10 Tips for Having Healthy, Beautiful Hair All Summer Long
Save your hair from sun damage this summer with these pro tips that will help prevent your summer hair from drying out when the sun’s out.
Long summer days means more sun and more heat. We hope you remember to apply sunscreen to your body, but what about your scalp? The longer hours of daylight and heat can leave your hair feeling and looking dry, brittle, and your scalp prone to sunburn. But that isn’t the only thing the summer weather does. Here are tips to keeping your locks moisturized and healthy looking all summer long.
Start with the Healthiest Hair Possible
When summer starts approaching, we all start to worry about preparing our bodies for the beach. But what about your hair? Your hair will benefit from some preparation as well. Visit your hair stylist for a trim to get rid of dead ends that could turn into split ends. Talk to them about your summer hair goals and hopefully they can give you some advice on how to achieve those goals. Its important to remember that hair grows faster in the summer, so plan on getting another trim sooner than you normally would any other season.
Heat Damage Isn’t Just from Heating Products
We hate to say it but spending hours at the beach or pool in the sun counts as applying heat to your hair. Just like you would before you blow out your hair, you should apply a leave-in conditioner to the ends of your hair before heading outdoors to give it that extra protection.
Scalps Get Sunburnt Too
A lot of people tend to neglect their scalp when it comes to applying sunblock. You’re probably thinking, duh, no one wants to put thick creamy lotion on their hair! But it still is something you should do. Try adding some sunscreen to water and use a spray bottle to spray it on your scalp. There are also sunscreens that are made for your scalp. Try Clarins Sunscreen Care Oil Spray or Banana Boat Sport Quik Dri Scalp Sunscreen. For a foolproof way to avoid sunburn on your scalp and protect your hair, wear a hat made of sun-proof material.
Escape Pool Hair
If you are spending a lot of your day in the pool, you are at risk of getting green hair, especially if you color your hair. This happens when the chemicals from hair dyes mixes with chlorine. The best way to get rid of the green hues is by washing your hair with baking soda and leave it in for a few minutes to soak. We cannot stress enough how bad chlorine is for colored hair, but it is even more dangerous for blondes. The chemicals in the chlorine will ruin the hairs shelf. We recommend deep conditioners and keratin treatments frequently to maintain hair health and to keep your hair shiny and bright.
Brass On, Brass Off
If you have colored hair, summer brings out your worst hair enemies: sun, salt, and chlorine. All of these factors can cause a chemical reaction on your hair, causing it to become brassy. We recommend protecting your hair with a heat protection/UV protection spray. Spray it liberally about five inches away from your hair, from mid-shaft to the ends, and then let it dry. Many heat protection sprays can be used on dry hair too, when you feel like you need the extra support.
Say Bye to Humidity (or at least its effects)
Hair tends to get frizzier during the summer because its more humid and because the hair itself is likely to be drier and more damaged. To fight the frizz, we recommend a good anti-frizz spray. To keep frizz to a minimum, we suggest looking for shampoos and conditioners with these ingredients: amino-silicones, which adhere to the hair and prevent humidity from getting in, and cationic surfactants, which neutralize the negative charges in the hair’s keratin protein.
Mask Up!
Your hair wants nothing more than to be treated with moisture after it has been exposed to hair damaging elements. Immediately after a day in the sun or pool, we recommend washing your hair and applying a moisturizing mask.
Go Cold to Amp Up Shine
Wash your hair out with cold water after you shampoo to get your hair super shiny. It closes the hairs cuticle and allow the hair to reflect more light. If you can’t stand taking a cold shower, then take a warm one and rinse with cold water for a few seconds at the end of your shower. Alternatively, you can mix one cup of apple cider vinegar with two cups of water and pour it all over your hair after washing and conditioning. Vinegar gently exfoliates and removes product build-up and dead skin from the scalp, enhancing shine.
Try to Air Dry Your Hair
Take advantage of the warm weather and air dry your hair whenever possible because it is ultimately healthier. Don’t worry about it looking flat, if you apply hydrating mousse when your hair is damp and then put it into a loose braid and twist and clip it into a bun a few inches below the crown, your hair will dry into beautiful, even waves.
Comb from the Bottom Up
We cannot stress enough how important it is to gently comb your hair during the summer. The way you comb your mane can either hurt or help sun, wind, salt, and chlorine damaged hair. Use a wide tooth bone comb or a soft brush, detangling your hair from the bottom up and slowly working your way up since hair is in its most delicate state when wet. This will prevent unnecessary breakage from occurring because you are working with less surface area to untangle at one time.
