How The Pros Protect Their Hair From the Sun

26 January 2021

Most of us understand the importance of protecting our skin whenever we leave the house. But fewer of us pay the same level of attention to our hair. We assume that sunlight doesn’t affect it.

That’s not entirely true, though. You’ll know that if you spend a long time in the sun, it actually bleaches the hair follicles over time, making them appear slightly lighter than usual.

This process happens because of UV radiation. High-energy light wavelengths hit the hair and destroy the pigments that cause colour. If you left a lock of your hair out in the sun for long enough, it’d eventually turn grey or white.

It is critical, therefore, to protect your hair from damage whenever you leave home. But how do you do this? Let’s take a look.

They Get A Fresh Haircut Regularly

The first step is to get a fresh hair cut regularly. Having one removes any already-damaged strands, and prevents your split ends from getting any worse. In short, it gives your hair a chance to recover before you expose it to damage again.

Most stylists recommend getting a haircut every two to four weeks or so.

They Take Care Of Their Colour

The next step is to take good care of your colour, especially when the sun is high in the sky.

The best approach here is to stay out of the sun if you’ve recently had your hair dyed. If you don’t, you can wind up with annoying bleaching effects.

To take care of your colour, only step out of the house wearing a hat.

They Condition Their Hair

Another strategy you can use is to build up the hair from the inside out to make it more resilient to UV. Using a conditioner in combination with an oil-based pomade can help to moisturize it and support the natural sheath that protects it from sunlight damage.

Look for conditioners that contain silicones. These compounds create a hydrophobic layer between your hair strands and the rest of the environment, protecting you even if you go in the water.

They Don’t Shampoo Every Day

Some people with greasy hair like to shampoo every day, but most stylists recommend against this. While it helps to keep the hair clean, it can also remove essential moisture that protects follicles from the sun.

If your hair gets greasy every day, try using a mild shampoo. These contain less of the active soap compounds and help to preserve the natural oils protecting your hair.

You can also try using powder shampoo to give your hair a quick lift if it is starting to look a little greasier than you’d like.

They Don’t Blow Dry

While blow-drying is convenient, doing it repeatedly will eventually damage your hair and leave it feeling coarse and brittle.

Instead of blow-drying, try patting it dry with a towel, treating it gently.

If you must use a hairdryer, use a low setting, or just blast your hair with cool air using the cool setting. This usually works too.

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  1. Thanks so much for sharing these tips

    Candice x

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