Summertime and the living is easy–except, unfortunately, for your hair. Strong UV rays, excessive heat, and too much time spent in a chlorinated pool or salty ocean can zap strands of moisture, leaving hair looking and feeling dry, frizzy and distressed. This is why embracing a summer hair care routine rooted in protective, nourishing hydration is critical.
Let’s start with what dry hair looks and feels like, as you may unknowingly be dealing with dehydrated strands. Dry hair usually lacks shine and softness, tangles easily and can feel rough to the touch. Sound like your hair?
If your hair is dry, it’s because it has become depleted of lipids, a critical part of your hair shaft that protects and coats each individual strand. Lipids keep hair healthy, shiny, manageable and strong. You lose lipids as a result of normal wear and tear, heat styling, and your environment. And while nature is a life-giving force, it can also be distressing on your hair. This means that in the summer (and generally in warmer or drier climates), many factors can suck vital moisture from your hair, including:
THE OCEAN
Salt water can draw out moisture from strands, resulting in dry hair that’s brittle to the touch.
THE SUN
Strong UV rays can zap your hair of the essential lipids naturally present in your hair to help protect and coat each individual strand. When you lose lipids, your hair can look and feel dry.
THE WIND
If you’ve ever spent time on a windswept beach, you know: gusty weather can tangle your strands, leaving hair frizzy and knotty.
THE POOL
A lazy pool day can be seriously stressful on your hair, as chlorine can strip strands of their natural oils, causing issues like split ends.
HOT STYLING TOOLS
Heat styling with a blow dryer, a flat iron or a curling iron—or all three—can have distressing effects, leaving hair looking dry and depleted. We often turn to heat styling to tame sun-frazzled strands, which can only exacerbate overly dry hair.
OVERWASHING
Washing too frequently can strip hair of its protective natural oils—especially curly and textured hair, which can be more prone to dryness. During the warmer months, overwashing can occur easily as we shower away sweat, salt and sand.