How to Keep Your Hair Healthy in the Summer

When summers are at their peak, the sun makes its way with its sweltering rays to damage your skin and hair. Unfortunately, we usually never forget to cover our exposed skin with sunscreens but never think about the scalp –that is even more exposed to the intense UV rays.

The UV rays are potent enough to damage the hair fibers by causing photochemical degradation of melanin and hair proteins. As a result, the hair becomes stiff, dull, dry with reduced strength, diminished luster, color loss, and roughened surface texture^[1].

From taking some dietic measures, selecting some hydrating hair care products, upgrading the regime to overall changing the attitude, you need to take much care of your scalp. Here's how to protect your hair in the summer!

1.   Prepare Your Hair for Sun Exposure

Let's start with the simple thing you can do to your hair! Apart from your body preparations, your hair needs some practice for the summer too. Visit the salon to get the dead ends trimmed off or turned into split ends.

Split ends are most caused by extreme weather conditions, excessive straightening, or curling –summers are a good example. Dead ends turn into split ends when they are brittle, dry, and frayed, usually caused by UV rays.

Talk to your hairstylist to suggest the hairdo for better air dry to have a good hair day on the beaches. Plus, hair grows much faster in the summers, and it's always a good idea to get them trimmed again and again.

Plus, if you make a fishtail braid or any simple updo during any outdoor activity, it lessens the contact of hair roots with the sun. Whenever you're out, always keep some pins or ponies to tie a ponytail, braid, bun, or knot.  

2.   Never Forget Applying Hair Sunscreen

Applying a sunscreen layer onto the scalp seems freaky at first, but it does make sense. Your scalp is not immune to UV rays; it is frequently exposed and getting damaged over time. Unfortunately, the damage can't always be in the form of hair dullness; severe burning can even cause melanoma in the skin. The challenging part is that you can't even see that before becoming malignant to cause pain^[2]. 

The only thing that can protect your scalp from UV rays is a sunblock. Furthermore, they add hydration and nourishment to your hair. Their antioxidants fight free radicals as well, which is why they're so essential. Most commercial sunscreens, however, may contain harsh chemicals that can cause long-term damage. DIY homemade sunscreens for hair would be a great alternative. 

You can make your sunscreen protect your hair from the harsh rays of sun by mixing one tablespoon of aloe vera, one teaspoon of coconut oil, one teaspoon of sea salt, and one tablespoon honey, and 250 ml of water. Pour all the mixture into a spray bottle and shake well. Before going out, spray your hair with this natural sunscreen. In addition, try to cover your hair with a scarf or hat before going out in summer. 

3.   Have Anti-Chlorine Treatment After Swimming

One of the common summer activities is swimming that drains the stress out of your body. Swimming has some remarkable health benefits, but it gets pretty damaging to your hair and skin when it comes to the chlorine ingredient of the pool water. Chlorine extracts the natural oils from the roots of the hair, causes some chemical reactions, and leaves the hair dry and damaged^[3].

If you have previously dyed your hair, the chemicals from the hair dye react with chlorine immediately to result in green hair. Copper combines with chlorine to spread a film that sticks the hair protein, making the hair turn green. The best way to prevent green hues is to apply baking soda on the hair roots and leave it for some time.

Moreover, deep conditioning also helps to maintain scalp and hair health. If you're a blonde and have a habit of swimming, you need to be quite more concerned about it.

4.   Deal with the Humidity

In summers, the climate gets humid out, and you might not believe how it affects your hair. Air humidity changes the binding of longitudinal keratin tubes in the ultrastructure of hair, changing their orientation. Excessive water breaks two types of bonds between these filaments –the hydrogen and disulphide bonding previously stabilizing them^[4].

What's the ultimate result? Your hair gets way frizzier, drier, and rougher than before. You can reduce your hair's frizz by tying it up. Make the most of the hot weather to show off your hair in different styles, including ponytails, braids, buns, and updos. It prevents your hair from frizzing as well as reducing sweating.

5.   Follow A Summer Haircare Regime

We usually think that getting our hair shampooed and conditioned is enough to leave them under the sun's harshness. Healthy hair demands a complete scalp regime, just like your facial skin. If you want to keep your hair healthy in the summers, you just have to follow an entire summer hair care routine.

Let's get right into it!

• Wash Less Often with Natural Shampoo

The frequent washing of your scalp removes its natural oils, which in turn stimulates extra oil production and makes you feel compelled to wash it more. Putting on a shower after a day at the beach or pool may remove extra oil. To go longer between baths, replace regular shampoo with homemade or natural dry shampoo, like cornstarch. Alternatively, you can dab a cotton ball dipped in witch hazel along your scalp to remove excess oil^[5].

• Apply a Hydrating Conditioner

Once you're done with washing your hair, never leave it unconditioned. Conditioners have played an essential role in maintaining scalp health by providing sufficient hydration and nourishment. For a natural conditioner, rinse your hair with apple cider vinegar diluted in water. Coconut oil and shea butter will smooth, defrizz, and moisturize your locks after washing them. It will add shine to your hair and create natural curls, especially if you have curly hair^[6]. 

• Don't Skip Applying Hair Mask

After washing and conditioning your hair, you have to apply an appropriate hair mask. If you get some hydration-rich ingredients in the summer hair masks, it's the best combination for dry hair. Make sure you rinse the mask off with cold water. This treatment is essential to be done once or twice a week for remarkable results. You can even try out some DIY hair masks recipes or natural hair care tips for summer –an organic remedy to your hair. 

For instance, try this egg, honey, and apple cider vinegar (ACV) mask if your hair feels (and looks) parched. This hydrating treatment gives shine and nourishes strands while not weighing them down. Combine one egg, one teaspoon of honey, and one tablespoon of ACV in a small bowl. Rinse it off after 30 to 40 minutes. It is suitable for all types of hair.

• Use Hair Serums

Serums are not only meant for your facial skin; your scalp needs some nutrients too. Some hydrating serums in the market contain argan oil, raspberry extracts, olive oil, and sunflower seed oil. These ingredients work best for brittle and dry hair –the most common concern in summers^[7]. 

Choose the best hair serum and apply 2-3 drops over your scalp when your hair is semi-dry. Apart from providing nourishment, the serum coat locks the moisture and nutrients you previously got from shampoos and conditioners.

• Use Natural Hair Styling Techniques

In summers, your hair is already prone to damage by potent UV rays. Make sure you lessen the contact with straighteners and curlers and prefer getting these looks naturally. You can have loose rolls by keeping braids overnight or using curling sticks. Moreover, apply the shine spray on the scalp instead of a hair-setting spray.

6.   Follow A Healthy Diet Plan

You can grow your hair stronger and healthier by nourishing them with optimal nutrients both externally and internally. We have already discussed the external factors; let's talk about the diet now. Here we go with some foods that can create a remarkable difference in your hair health!

• Spinach is the Best Source of Iron

According to research, iron deficiency leads to hair fall and bad hair health. Spinach is believed to be the best source of iron, Vitamin A and C, and sebum for locking the moisturizer in hair. So, if your hair is well-nourished and moisturized, you can avoid the problem of hair fall and dullness during summers. Make spinach part of your routine, so you get a sufficient amount of hydration^[8].

• Walnuts are Rich in Biotin

Eating walnuts, the precious dry fruit, from time to time ensures good hair health. Walnuts are sufficiently loaded with biotin, vitamin B, E, magnesium, and tons of proteins essential for strengthening hair cuticles and nourishing the scalp. If you're having enough walnuts in your diet, trust me, you won't be having any hair issues in the summers, especially^[9].

• Lentils are a Good Source of Proteins

Our hair is an aggregation of keratin filaments –which is a protein. Your diet must have sufficient proteins and amino acids for enough keratin synthesis by the cells of the skin. Lentils are rich in folic acid that promotes blood cell production. More blood flow towards the scalp skin cells ensures optimal protein synthesis –hence, better hair health^[10].

• Flaxseeds are Best for Omega-3

Flaxseeds are one of the superfoods that help fight against hair fall issues. They are not only enriched with omega-3 but sufficiently contain manganese, dietary fiber, and vitamin B1 to heal the damaged hair. Make flax seeds a part of your summer diet to have better hair health.

• Oranges Contain Sufficient Vitamin C

How can you resist the tangy, juicy, and refreshing taste of oranges? When you're following a healthier diet, never miss out on adding oranges to it. Oranges contain an adequate amount of vitamin C that promotes collagen synthesis. Collagen is the main component of scalp skin that maintains the optimal blood flow to the shaft. This watery fruit really does what it claims!

7.   Never Compromise on Hydration

Water is the medium of life that runs the human body. No water means no life. Water feeds the body organs; the biggest of them is our skin. The scalp can only be healthy if enough water reaches the hair follicles through the circulatory system.

Trust me, the worst of all bad hair regimes during summers is not drinking enough water while knowing how important it is. Without much water, cells of scalp skin start dying, making the hair follicles weaker than before. And then, hair fall is nowhere to go! Drinking enough water can provide the required vitamins and minerals to the hair follicles.

Our hair grows much like a plant –if you don't water the plant, it gets dried. Think of your hair the same way. The roots of hair extract water from the scalp to hydrate the shaft of the hair that promotes growth. So, make sure you keep your body hydrated because that's the key to beautiful skin and hair^[11].

8.   Use A Wide-Toothed Comb

Once you're done with swimming or pool parties, avoid combing your hair firstly. However, if you really feel the need to comb the wet hair, use a wide-toothed comb instead of a brush. The wind, salt, chlorine, and UV damaged hair are fragile enough to break if you exert a bit more stress on it. Wide-toothed combs are the best alternative to the common combs for untangled hair.

Moreover, it's a better idea to comb your hair from the bottom to the top slowly when the hair is in the most delicate state. In this way, you are working with less surface, and it prevents unnecessary hair breakage.

 

The Bottom Line

Hair is an important part of your body that makes you look perfect if it's in good condition. It requires an equal amount of attention you give to your skin. The scalp skin needs all the essential nutrients to promote better hair growth, and you can get that all only by following a proper summer hair care routine. Both intrinsic and extrinsic factors go hand in hand to keep the right balance between hair growth and loss.