the inside out. Before starting any supplement, especially if you take medications or have a medical condition, talk with your healthcare professional.
3. Steam Treatments Are Your Hair’s Best Friend This Season
If there is one thing I want my clients to understand during silk press season, it is this:
Don’t just press your hair—prepare it.
Steam treatments can be an excellent addition to a healthy hair regimen because they provide heat and moisture while helping conditioning treatments penetrate the hair.
Fall is a beautiful time to incorporate deep conditioning and steam treatments, particularly if your hair has experienced dryness from summer heat, sun exposure, swimming, or frequent styling.
And yes… it’s silk press season! But a beautiful silk press starts with healthy, properly prepared hair. Before your silk press, focus on:
● Proper cleansing
● Clarifying when necessary
● Deep conditioning
● Steam treatments
● Thorough detangling
● Moisture balance
● A professional trim when needed
● Heat protection
● Proper temperature control
A silk press should leave your hair silky, healthy, and moving - not dry, brittle, or overly processed.
4. Don’t Skip Your Trim
I know a lot of people want to hold on to every inch of hair when they’re trying to grow it. But sometimes holding on to damaged ends is actually holding your hair back. Regular trims help remove split, damaged, and weathered ends before the damage travels farther up the hair shaft.
You don’t necessarily need a dramatic haircut every time. Sometimes your hair simply needs a professional dusting or trim to maintain its shape and integrity. Healthy ends make healthy-looking hair.
5. Protective Styles Are Still a Great Option
Fall and winter are perfect seasons to give your hair a break from excessive manipulation.
Braids, twists, wigs, sew-ins, and other protective styles can help reduce daily styling and manipulation, but protective styling only works when your hair underneath is being cared for. Before installing a protective style, make sure your scalp and hair are clean and properly moisturized.
And remember: a protective style should protect your hair, not punish it. Avoid excessive tension, especially around the edges. If a style hurts when it is installed, it is too tight. Give your scalp breaks between installations, keep your scalp clean, and don’t leave protective styles in longer than recommended.
6. Take Care of Your Scalp, Not Just Your Hair
We spend so much time talking about our hair that we sometimes forget where the hair comes from.
Your scalp deserves attention too. A healthy hair-care routine should include regular cleansing and gentle scalp care. Depending on your individual needs, scalp massages and properly formulated scalp products may also be incorporated into your routine.
There are countless scalp oils and growth products on the market, but don’t assume that every oil labeled “growth” will actually stimulate hair growth. If you are experiencing sudden shedding, thinning, bald patches, persistent itching, flaking, redness, pain, or changes in your scalp, don’t try to self-diagnose it with another bottle of oil. See a dermatologist or qualified healthcare professional. Your hairstylist can recognize changes and help you maintain your hair, but certain scalp and hair-loss conditions require medical evaluation.
7. Give Your Skin Some Extra Love
Fall is also the perfect time to evaluate your skincare routine.
Ask yourself: Is my skin dry? Dull? Congested? Sensitive? Uneven? Dehydrated? Your products should address what your skin actually needs not simply what is trending on social media. Ingredients such as hyaluronic acid can help support hydration. Vitamin C is commonly used for antioxidant protection and brightening, while vitamin E is another antioxidant commonly found in skincare formulations.
And here’s something I will always emphasize: Sunscreen doesn’t become optional because summer is over. Continue wearing broad-spectrum SPF throughout the year.
8. Vitamin E Isn’t Just for Your Skin
Vitamin E is often associated with skincare, but you’ll also find vitamin E in many hair-care products because of its antioxidant properties.
Rather than simply pouring vitamin E oil directly onto your scalp or hair because you’ve seen a viral beauty hack, look for well-formulated products designed for your hair and scalp type. The goal isn’t to make your hair greasy. The goal is to protect, condition, and maintain the health of your hair.
9. Don’t Chase Every Beauty Hack
As a beauty professional, I love discovering new products and techniques but I also tell my clients to be careful with viral beauty trends.
What works beautifully for one person’s skin or hair may not work for yours. Your skin type, hair texture, porosity, chemical history, lifestyle, hormones, medications, nutrition, and overall health can all influence your results. Instead of asking, “What’s trending?” Ask: “What does my hair and skin actually need?” That question will save you money, time, and sometimes a lot of damage.
10. Build Your Beauty Team
You don’t have to figure everything out by yourself.
I truly believe everyone should have a trusted beauty team. That may include: A great hairstylist to help you maintain the health, shape, and integrity of your hair. A licensed esthetician to help you understand your skin and create a professional skincare plan. A dermatologist if you are experiencing persistent scalp problems, unusual hair loss, severe acne, skin changes, or other concerns that require medical attention. And of course, your primary healthcare provider can help identify whether nutritional or health-related issues may be contributing to changes in your hair, skin, or nails.
11. Think About Spring and Summer NOW
Here’s the secret a lot of people don’t realize: The beauty you want in spring and summer is built during fall and winter. If you want healthy hair for your spring vacation, start taking care of it now. If you want glowing skin when the weather warms up, establish your skincare routine now. If you’ve experienced breakage, dryness, thinning, or damage, don’t wait until April to address it. Give your hair and skin time.
Beauty is not always about a quick transformation. Sometimes the most beautiful results come from months of consistent care. My Fall Beauty Formula If I could simplify everything I’ve learned after more than 25 years in the beauty industry, my fall formula would be: Cleanse. Hydrate. Condition. Protect. Trim. Rest. Repeat. Take care of your scalp. Protect your hair from excessive heat. Deep condition. Get your trims. Stay consistent with your skincare. Hydrate your body. Eat well. Get adequate sleep. Protect your skin from the sun. And don’t be afraid to ask a professional for help when something doesn’t look or feel right.
At Beauty by Faith Beverly in Dunwoody, Georgia, I have spent more than 25 years helping women understand that beauty isn’t just about looking good when you leave the salon. It’s about learning how to maintain the health and integrity of your hair so you can continue to look and feel your best long after your appointment.
Fall is your opportunity to reset. So don’t wait until spring to start preparing for the woman you want to see in the mirror. Start now. Your spring and summer beauty will thank you.
Follow on Instagram @faithbeverlycollective.