Summer means incessant heat. Everyday hustle during summer to make hair look perfect and frizz-free is for real. Intense heat when combined with a couple of other factors like sweating and humidity can give rise to frizzy, damaged, and breakage prone hair.
Sun and Hair Problems
- UV radiations penetrate the hair cuticle and trigger hair thinning and breakage.
- Excess head sweating in scorching heat may result in dandruff and scalp infections.
- Intense sun rays can cause dry scalp and sunburn.
- Higher temperature strips off the essential oil and moisture from hair, which ultimately leads to frizzy and rough hair.
Although the sun can create havoc on your hair, don't worry we won't let the heat win. Here are very easy and effective ways to keep hair manageable in summer. Buckle up to flaunt your hair throughout the season.
Top 7 Summer Hair Care Tips For Healthy And Smooth Hair
1. Get a trim haircut
Summer is the ideal time to trim your hair. This is because high temperatures can lead to extra frizzy hair giving you split ends. Split ends make hair more prone to breakage. So, it is better to trim your hair and refresh it!
Experts also suggest getting a trim every 6 - 8 weeks to cut down the damaged ends of your hair. Perks are that it is easier to manage short hair in hot and humid weather!
2. Indulge in scalp massage
Scalp massage aka champi is also another best way to achieve healthy and smooth hair. With rising mercury, the sun rays get sharp too. A longer sun exposure on hair can damage the hair cuticles making them lifeless and limp.
But wait! Oiling can rescue your hair. You can include scalp massage using lighter hair oils in your routine. Scalp massage combats hair damage, strengthens hair and improves blood circulation to bring back life to your hair.
3. Opt for a sulphate free shampoo
A good hair care regimen starts with the gentle shampoo that is kind to your scalp and hair. Apart from this, it is equally important to pick the shampoo which is right for your hair and scalp.
A significant point to note is that usually, there are strong surfactants present in shampoos such as Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) that snatch essential oils from the scalp leading to dryness and most importantly scalp and hair build-up.
This is why hair care experts strongly recommend using the right and sulphate-free shampoo to avoid any kind of build-up that can further lead to bigger problems like hair fall and dandruff.
Identifying your hair concerns like hair fall and dandruff and then opting the right shampoo can do wonders for you. On the flipside, an ignorant choice can lead to hair problems. Your task of choosing the correct shampoo based on your concern is eased below!
For hair fall
Hair fall is one of the most common concerns. Sweating, humidity and relentless sun exposure can accelerate hair breakage. Yet people fail to choose the right shampoo for hairfall to not even stop but minimise it. Here are the ingredients to look for if you have been dealing with hair fall.
- Hydrolysed Wheat Proteins
This ingredient is a perfect choice for the person suffering from thinning hair. It has moisturising properties and proteins that help to repair damaged hair while imparting a shiny appearance.
- Tropaeolum majus Extract
Its antioxidant property helps in hair growth by extending the duration of the hair growth cycle.
- Nasturtium officinale Extract
It has lots of vitamins and minerals that help to nourish hair. Also, its antifungal properties promote healthy hair growth.
For Dandruff
Hair and scalp build up is one of the fundamental reasons for dandruff. This build-up is induced with sweating in the scalp during summers which further attracts pollutants, dirt and excessive oil from the environment.
Moreover, harsh shampoos with strong surfactants like SLS can worsen dandruff. So here is the list of ingredients in a shampoo to deal with dandruff.
- Piroctone Olamine
Picrotone olamine is an active ingredient to treat dandruff. It has antifungal and antibacterial properties that work on the root cause of dandruff.
- Zinc Pyrithione
Zinc pyrithione is a dandruff fighting ingredient that improves the overall health of the scalp. Thus, provides healthier growth with its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties
- Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is a great cleansing agent to reduce itchiness, and oiliness from the scalp. It also helps to regulate scalp oil production for clean and healthy hair.
4. Always condition your hair
Since your hair receive too much sun exposure in summer and sun rays tend to damage the hair cuticles. Cuticles are the outermost and protective layer of your hair. When cuticles get damaged, hair becomes brittle and frizzy.
Using a good nourishing conditioner after shampoo helps to smooth and seal the hair cuticles. In simple words, conditioner acts as a sealant to lock in moisture into hair. Additionally, it also delivers smoothness and shine to hair, making hair more manageable and healthy.
Make sure that conditioner should be free of silicone. The reason is silicone forms a waterproof coating on hair which restricts flow of moisture to hair and subsequently makes hair weak and damaged. Over time, silicone can also give rise to scalp build up. For better hair and scalp health, choose a conditioner that is enriched with hydrating and moisturising ingredients.
5. Consider using a hair mask
High temperature has the tendency to damage your hair cuticles. To reverse this kind of hair damage, go for a hair mask. A mask is a high-powered kind of conditioner that carries intense moisture and protein that provide quick relief from damage. It penetrates way deeper into the hair shaft to deliver nutrients and provide shiny-looking bouncy hair. Also, it forms a protective barrier around your strands to protect from environmental pollutants.
Many research studies have also elaborated that hair masks with the goodness of pea protein and ceramides are considered quite good for retaining shine, luster, and restoring damaged hair.
6. Cover up your hair
Covering your head before stepping outdoors in summer can protect your hair from sun damage and pollution around. The intense UV rays coming from the sun can withdraw the moisture from hair and deteriorate the hair protein structure. Styling a scarf, bandana, or hat with your look is a great way to avoid weighing down your hair in the summer heat.
7. Give your heat styling tools a rest
Using heating tools like dryers and straighteners can really dry out your hair and can cause intense damage in the long run. Just like the sun rays, the heat from styling tools potentially weaken the hair, making them prone to breakage.
It is advised to take a break from heating your hair like this. And try to naturally air dry your hair under a fan or by using a simple t-shirt.
Final Takeaway
Summer is not a favourable season for your hair because of excess sweating, humid weather, and intense UV rays. All these factors ruin your tresses and make them look frizzy, rough, and lifeless. Repercussions of unprotected hair in summer are not only limited to the damaged hair, but hair fall are an unseen harm.
Many recent researches have indicated that sun rays damage the amino acids in hair shaft proteins and reduce the hair growth rate. That’s why your hair needs extra protection and care in the summer season. Start following the given summer hair care tips and flaunt your healthy and luscious mane each day.
