How to Sun Proof Your Hair for Summer

In an average summer week your hair goes swimming in salt or chlorine water, you wash it, condition it to compensate, pull a comb through, and then a hair dryer scorches it.

Hours of hot sunshine strip some of the colour too.

You can't abuse your hair, cross your fingers and expect it to stay healthy.

Most women crowned with shining hair work to keep it that way. You too can beat the setbacks and have healthy hair in top condition.

How your hair looks is not simply the result of a good shampoo or a trip to the hairdresser. Hair, like skin, perfect hair reflects good health.

It should be massaged every day. For just one minute, gently knead the fingertips around the base of the hairline, up to the crown, then down to the front hairline. Zap! You've encouraged blood circulation and given your hair a kick. Brushing at the end of the day rounds off this massage.

CONDITIONER: is the word after every wash and more. Conditioner coats the hair, protecting it. You are wasting your time if you wrap your hair in hot towels, though they are fine used with an oil which the scalp absorbs.

Conditioner is for the hair, not the scalp. Comb it through after each wash and rinse it out. Now you've got a protective film over the hair.

Carry a bottle of conditioner in your beach tote. Before a swim, comb through the conditioner. It stays around the hair, doesn't wash off easily and provides protection.

When you get out of the water, comb through a little more conditioner, to protect the hair from the sun, and plonk on a hat or scarf.

DAMAGE: Hair damage is higher in summer than any other time. Excessive sun lightens the hair, while salt and chlorinated water dry the scalp and hair, which will feel stiff and brittle.

On top of that, wearing plaits while swimming will make the hair more difficult to disentangle. Combing or brushing wet hair will break and split it.


LONG HAIR SUFFERS MOST: The scalp produces natural oils which keep it healthy and the hair shining. But the longer your hair, the less chance there is of the oil reaching the ends. You have to help it along with a pure oil massage which will penetrate the scalp, and moisten the hair ends.

Almond or rosemary oil can both be used. Moisten the fingertips and massage the oil into the scalp. Rosemary oil will leave a crisp, fresh fragrance in the hair.

One trick with long hair in the sun is to tuck it up in a fashionable twist on top of the head. By doing this you protect the ends, hiding them under the top hair.

WASHING: You may have to wash your hair daily because of pollution in the atmosphere.

If you do, there's absolutely no harm done. But remember you don't need to shampoo twice, once is sufficient. The damage that comes with frequent washing can usually be traced to carelessness after washing, brushing and stretching the hair.

How to wash it best? Begin with brushing; thirty strokes will loosen dead skin on the scalp and dead hair.

Shampoo should be chosen to suit your hair type: Oily, dry, normal or damaged. Soak the hair and squeeze a little of the shampoo on to the palm of your hand. Use the fingers on the other hand to rub the shampoo into the scalp. Begin around the nape of the neck then work the shampoo up to the crown. Now massage it around the sides of the head to the front.

You should not have a mass of lather. If you do you've used too much shampoo, or the shampoo is too rich (in which case, you can dilute it in the bottle with a little water).

As you wash the hair, keep your fingers apart so that each one circulates in its own area. Use the balls of your fingers, not the tips.

Thorough rinsing is the most important part of a good wash. It removes dirt, and the shampoo residue. Rinsing takes about three or four minutes. That old adage, squeaky clean, is a good test of cleanliness.

You must always follow washing with your conditioner. It's your protective shield.

BRUSHING: It’s essential. Sometimes you'll hear people say that brushing stirs up troubles and activates oil glands on oily hair.

Well, brushing undoubtedly does stimulate the scalp, but that's going to make the hair shine. As you brush you loosen all the grime and dead cells and strip them out of the hair. It's healthier all round.

TIPS FOR SHINE: Use a setting lotion after washing. Put a tiny amount on your fingertips and comb it through the hair. Another secret is to smooth a drop of hair cream onto your brush before you use it.

Author bio: Natalia Moore is a CA based health, fitness, and beauty blogger. She loves hanging out with friends, writing adventures, reading, sharing ideas on how to be prettier naturally to make people feel good and look good.