Although overexposure to the sun cannot give your hair cancer, long-term exposure to the sun's harmful UVA and UVB rays can damage the hair cuticles. After summer, you'll need to ramp up your hair care routine to revamp your locks. Learn how below.
Did you know that cases of skin cancer have increased every year for the last 30 years in the United States? Even though more and more people are now aware of the very serious potential risks that too much sun exposure can pose to their skin, very few people are actually aware of the potential risks that sun can have to their hair.
Although overexposure to the sun cannot give your hair cancer, long-term exposure to the sun's harmful UVA and UVB rays can damage the hair cuticles. After summer is over, you'll definitely need to ramp up your hair care routine to revamp your locks if you want to keep them healthy and fresh.
Not sure how to care for sun damaged hair? Don't worry! This guide will walk you through everything you need to know.
When the skin is exposed to too much sun, it might burn and turn red and in severe cases, it will even start to blister. When your hair is damaged by the sun, however, the effects are a little less obvious and harder to spot.
Your hair might appear frizzy or dry but this doesn't tell the whole story. Hair that has been exposed to too much sun will be brittle, weak and dry and will make it much, much more susceptible to getting split ends.
The heat of the sun and the damaging UVA and UVB rays effectively dehydrate hair, stripping it of some of its natural oils and moisture, which is what turns soft, supple and lustrous locks into a frizzy, dry and unmanageable mane. UVA and UVB rays damage the cortex of each hair follicle, in turn damaging the cells inside the cortex that provide hair with its elasticity and strength.
Sun Damaged Hair Can Even Change Color
The American Academy of Dermatology explains that unprotected and untreated brunette hair can turn reddish when it has been exposed to too much sunlight, while chemically treated or bleached hair can develop a yellowish tint.
Most hair colors can turn dull when exposed to too much sunlight and this is due to the UVA rays that destroy the color pigments. People with chemically treated or bleached hair are also much more likely to experience sun damage than those with untreated hair.
It Can Damage Your Scalp, Too
Overexposure to the sun can not only dehydrate the hair but also seriously damage your scalp. If you're fair-skinned, red-haired or freckly, you'll be more susceptible to sunburn and you'll be more likely to experience sunburn on your scalp - yes, your scalp!
Your scalp is just another part of your skin and it can burn even through the protective layer of hair sitting over the top of it. Rubbing sunscreen into the roots of your hair and onto your scalp is one solution, but although it will protect your scalp, it won't protect the rest of your hair.
Prevention is Key
Protecting your hair whilst you're out in the sun is key to preventing summer hair damage. All of the usual tips, including covering your hair with a wide-brimmed hat, staying out of the sun during the hottest hours of the day when the UV rays are strongest and spritzing hair with an SPF treatment before going into the sun can all go a long way in keeping hair soft and supple. But to truly revamp dry summer hair, you need to completely overhaul your hair care routine.
How to Reverse Post-Summer Hair Damage
Restoring lost moisture should be the first step in your post-summer hair plan.
Hair cannot repair itself and if moisture has been lost, the only way to make it soft and supple again is to replace some of that lost moisture.
If your hair is feeling particularly dry or crunchy, replace some of that lost moisture by using a nourishing deep conditioning hair mask at least once a week. Coat the hair from the ears down with the mask and comb it through the hair. Wrap your head in a warm towel and leave it on for about twenty minutes. Use this time to read a magazine or paint your nails! Then, rinse the conditioner out and your hair should be soft and silky. Keep using the hair mask at least once a week to maintain your locks.
Boost Your Color
As we mentioned, the sun's rays can strip your hair of its natural color. Breathe life back into your locks and reverse the damage by using a color gloss or glaze treatment. Cheaper than a full head of color, glosses and glazes are an easy way to revamp your hair come September without having to fork out for a full treatment - plus, most hairdressers will also sell glosses and glazes for you to use at home.
They're usually semi-permanent but they'll revitalize your hair color and add plenty of shine, ensuring that your hair looks a million dollars even without a pricy treatment.
Beware of Heated Appliances
This should go without saying, but heated appliances should be a complete no-no whilst you're restoring your hair after summer. Heated appliances can singe hair, causing frizz, split ends and unmanageable locks. Let your hair dry naturally when you can and try to steer clear of using hair straighteners and curling tongs. If you absolutely must use a heated appliance, make sure you use plenty of barrier creams and heat protection products. Keep hairdryers a good 25cm away from the scalp and use straighteners and curling tongs only very briefly to protect the hair from further damage.
Choose Products with Pathenol and Vitamin E
The aim with any post-summer hair plan is not only to restore moisture and boost color but also to improve texture. UVA and UVB rays penetrate the cells within the hair cortex and so it's important to try to repair some of that damage within the cortex of each hair follicle.
Products with ingredients like panthenol and vitamin E not only add moisture but also help to restore elastin within hair, strengthening each strand from the inside out. It's also a good idea to take a look at products specifically designed to strengthen hair if you're experiencing lots of hair breakages.
Have a Chop
Finally, get your split ends trimmed off! It'll encourage healing, prevent the hair follicles from splitting further and will make your hair look much smoother and sleeker.
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