Summer Hair Care
We love summer with all its activities – swimming and fun in the sun, but our summer hair care can suffer. These wonderful summer activities can damage your hair. Summer is also a time of a relaxation of routine, which can mean you pay less attention to skincare and hair care.
Here are some quick and easy ways to care for your hair in the summer months.
From the chlorine in swimming pools to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, our hair experiences heightened stress in the warmest months of the year. To avoid damage and provide protection to our locks, we are happy to share a few tips.
Just like your skin that you protect (we hope…) with sunscreen to avoid damaging UV rays, your hair can also be damaged by UV rays. Blond, grey, and lighter hair is even more susceptible to UV damage. This is due to the lack of a naturally protective pigment known as melanin. This pigment works to protect against free radicals caused by UV light and their effects on keratin, an important protein in the makeup of hair. UV damage breaks down the proteins in hair, causing damage and can also changes its color. The result – dry, brittle, frizzy, lack luster hair.
Summer Hair Care Tip: Use sun protection on your hair. There are many summer hair care products with an SPF factor to protect you hair from UV damage.
Summer Hair Care and General Sun Protection Tips: Wear a wide-brimmed hat. Avoid the sun’s peak hours from 10 am to 4 pm. Seek shade. (Wearing sunglasses is also recommended to protect your eyes.)
Summer Hair Care Tip: Protect the health of your scalp as well by using an on the go brush on sunscreen like our Colorescience Sunforgettable Brush On Sunscreen SPF 50. Also, close that sunroof in your car. Damaging UV rays can travel through glass.
Chlorine and hair don’t mix well as chlorine can also damage your hair. Chlorine dissolves our hair lipids, which are the fats in our hair that coat the hair shaft and offer protection. Damage and split ends are the result. Additionally, chlorine can break down the chemical bonds of the protein in our hair, which leads to even more breakage.
If you have blond hair, you may remember being warned that chlorine will turn your hair green. This is true. That nagging from your mom was warranted. Chlorine works with the copper in the water and becomes absorbed by your hair, resulting in a the green. Your mom was right again.
Summer Hair Care Tip: Apply leave in conditioner to your hair before swimming to protect your hair. Applying hair oil is great too, but many public pools have notices against doing that so check with your pool.
Summer Hair Care Tip: Consider a swim cap for pools to protect your hair when swimming.
Summer Hair Care Tip: Wash you hair immediately after swimming. Follow up with a deep conditioner to help restore moisture.
In closing, enjoy summer fun, but remember to protect your hair (and skin) and keep it healthy.
