Summer is the time to dip into the cooling pools and surf with the soothing waves. From floral dresses to bikinis, it is the season to flaunt. Even men take the chance to show off their beach bodies. While many of us care for our skin, don’t we neglect our hair?
Your sunscreen needs to go beyond your skin. Your hair needs it too. It also suffers from damage due to UVA and UVB rays. The salty sea water, and chlorinated pool water, can also leave your tresses dull, lifeless, dry, frizzy and discolored. Hair fall, brittleness, breakage and split-ends cause your hair to become thin. So, what do you do?
Read on to learn some of our best hair protection techniques and hair care tips.
1. Keep Your Hair Covered
Covering your hair is the first thing to do when you are looking for options to protect your hair. There are so many hats and beautiful scarves available. Make use of them to help guard your long strands. Keeping them covered will ensure that the UV rays don’t directly affect your hair. It may also help retain moisture on your scalp. Besides, covering your tresses will prevent them from getting tangled up from the summer breeze.
2. Cut the Extra Heat
Don’t be tempted to reach out for the blow dryer for a quick dry! It’s not such a good idea in summers. Also, try and avoid your ironing and curling tools. There is enough heat from the sun, and you don’t expose your hair to more of that. In fact, there is a right season to flat-iron and the peak of summer is not the right time. In fact, it will only result in frizz when your hair is exposed to summer air.
3. Taking Care of Flat Ironed Hair
If you cannot avoid straightening, then you need to follow a special hair care routine. One way is to create a heatless wrap that is easy to take down the next morning. Either Bantu knot or pin curl straightened hair at night. Another way is to apply serums to keep your tresses as light and bouncy as possible. Use products specially meant for straight hair and avoid any application on the roots. Finally, use anti-humectants for a frizz free hair.
4. Less Washing Is More
Summers mean frequent hair washes – the time when your hair gets sticky and smelly from all the sweat – and you will want to wash them again and again. However, if you can cut down on the hair-wash to once or maybe twice a week, then it would be easy to maintain the health of your hair. Yet, if you have no choice but to have a hair-wash, then make sure you use a moisturizing shampoo followed by a nourishing conditioner. Or, dilute your regular shampoo with water. And for a gentler wash, use sulfate-free shampoos. These will help protect your hair even if you need frequent washes.
5. Don’t Just Jump in the Pool
If you have dry hair, taking a dip in the pool, or even in the sea, without prepping up, is a terrible idea, especially in the summer. Dry hair becomes drier when exposed to chlorine and saltwater. The solution is to ensure you wet your hair with some freshwater before enjoying your swim. You can even try and use one of those leave-in conditioners or serums to give your hair an added layer of protection.
6. Time for That Summer Cut
Summer is the time when you should head to your favorite salon and get that cut you’ve always wanted. Trimming your hair and keeping them short is another way you can manage your hair in the hot sun. If you don’t wish to cut it short, then trim enough to lose those dry tips and split-ends. You can refresh your summer look with a cool haircut while keeping it safe from the damaging sun.
7. Natural is the Best
Tying your hair up for different styles may not be such a great way to go in the summers. Due to the summer heat, your hair is more prone to breakage. Tying them tightly will only make you lose those lovely strands, and you can end up losing volume. So, try out those loose messy buns, or a loose ponytail or braid.
8. Save the Color
If your hair is colored, then the color will fade faster in the summer heat. Take care, or you will end up with dull, dry, frizzy, and easily breakable hair. So, use a color-protection shampoo and conditioner, and sulfate-free products to protect your hair from damage. The best thing to do, if you can manage, is to avoid coloring your hair or color it at least 2-3 months before the season begins.
9. Treat Hair at Home
The internet is full of quick conditioning remedies that you can try out at home. You can mix egg and mayo and use it as a mask for your dry hair, or simply apply some aloe vera gel to moisturize it. Massaging your scalp with hot oil is another way of naturally nourishing your hair and giving yours strands its shine back. So, do your research and find the best treatment for your hair type and enjoy your natural and healthy conditioning.
10. Comb Them Right
You might not know this, but there is a right comb, and there is a wrong comb, for different types of hair and different seasons. Using the correct comb to make your hair look neat is also essential, especially in the summers. When your hair is breaking and is damaged, it is always better to avoid brushes or narrow-teeth. Instead, you can use a wide-tooth comb to untangle your frizzy hair. Be gentle when detangling your hair after pool or beach time because wet hair is very fragile and breaks easily. It might sound like a lot of work, but in the long run, it will help protect your hair.
Final Words
Everyone looks forward to the season of the sun. It is time to let-go and have a relaxing time with your friends and be a mermaid on the beach. But taking care of your hair is also essential. You don’t want to ignore it and regret it later. Look for a hair spray with UV protection and if you can’t find a hair product for the heat, then use a regular spray sunscreen.
So, find a way that best suits your hair and your summer style to shield your flowing strands. The tips provided above are very easy and straightforward to follow. You can use them and protect your hair, just as you would protect your skin from the harsh sun. Beat the heat and save your hair.
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