Sun exposure, humidity, and chlorine will affect your locks, so these tips on maintaining healthy hair will ensure that it stays vibrant.
This summer, we have plans to take vacations out of town, go hiking, or embark on a beach holiday with family, friends, or beaus. However, our increased exposure to the UV rays, humidity, and swimming in chlorinated pools or salty ocean waters make our crowning glory vulnerable to breakage, dryness, and frizz. This is why healthy hair habits and an elaborate hair care routine would prove necessary at this time.
READ ALSO: Treasuring One’s Crowning Glory: The Benefits Of Curating Healthy Hair Habits
Protect your hair from the sun
Protecting your hair from the sun’s heat is essential, especially in hotter temperatures. Consider wrapping your hair in a scarf, putting it in a bun within a hat, or using an umbrella if you are going out.
A swim cap may deem essential once you dip in the pool to provide extra protection to the hair against the chlorinated water. If you don’t have one, put your locks in a high bun to keep it dry, but if it does get wet, cleanse with clean water and condition afterwards.
Avoid using styling tools with heat
This summer, you might want to consider halting on using hairdryers, curling irons, or other straighteners. These tools work through heat to break the chemical bonds in hair, according to K18 Biomimetic Hair Science’s website.
Overexposing hair to high temperatures can cause cuticle damage, degrading hair color, and weaken its strength, elasticity, and structure.
Utilize a heat protectant if styling your hair with these tools are really unavoidable. However, you can style your locks without heat! Here are some ideas.
Invest in natural hair moisturizers
People have different hair types so moisturizing may differ. It is important to keep your hair hydrated in order to prevent dryness and brittleness. A report by Healthline enumerated ways to provide natural moisture to your crowning glory.
Curly hair is prone to dryness due to slower sebum distribution so conditioners with plant oils like avocado and coconut may aid seal moisture.
Thicker and coarse-textured hair would benefit from treatments with shea butter and weekly hair masks.
Fine hair means the strand of hair is small and they are typically easy to style. Lightweight shampoo and conditioner would suffice as well as natural remedies like jojoba and lavender oils.
Healthline explained that when one applies moisturizers, it is essential to concentrate on the ends of the hair and avoid the scalp unless it is dry. Leave them for 20 minutes before rinsing with cool or lukewarm water.
Trim your hair regularly
Trimming your hair will get rid of split ends, which we are prone to due to sun exposure and the humidity. This helps your locks remain fresh and healthy. Split ends cause your hair to become weak and lead to unhealthy or frizzy-looking hair and also prevent its growth.
Aside from the fact, trimming your hair during the summer will help manage your locks better and reduce the weight on your head. This way, it will be lighter and more comfortable for you.
Apply a hair mask
According to Allure, we need to make sure our strands are well protected before swimming, especially in treated water or salt water. One can prepare for a vacation through using a hair mask preemptively before leaving and also bring one along.
Hair masks are essential for hair hydration, repair and nourishment, enhance manageability and scalp care. It is an essential step in maintaining healthy hair during summer and even all year round.
You can also make use of hair serums or anti-frizz oils to preserve our strands’ smoothness and shine.
Banner photo from Zoran Zonde Stojanovski via Unsplash.
