It’s not just your skin you need to protect from the sun; UV rays have the power to do plenty of damage to your locks – from dryness to fading your summer blonde. You may not be able to feel it, but your hair burns in the sun just like skin, while UV rays also weaken your hair’s protein structure by making the shaft drier, brittle and more liable to breakage.
The amount of damage depends how much you expose your hair to the sun, the current condition of your locks and how much swimming you do – as chlorine and salt water can intensify the sun’s harmful effects.
Those with hair that is already damaged or processed will need to be more mindful, as this type of hair will be more vulnerable to sun damage. Also those with longer tresses should be more aware, as the longer the hair, the older and therefore weaker it is. Here, we run through our top tips on how to handle your holiday hair.
Pre-holiday fix
Before you head off for sunnier climes, schedule a trim before you go away and another for when you return to remove any damaged ends. Split ends interlock easily, increasing the likelihood of hair tangling and breaking. Any damage that might have been done during your break will be quickly dealt with, with a trim on your return. However, if you manage to protect your hair properly while away, the second appointment won’t be necessary.
Protect while on holiday
Apply a water-resistant UV filter like like Sachajuan Hair In The Sun & Hair After The Sun in order to help prevent damage. Just massage the sun cream into hair before hitting the beach to give UV protection that even withstands water. At the end of the day, you can either leave in or rinse out the aftersun treatment to restore moisture and shine. Some change – albeit minimal – is inevitable so if you want to keep locks safe, consider staying in the shade or wearing a wide-brimmed hat.
Repair post-holiday
Use a hydrating hair mask like Paul Mitchell After-Sun Replenishing Masque during and also after your summer holiday, as the combination of UV exposure and swimming can weaken the hair’s protein structure, making strands less elastic and manageable and easily broken. A nourishing mask will tackle any dryness and prevent colour fading. Relax in the evening with the masque on your hair, to combat the effects of sun, seawater and chlorine. The Paul Mitchell mask also has a UV filter which will help to protect hair the next day, too.
Once you return home, keep up the treatments twice a week, using a pre-shampoo conditioning treatment for 20 minutes in order to restore hair health to lock in moisture.
