How Do You Care For Your Hair in Summer

The summer holds many dangers for your hair – heat, humidity, UV rays, salt and chlorine can be a nightmare if you don’t take the right precautions to protect your mane.

After a day in the sun, your hair may be feeling fried and although it’s not technically possible for hair to burn, you can severely damage it. Believe it or not, just three days in the sun is enough to cause the cuticle to wear away and break off, resulting in the hair feeling dry, brittle and being ­unprotected. Sadly, it can be too late if hair is splitting and the only thing to do is to cut your losses and go for the chop. If the ends are left, damage will just develop further up the cuticle.

But don’t worry! There are some easy ways to keep your mop in tip-top condition this summer. Preparation is the best ­prevention. It’s best to start caring for your hair before that first ray of sunshine hits your head by using a deep conditioning treatment once a week (twice if you have really dry hair).

For an extra boost, shampoo your hair as normal and towel dry before applying the conditioning treatment, then cover with a shower cap before wrapping it in a towel and leave for 20 minutes. The heat ­generated by your head will be trapped by the shower cap, helping the conditioner to penetrate extra deep! After conditioning, rinse your hair with cold water and vinegar. This will help your hair shine, as the cold water and vinegar seal the shaft, but don’t worry about the smell – it will fade as your hair dries!

Secondly try not to wash your hair too often. Washing hair daily will strip it of its naturally protective oils leaving it more exposed to damage.

The best defence you can give your hair in summer is to protect it with a sun ­protection factor (SPF) product – just like your skin, your hair needs caring for too – or wear a hat. A number of leave-in ­conditioners and styling products now come with SPF in them, but if you get caught out you can always run your regular sun cream through your hair. And if you’re heading to the beach or pool, remember to drench your hair in fresh water first – hair acts like a sponge and once it has soaked up this water it won’t be able to absorb so much salt or chlorine.

When it comes to drying your hair never rough-dry with a towel, this will rough up the cuticle leaving the hair looking dull, instead squeeze the water out and let nature do the rest. If you blow dry your hair, always use the highest heat. It may sound like a ­contradiction, but you will be ­subjecting your hair to the least amount of time to hot air or better yet, let it dry ­naturally.

Finally your hair really is what you eat! Hair is made up of long strings of protein and what you see on the head is mostly made up of dead cells. But what is beneath the surface can be strengthened by what you put in your mouth. No amount of ­revitalising shampoo or conditioner can help if you’re not eating a healthy diet – fruit, ­vegetables and plenty of water are all ­essential to healthy hair.

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