How To Properly Take Care Of Your Hair Through The Summer
If you live in Florida then I'm sure you know just how harsh the sun can be on our hair.
There are also other things can be harsh on our hair too. For example: wind, water, chemicals, and humidity.
Humidity is a big struggle in the Florida summers but I talked about that on May's blog post. If you haven't seen that one yet it's a good one.
Wind may be a factor that is often forgotten about but if you live an active lifestyle like most of us do here in Florida then you may be getting wind damage that you don't even realize. Wind damage can occur from being on the boat, motorcycle, convertible, or even kayaking.
When your hair is left to free flow in the wind you probably end up with a lot of tangles. When you brush through the hair you can be causing breakage.
Water is a huge problem in the summer because most of us spend time in the pool and at the beach. Also the water quality in general is not great here due to being so low on the water table. Our city water has a lot of Chlorine in it causing the color to fade and the well water has a lot of sulphur that causes the hair to turn reddish looking. Pool water is usually loaded with Chlorine unless you have a salt water pool. If you have ever used bleach you should be familiar with how it has a slimy texture. Chlorine is the same way. If we are spending the majority of the summer in and out of our pool you may not be rinsing your hair in between or even after you are done for the day. This leaves a build up of Chlorine on the hair and results in dryness, color fading, and a slimy texture that can't be removed without proper treatment.
And the salt water can be just as drying if you aren't actively combating it.
And last but not least lets talk about the sun! We obviously can not escape the sun in Florida unless you spend your entire life inside and never go outside. We are being exposed to the sun every time you sit on your back patio, go in the pool, mow the lawn or gardening, in the car, on the boat, at the beach, having lunch with friends but sitting outside, playing tennis or pickle ball, or golf. The possibilities are endless to sun exposer.
Now that we know the different elements that can affect the hair, we can talk about what you can be doing to protect your hair from all of the elements we discussed.
1. Leave- in - conditioner Is Your Best Friend!
Before you head out to do anything outside grab your leave - in - conditioner and generously spray it on your wet or dry hair. This will prevent your hair from soaking up more damaging water and act as a barrier from the sun. If you are headed to the pool or beach I recommend bringing the product with you and re applying after you get your hair wet. You can eve use some Leave-in-conditioners on your skin as a hydrating mist.
2. Don't Forget A Hat
Usually we think of hats protecting our skin from the sun but they can also protect your hair.
For the most benefit your hat should cover the top of your head. A visors don't help much protecting your hair.
3. Keep Your Hair Up
If you have long hair or medium length hair you should be braiding it or wearing it up if you are in the water or doing something that involves wind. This we will prevent the hair from free flowing and ending up with tangles that can result in breakage if not brushed properly.
4. Deep Conditioning
Adding moisture to the hair will prevent more fading and tangles. Most of the elements we talked about cause dryness and deep conditioning will prevent that.
If you find that you forget to put your hair up and you find yourself with massive tangles from the wind I recommend wetting the hair down and applying a generous amount of conditioner prior to shampooing it. Using a Comb or preferably a Wet Brush, Brush the hair starting from the ends and working up to the scalp. If you need more conditioner add more. Once the tangles are removed then you can wash the hair as normal.
I DO NOT recommend brushing out tangles when the hair is dry. This will cause BREAKAGE!
I hope you find these tips helpful! Let me know if you notice a difference using any of these tips!
