Tips For Minimizing Hair Sun Damage This Summer
The summer sun makes for great days at the beach, at the park, or at city events, but it doesn't make for great hair days. Too much sun exposure can result in hair damage, but if you are careful, you can still have healthy hair while also enjoying time in the warm weather.
Here are some simple hair care and maintenance tips to minimize sun damage while maximizing your summer fun.
1. Use care when styling.
If you blow dry your hair after a shower, resist the urge to use high heat settings. It will take longer to dry, but use a cool or neutral blow setting instead. This helps to keep hair damage at a minimum. Using high heat settings dehydrates your hair, and once you get out in the sun, damage can occur faster when your hair is already struggling to retain moisture. To further reduce dryer damage, contact a salon like Detour Salon & Detour The Store about using a professional diffuser on your hair. Diffusers help to slow the hair drying process even further, leaving your hair much more hydrated while still getting the styled, cleaner look that comes from a controlled dry.
2. Wear hats as part of your summer look.
Hats can be an awesome fashion statement, and many people overlook them. Hats cover your hair to protect it from the sun, and they can also help cover your face and neck to reduce skin exposure. If heat is a worry, get a flexible, breathable floppy straw hat. These are lightweight, and they won't trap heat against your heat like a fabric ball cap might. If you have long hair, you might experiment with low braided buns or styles that keep your hair tucked up under the hat without causing discomfort.
3. Wear your hair up.
If hats are not a possibility for your look or for your head (some people have trouble fitting into hats comfortably), the next best option is to wear your hair up in a loose bun. Pulling your hair back helps to cover the sensitive areas of your scalp and hair follicles that can experience sunburn if they are exposed to too much sunlight. When you do decide to wear your hair down, you can massage hair sunscreen into your scalp to provide more protection. Don't forget to reapply sunscreen if you get your hair wet.
Finally, if you are vacationing in an exotic area and get your hair styled in small braids or cornrows, remember that sunscreen or a hat is essential. While awesome for keeping your hair tame, these braids expose more of your scalp to sun damage.
4. Use protective oils.
If you are noticing that your hair is getting more brittle and straw like over the course of the summer, contact your local hair salon to get your hair treated. You can get a deep conditioning or even a hair mask to help bring some moisture back into your strands. You can also use some plant oils on your hair to keep moisture loss from occurring. Fancy oils aren't always necessary. A little coconut oil or olive oil might be just what your hair needs to get back on the moisture train.
5. Wash your hair less frequently.
The primary concern with sun damage is moisture loss. In the summer, people may wash their hair more often because of increased physical activity, time at the pool, or doing yard work. However, shampoo does strip the hair of some of its natural oils. In the summer, go as long as you can without washing. You can still get wet or even condition your hair, but save the shampoo for when it is really necessary.