Tips to Protect Your Hair from The Summer Sun

10 Essential Tips to Protect
Your Hair from The Summer Sun

Summer is upon us! A time when your hair needs to look it’s very best and a season to let go of the perfect, sleek hairdos and embrace that loose, natural look.

But have you ever thought about the effects the sun has on your hair and scalp? Just as the sun damages your skin, it can damage your hair and scalp, too.

SO now it’s time to learn how to protect your hair from the heat, the sun, and the humidity without turning it into an endless battle this summer!

Why Protect Your Hair from the Sun?

Your hair gets harmed in many different ways during summer like overexposure to the sun’s harmful rays, sweat and spending too much time in chlorinated water AKA swimming pools.

Here are 3 common reasons:

1. You may have healthy hair almost all year around, but when it comes to summer, your hair may turns limp and lifeless. This happens because of the burning sun (it dries out the hair straws) and high humidity (makes your hair fall flat).
2. Sweat and dust increase hair problems like dandruff and split ends. Worst case scenario is hair fall.
3. Summers can be harsh on your scalp too, causing dryness and sunburn. Some people believe that hair protects the scalp, but that’s actually not the case. In the end, dry scalp can damage your hair roots.

So the question is: How do you protect that crowning glory of yours? Well, let’s take a look…

1. Start Summer with a Trim or Cut
Whether you have long or short hair, the summer weather can make the ends of your hair dry and brittle – and that’s certainly not good-looking.

Summer is the ideal time to give yourself a new haircut or opt for regular trims that will keep your hair in good condition and reduce the risk of split ends, and bring back life to your hair.

2. Care for Your Colour
If you have colour-treated hair, you would want to take extra care during the summer. Chemical treatments can lead to colour fading, maximum damage and hair dryness. Look for hair care products that are specially made for colour-treated hair.

If you want to change your hair colour during the summer, do it a month or two before the sun hits hard. However, if you have recently coloured your hair, try to avoid too much sun – especially when it peaks.

3. Use Conditioner
While the sun is drying out your hair, make sure you help restore some moisture and life in it by using a solid conditioner. Get one that suits your hair type and texture.

If you are going for a swim, apply a thin layer of coconut oil or conditioner in your hair before swimming to protect it. The silicones in the conditioner will keep chlorine and other chemicals away from your hair. 

4. Shampoo with Care
Shampooing your hair every day is not recommendable. A good rinse in cold or lukewarm water will do the trick on days where you don’t use shampoo. 

If your hair gets greasy and sweaty easily and you feel the need to shampoo every day, go for a mild shampoo. Shampoo mainly on the scalp, not the hair, and as you wash your hair, the shampoo will rinse down cleaning up your hair too.

5. Avoid Heat & Use Heat Protection
The sun is already heating your hair, so avoid tools like flat irons and blow dryers as much as you can. Go slow on the blow dryer, and if required, wash your hair half an hour earlier so it has time to air-dry.

If you use a blow dryer, set on a low or a medium temperature and remember to use heat protection.

6. Overnight Hair Treatment
To make your locks totally ready for summer, an overnight hair treatment is a simple method. All you need to do is apply a leave-in conditioner and wrap a towel around your hair overnight. When you wake up in the morning your hair will be soft and not frizzy at all!

7. Dry Wash
Your hair is greasy and oily, and you feel shampoo is a MUST?

Then shift to Dry-shampoos. It does a good job soaking up excess oil (sebum) without causing your scalp to produce even more. It’s also a great timesaver in the morning.

8. Sun Protection 
The best way to screen hair from the sun is wearing a hat, cap or scarf. If that’s not to your liking, then make sure you use a leave-in conditioner with sunscreen.

9. Going For Swim?
…Did you know, that swimming beats up your hair, too. In a swimming pool chlorine strips your hair of its natural protective oils. And a dip in the ocean stresses your hair in a different way. The heavy salt content in seawater draws water out of your hair and skin. What to do about it?

Check out this: MUST KNOW: How to protect your hair from the pool water

10. Use a Wide Tooth Comb
Instead of brushing your hair with a regular hair brush, use a wide tooth comb. This will avoid pulling your hair making it more susceptible to breaking.

Secret tips

There are lots of different, crazy and epic homemade ways to treat your hair, so to make your hair stay excellent during the summer season you can do more than one thing, for example…

Vinegar as an extra treatment:

Rinse your hair in vinegar before you apply shampoo. This will make your hair appear cleaner and shinier and it’s a good way to treat dandruff as well. Go for organic apple cider vinegar. 

Egg & Mayo to remove dry and damaged hair:

Eggs are rich in protein and help to recover damaged hair. Take ¼ cup of plain yogurt, ¼ cup of mayonnaise, and 1 egg white. Mix the ingredients and apply it to your hair. Leave it for 30 minutes and rinse it off with water.

This article first appeared on SLIKHAAR