Our hair is not responsible for our style and looks, but it has many more roles than we usually think of. For example, isolating our bodies in the times of cold, and regulating the temperature when it’s hot. It also acts as a shield from UV radiation, giving the fact it is an obstacle between the skin and the solar radiation. This means that our hair follicles are particularly exposed to sun damage if we don’t do anything to protect them.
What better symbol for the heat, good mood, vacation, and going to the seaside is there than the summer season. It’s the time we are exposed to the sun, more than in the usual seasons. Whenever the topic of vacation is brought to the table, we are eager to emphasize the protection from the radiation, proper skincare, the hair somehow always ends up as the least important, in the background. And it shouldn’t be.
Overexposing yourself to sun radiation can sometimes cause blood vessel inflammation. This could be the reason or the cause we later suffer from hair loss. Even worse that can happen are the permanent damages to the hair. Comparing to being partly damaged, permanently damaged hair cannot be revived or fixed for good. The only reliable way is to cut all that has been damaged and let the new one grow. Much useful advice about maintaining the health of your hair and skin can be found on DeListProduct website.
However, in this article, we have prepared some of the techniques you can use to protect your hair from sun damage and minimize the risk of having to cut it completely.
Table of Contents
1. Always wear a hat when exposed to the sun
The fanciest and most fashionable investment for protecting the skin and the hair from the sun is to browse for a cute hat. While offering your hair protection from UV radiation, a hat will additionally protect your facial skin, serve as a shade from the eyes and upper part of the body (depending on how big it is), while making a fashionable statement.
Before stepping out in the sun, especially at noon, cover your head with a hat so your skin and the hair will be isolated from negative UV radiation. If possible, during this time of the day, find a hat with a wide brim. An alternative to the hat can be a simple cover made of a scarf. But the hat is better because it will keep the hair moisture where it’s supposed to be, while also protecting parts of the back, front shoulders, and complete face (eyes and ears).
2. Aloe Vera gel
Aloe Vera has been known for many benefits it has on the skin, for centuries. Some of us have it home and use it as a sun relief mask for face after the sunbathing.
Hair wise, it’s good for preventing damages that appear from sunburns, but it’s also excellent for getting rid of dandruff. It stimulates hair growth, if you apply it weekly on the scalp, and treat it with a massage. The most common way to use it is to distribute along with the whole hair and leave it for half an hour or so. After which, you, of course, rinse the hair.
3. Use a protective cream
If wearing a hat is not your thing, or is not suitable at the moment, then to try to make a routine out of applying protective creams. The most useful ones are those based on sunflower, zinc oxide. Apply it to the areas of your head that are usually most exposed to the sun. Meaning, the parts of your hair on the edge of the face, where your hair is not so thick.
4. Use sunscreens
Sometimes, the hair can be protected with the same products you use for protecting the facial skin and body. Just apply some to your hands and gently distribute it through the whole length of your hair. However, there are many products on the market for UV protection of your hair, such as special conditioners, spays, and so on. Just make sure you use them over summer.
5. Use natural oils as sun protection
These oils have countless benefits for our hair. They make smooth, add some shine to it, and above all offer sun protection. Essential oils made of raspberry, avocado, coconut, and even olive oil that everyone has in their kitchen will be excellent organic protection from the sun.
During the summer you can also practice applying hot oils to your hair, as a special nutrition treatment, for example on weekly basis. If olive oil is what you have in your kitchen, then heat approximately half a cup of it (you can add some other oil as well), and then with circle movements, massage it on your hair. Cover the hair with a warm towel and leave it for half an hour. Then do your usual hair wash, but repeat adding shampoo a couple of times to make sure all the oil is gone.
The same procedure you can do with other oils, such as coconut oil. But in this case, just avoid the oil reaching your scalp skin.
6. Black tea
For those with dark hair, or black which lost its color from being too exposed, an excellent way to return the color and the glow is by using some black tea rinsing. Just as olive oil and aloe, many of us have black tea in our home, and it comes in handy in these times of summer heat. Simply cook the tea and leave it to sit for a couple of hours. Wash your hair normally, and after rinse it with the tea. Leave the on it for half an hour, then rinse with normal water. Before the last rinse, you can apply a conditioner.
What we described in this article are the quickest ways, available to anyone. One more tip you can follow is to avoid coloring your hair during summer. This kind of treatment already dries your hair enough, so avoid it during the peak of the season.
