How to look after your hair in the sun

Finally, the time of the year is around the corner. Sunshine, the sunshine and hopefully more sunshine. Not to forget all the amazing holidays, whether it will be on a beach or a city break it should be hot right. Ok so I'm sure you thought about all the cool clothes you're going to wear, you got your sandals, bikinis etc. But what about your hair?

We take a lot of care to apply sun lotions to protect our skin and so we should, but what about our hair. While sea salt water and chlorine in the pool can all spell disaster for the hair, it's the sun's rays which cause most damage - whether you've dyed your hair or not. Ultra-violet (UV) light penetrates the hair shaft and damages its structure, just as it does to the skin. UV breaks down specific amino acids - the building blocks of protein - which hair is mostly made up of. A loss of these has been shown to have a negative impact on the natural shine and strength of the hair, leaving it duller, weaker and less elastic. It also causes a form of lightening in the overall hair colour. Even if your hair colour hasn't faded doesn't mean your hair isn't damaged. Harmful rays not only shorten the lifespan of dyed hair but can also damage the structure of our hair.

I've put together a list of tips on how to protect your hair from the sun this summer.

1. Wear a hat

If you want to protect your hair colour from fading in the sun make sure you're wearing a hat. The bigger the brim the better. Hats protect the hair from getting damaged and sun bleached. It also protects your scalp from being burnt and possibly damage your hair follicles. Alternatively you can use a head scarf.

2. Apply conditioner

When hair is wet apply conditioner to your hair without rinsing it. Leaving the conditioner in your hair protects it from drying out from the sun and also good for jumping in the pool or sea. Rinse it out in the evening and you'll notice your hair had a great treatment and feels nice and soft. The heat from the sun will open the hair cuticles and help the conditioner to penetrate better. When on holiday, I like to apply conditioner and then either put it up in a messy bun or a plait to keep it in control for the day.

3. Regular treatments

To look after your sun-damaged hair use deep conditioning treatments regularly, at least once a week. Coconut oil is great to use as a treatment. Leave it on as long as possible.

4. Use products with UV protectants

Apply leave-in conditioner or styling products with UV protection before going out in the sun. These products block some of the dangerous rays from the sun.

5. Rinse your hair after swimming

Make sure you rinse your hair thoroughly with just water after swimming in a pool or the sea to remove all salt and chlorinated water.

I hope this will help you to look after your hair this summer and prevent it from fading and breaking.

What are some of the things you do to protect your hair in the summer? 

If you have any more questions on how to look after your hair on your holiday please leave a comment below.