Hello, Summer = Hello, Hair Damage (If You’re Not Careful!)
Sun, surf and swims can destroy strands – here’s how to keep yours in check as the weather warms up!
Summer is here! We can’t wait to be lounging by the pool, hitting the beach and enjoying all that sunshine with some cocktails and besties. But! We also know that all that sun, surf, swimming and heat can give strands some serious trauma, leaving it damaged, dry and split. Not ideal if you’ve been working on your hair goals all winter, right?
Not super clued up on the effect summer can have on your hair? Here’s a refresher.
Sunny Rays
The summer sun might be warm and inviting, but it can also be your hair’s worst enemy. Sun means UV rays, and yep, they can affect your strands just like your skin. UV damage breaks down the protein structures in hair, especially keratin. This means dry, brittle lengths and color that fades fast.
Salty Swims
Headed somewhere coastal this summer? Being from Australia, we love a good surf sesh. But salt water in excess can definitely damage strands, stripping it of natural oils and moisture. Helloooo, frizz! And, hello breakage.
Pool Hangs
Lounging by the pool and dipping in and out of crystal blue waters is what summer is made of. But before you plunge, think of what all that chlorine is doing to your hair. The pool chemical can cause discoloration to color-treated hair (especially blondes!), plus it’s seriously drying, stripping hair of oils and leaving it straw-like.
The Solution? Hair Prep!
Thankfully, it’s possible to protect your hair from all three of these summer nasties. It just takes a little prep and some extra TLC.
Get Covered
When you’re in the sun, wear a hat or scarf to cover strands. This’ll shield hair from direct UV, prolonging your color and protecting from damage. The sun also means heat on hair, so if you’re having a long, sunny day, protect strands with our Heat Protect Spray – designed for use with heat tools that top 450F, it’ll def shield your hair from burning.
Soak It
Before hitting the beach or pool, soak strands beforehand. This swells your hair follicle with fresh water, so it takes in less of the salt and chlorine. You can even get in the habit of applying a leave-in treatment to really coat strands, like our Elixir Hair Oil or Heavenly Hydration Serum. After swimming, rinse off ASAP to get chlorine and salt out of strands, then mist Conditioning Tangle Therapy through to prevent knots and dryness.
Ramp Up The Moisture
Hair needs more love in summer, so make it a habit to indulge your strands with weekly deep conditioning treatments. This will replenish lost moisture, help to repair damage and maintain strength, helping strands withstand summer damage. Try our Miracle Hair Mask, Rapid Repair Mask or, if you’re a blonde and swim a lot, our Blonde Baby Purple Mask for banishing brassiness.
Deep Clean
Deep cleansing strands regularly in summer can help keep them in top condition, and maintain scalp health – key to achieving those hair goals. Pre-cleansing products like our Scalp Salt Scrub will help remove excess oil, product and impurities, all of which can build up during the warmer months.
Keep On Top Of Trims
Schedule your hair appointments in summer so you never miss one! The stress that hair goes through means maintaining regular trims has never been more important, especially if you’re trying to grow or restore your strands.
Schedule a trim every 6-8 weeks, to snip off split ends before they break further up the hair shaft. If you’re trying to grow hair, it’s also worth being consistent with quality product - try our HG Duo!
