I recently posted a reel on my instagram talking about SPF for hair and I received many questions about it. For this reason I decided to do a whole post on hair care in the sun and what we can do to prevent sun damage. We are hyper aware of the affect the sun has on our skin and we all know we should be using SPF every day on our skin, but what about our hair? Read on to learn how to properly protect your hair from the sun.
The truth is that the sun is one of the major causes of hair damage and color fade. The effects of excessive sun exposure are discoloration, brittle and dry hair and even split ends and fizziness. Sea water and chlorine are also damaging to our hair. Because of this, we need to take conscious care of our hair when going into the sun. These are some actionable steps that you can use to take better care of your hair in the summer months, starting today!
Wear a sunhat
This might seem obvious, but it is important to point out that sun hats not only protect our face and skin, but also our hair and scalp. This is probably the easiest way to ensure minimal sun damage to your hair during the hotter months.
Protect your hair and scalp with UV protection
Just like our skin, our hair and scalp need protection from harmful UV rays. Products such as Davines SU Hair Milk and Aveda sun care protection hair veil are designed to be sprayed onto the hair and scalp and will ensure maximum UV protection.
Don’t over-shampoo
Our hair produces oil called sebum which protects our hair from the sun naturally. I discuss sebum and why its important in greater depth in this post and this post. I’m a great advocate for shampooing less frequently, around 2 to 3 times a week maximum. If you are accustomed to shampooing daily, I highly recommend using a dry shampoo between washes. Davines make a great dry shampoo and one of my personal favorites is the O-way plant and mineral refresh. It’s made of completely natural and organic ingredients and is a fine powder which absorbs excess dirt and oil. It’s the perfect refresher for between shampoos.
Plan your sun exposure
When possible try to go out earlier in the morning or later in the day. The sun is at its strongest between 11am and 4pm. Remember that even on cloudy days you can still be vulnerable to UV damage.
Extra tips for swimmers:
- Rinse your hair with fresh water before swimming, this will minimize the amount of chlorinated or salt water your hair can absorb
- Use a swimming cap
- Braid long hair to avoid excessive knottiness
- Rinse your hair with fresh water right after a swim, this will minimize the damage from chlorine or salt water
- Use a leave in conditioner, this will give your hair that extra loving that it needs
Be sure to pin this to your hair boards so you can come back to it later!
