Tips from a Hairdresser: What Should Summer Haircare Look Like?

What happens to your hair during the summer?

• Chlorine dissolves your skin’s sebum and can bind keratin to your hair. The subsequent chemical reaction dries out and weakens your hair. Not to mention removing the natural oils from your scalp. 
• Sea water and the sea salt within it should be good news for your hair, as they can supplement it with minerals. However, when sea water and your hair are joined by wind and the effects of UV radiation, this again leads to dehydration, and your hair can end up breaking even more. 
• The sun’s rays dry out your hair, but more significantly, they bombard unprotected hair with UV radiation, which weakens the hair protein - keratin - and thus the hair itself. 

And if all three elements combine without the proper care, you could be heading for an unplanned, radical haircut. Not looking for a trim? Then your hair needs the right care. How?

Nourish your hair from within and protect it from the outside

“Even before summer, give your hair nourishment from within. There are health supplements in the form of biotin, keratin. Zinc, selenium and B vitamins are also great. And when you’re at the hairdresser, ask for intensive hair hydration and nourishment by way of professional salon products,” recommends hairdresser Magda Kunešová.

Summer also means hair products specially designed for the sun. “Shampoo and conditioner, alongside a sun mask, are the basics, but get yourself a spray to protect your hair from the sun and UV radiation as well. Sprays truly provide effective protection from the sun for your hair and you can use them repeatedly on wet or dry hair throughout the day,” continues the hairdresser, addressing the misconception which many of us have that our hair can’t get sunburnt. It can. The only difference compared to our skin is that we don’t feel it. The protective hair spray mentioned is similar to suncream!

A hat, sun cream and coconut oil 

You also need to protect your scalp. “Get yourself a hat or a trendy cap. This applies particularly when playing sports, when many of us tie our hair back and make a lovely parting; but without a head covering, we end up burning 100% of the time. If you don’t want to wear anything on your head, then apply suncream to that elegant parting before sports activities,” recommends Magda Kunešová. 

And if you want another special tip for protecting your hair by the sea, rub in some coconut oil, braid it, and leave it all day. “Your hair will be coated in the oil, absorb the nutrients, and stay protected...” adds the hairdresser. If you dislike that ‘greasy feeling,’ then just treat the ends. Again, with either coconut or even argan oil.

Then when you wash your hair and apply hair products for the sun, simply leave it to dry on its own. “It doesn’t affect fine hair so much, since it dries straight away, but if you have thick hair which stays wet for several hours, the risk of microbes multiplying on your still wet scalp and forming the basis of a fungus increases,” explains Magda Kunešová on the importance of dry skin.

A special warning for blondes

Adjust the quantity of the product you apply to your hair according to its colour. The sun bleaches all hair a little bit. But natural blondes and those with bleached hair and highlights have it toughest in the summer (their hair is already stressed by the chemical dyeing process itself).

What’s more, blonde hair sometimes goes unexpectedly green on holiday. “And we mistakenly attribute it to chlorine, but the truth is that many pools use what’s known as blue vitriol, which reacts with the copper found in our hair, creating these green shades,” explains Magda Kunešová. 

And if you’re planning on boosting your blonde shades just before a holiday, you should definitely rethink it. Colouring your hair before a holiday by the sea is generally not a good idea. Wait until you’re back from your holiday, since you can then book a follow-up treatment for stressed hair. “A hairdresser can deeply hydrate your hair, supplement it with keratin, deal with any lipid loss...and only then does it make sense to trim or colour healed, saturated hair,” concludes Magda Kunešová. 

We should all listen to her. Now you know how to care for your hair during the summer. All that’s left is to enjoy the summer to the fullest. So have a great holiday!