Summer time approaching. Has your hair lost its lustrous beauty? Your hair can take a heavy toll while the sun shines its fury over the summer months. Your tresses may look a little dull and lifeless. You may notice that strands are brittle and may even split at the ends. So get ready to combat summer days with some hair damage prevention tips that can keep you looking young and healthy.
Preventive tips:
Condition ladies, condition!
When the weather is hot and sultry, you can relax with a tall glass of lemonade and you feel better instantly. Your hair is not so lucky! Summer drains your hair of moisture leaving it dry.
For you, avid swimmers, it is especially important to protect the hair upon every swim. I know this seems like a long procedure but I promise it is very simple.
Before going to the pool or sea:
- Wash your hair with a deeper moisturizing shampoo. Shampoos containing keratin, jojoba oil or wheat germ oil are excellent to replenish all that sun baked hair. Most people misconceptions are that you can only feed your hair with conditioner, but this is simply not true. These oils strengthen the bond of the hair, and equalize the porosity allowing the cuticle to seal the conditioner in
- By dampening the hair and applying a leave in conditioner before swimming, your hair is protected against the chlorine. Your hair will only absorb so much so if it is already full with protein it can’t absorb all those harmful chemicals.
Tip: Also look out for the new leave in conditioners with sunscreen in them, for all you babes with thin light hair you know how it feels to have a sun burnt scalp
- Apply a weekly conditioning mask to restore the sundrenched by giving your hair the right amount of protein. The elements and pollutants of summer destroy the porosity of your hair, so balance and fix this damage with protein rich products. When the hair lacks the necessary fatty acids it becomes dry and lifeless. Products containing lavender, rosemary, mint, aloe vera or vitamin E, hold the secret to restoring that moisture.
Tip: Cranberry seed oil is an amazing nutrient rich formula. It contains Omega 3 and Omega 6. For years doctors have been telling us to ingest it for our overall health, but guess what? In the past year several body and hair care products have been developed containing this oil and it does wonders ladies
Pick a recipe for a deep conditioning treatment from our article “Homemade hair masks”
Try a hot oil hair massage to nourish your hair to good health
Summer cut!
To put it simply, get a trim. Your hair will thank you for it. It’s a great way to banish split ends. Your hair will also look more in shape and cared for.
Be smart with products
There are a zillion hair products that promise the world. Be careful, read the fine print and get to know your hair type before you use any product. For example, products may be advertised as ‘voluminizing’ but could end up drying your hair. So read all the details before you pull out your wallet
- Avoid products that have alcohol or formaldehyde as an ingredient. Both will dry your hair
- Remember to buy a conditioner with an inbuilt sunscreen mechanism. It will be worth your buy!
Going out?
If you want to brave the weather then wear a hat. It’s the least you can do to protect your hair from direct sunlight. The idea is to get your hair out of the sun! If you don’t want to hide your hair from the world then use a conditioner with some sunscreen so it doesn’t dry it out. Don’t forget to rinse your hair well when you get home.
Too many baths?
The summer may tempt you to rush into the shower and take a bath. While it may refresh you, too many baths can again dry your hair and rob it of its much needed moisture.
The solution: don’t wash your hair every time you take a bath or a shower. If you go for a daily swim, just wash your hair with water only and then apply conditioner. Limit the shampoo for every 2 days.
Your Pool Party Ritual: preventive
- Wash your hair with a protein rich, moisturizing shampoo.(Look out for the ingredients that are listed above)
- Towel dry softly, removing excess moisture. Don’t ring the hair, scrunch vigorously, or shack rapidly. Lift the roots with your fingers and pat gently, remember the more stress the more damage
- Apply a leave in conditioner sparingly. A cream one is fine, but for the summer I suggest a spray, as you can take it with you and repeat the process
- Mist sunscreen on the scalp with your hand held about 8-10 inches from the head to protect against burns
Corrective tips:
De-chlorine your tresses!
If all those dips in the pool have left your hair feeling a little green don’t fret.
You have to remove the algae build up that has been left on the hair’s shaft from the chlorine; a deep cleansing shampoo will do the trick.
Tip: If you feel very green, a cheap easy way without striping it from the hair, is to use a store bought dandruff shampoo. These shampoos have a high alkalinity and will remove excess build up. Repeat the first washing twice and then carry on once, for a week.
If you are not green but are feeling a slight bite brassy, invest in a silver shampoo and incorporate it into you weekly washing schedule, once a week. Allow it to sit for 3-5 minutes before washing.
Color up again
Did you know that hair color can fade during the summer months? It does. So whether you are coloring your hair at home or at the salon, it would be wise to get a few strands tested first. You will then know the exact outcome before you continue with the rest of your hair.
Bring on the shine
No one likes dull and boring hair. Get your locks to outshine the rest this summer.
The solution: Mix water and some vinegar together and rinse your hair in it after a good hair conditioning session. It works wonders!
Summer Hair Care summary
- Make sure you are washing your hair with a moisture and protein rich shampoo
- Always carry the leave in conditioner around the pool side
- A weekly conditioning mask should be applied to restore the sundrenched locks
- Regular haircuts! Every 6 weeks to clean up the ends. More ponytails = more split ends!
- Avoid using too much hairspray during the day. Alcohol attacks the sun and stripes the hair of moisture
Summer can be a great season for you and your hair. A little preventive action can leave you looking stunning! A little bit of attention and care will yield you rich rewards, not to mention … a lot of attention!
source: http://www.hairstylecity.com/HairCare/SummerHairCare.aspx
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