Summer is here and with it comes all sorts of outdoor fun. It is also that time of year when we encounter the highest percentage of damaged hair -- some of it beyond repair. Unprotected hair can fry in UVA and UVB rays, resulting in a head full of straw-like strands that may take months to repair. With a little planning and preventive measures, you can avoid the common sun and surf damage of faded colour, fragile, brittle or dry hair and yucky split ends.
According to Yao Gang, a professional hair-dresser, summer is a season in which hair grows the fastest. "Many people do not tend much to their hair in summer, but summer is the season hair needs the greatest care," said Yao. "Heat and chlorinated water are very damaging to hair in summer."
Here are a few tips that may save you a lot of heartaches and money:
Start summer with preventive maintenance:
Start the summer season with a salon trip to eliminate split ends and handle hair repair. If your hair normally dries out during summer months, consider having a preventive professional deep conditioning treatment to ward off potential frizzies.
Avoid maximum ray exposure:
Minimize your hair exposure to the sun between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm when rays are most strong. If you must be out during those times, wear a cover-up to shield your strands from sun exposure.
?Use hair care products with SPF agents:
Don't assume that all hair care products contain SPF agents. Since SPF formulas can make products heavy or oily, products may only contain a maximum SPF level of 10. If you live near or will be visiting an area near the equator or in high altitudes, where the sunlight is stronger, a higher SPF is the only way to go for maximum hair protection.
Stay away from hair lightening products:
Summer months are the worst time of the year to add chemically drying colour agents to hair. Most contain some form of peroxide or metallic crystals and can cause severe damage to hair, not to mention such undesirable effects as orange, green, or pink tints. Worse, if the product does contain metallic crystals and you then perm your hair, it may literally turn your hair into mush and wash down the drain. If you must lighten your locks, use a temporary colour that does not contain peroxide or damaging ammonia.
After a day at the pool, clarify your hair:
Chlorinated swimming pools can give your hair split ends and leave your hair brittle and dull. If you frequent pools and are already exposing your hair to chlorine, it would be a good idea to wait until autumn before getting a chemical colour or perm. The easiest way to protect hair from chlorine is to wear a swimming cap. If you don't have a swimming cap handy or you dislike wearing one, rinsing your hair before and after pool time can help repel strong chemicals.
You may also use a clarifier. A clarifier is a stronger shampoo designed to remove toxins from your hair such as auto emissions and other environmental pollutants. A clarifier is too strong to use daily, but once or even twice a week is okay. It should also help remove chlorine from your hair, but if you are at the pool daily you will need to invest in a special shampoo to control chlorine.
Despite the differences, to maintain your hair in summer is the same as in other seasons, that is, clean, repair and protect.
( July 15, 2002)
