In the summer, there are many factors that may harm your hair and skin; such as the climatic changes that occur, the sudden transition from low to high temperature, the scorching sun, the daily showers, going to the swimming pool in the summer, or going down to the sea. All of them are causes of severe hair damage, loss, and brittleness.
Reasons why the summer is the number one enemy of hair:
Although summer is the season for going out, fun, traveling, and taking pictures, the hair is not at its best if it is not well and safely protected. The ultraviolet rays of the sun penetrate the hair follicles and cause severe dryness. Furthermore, it is the main reason for hair brittleness in the summer. These rays can also affect the melanin of the hair, which leads to lightening its color.
One of the strong and clear reasons that may also harm your hair in the summer is the high temperature and the high humidity. Humidity and high temperature lead the hair to be frizzy and dull, which may cause a great harassment to the women in the summer.
In addition, the exposure to dust in the summer may lead to an increase in hair problems such as dandruff, oily secretions, split ends, and frizz. The frequent exposure to water during daily showering may lead to weak hair and hair loss.
Know your hair type first:
Before thinking about ways to protect your hair from summer damage and ways to take care of it, you must first know your hair type, whether it is oily, dry, or normal:
An effective way to know the type of your hair:
- Wash your hair with water and shampoo, then dry it.
- Stay away from using a hair dryer and avoid using oils or hair care products.
- Leave the hair down without tying it for twelve hours while sleeping.
- Notice the type of your hair in the morning, and here are the characteristics of each type:
Characteristics of dry hair:
- Dry scalp, in addition to the absence of any fatty secretions in it.
- Fast tangling, hard to lay off.
- Lustrous, dull.
- Fast breakage.
- Thick at the roots, thin at the ends.
Characteristics of normal hair:
- Neither greasy nor dry.
- It's not oily.
Characteristics of oily hair:
- The presence of excess fats and oils in the scalp, which requires frequent washing to get rid of sebum secretions.
- Easy to lay off.
Characteristics of mixed hair:
Oily and greasy at the scalp, brittle and dry at the ends.
Summer hair care methods
• Choose a suitable shampoo for your hair
Because of the high temperature, you may tend to wash your hair with shampoo every day, but doing so will cause great damage to the health of your hair. Thus, you should wash your hair only two or three times a week with shampoo that is suitable for your hair type.
It is also preferable to use a shampoo made with natural materials so that the chemicals do not cause any damage to the hair. If your hair is oily, you can use a shampoo with rosemary or green tea, and if it is dry, use a shampoo with laurel to prevent frizz.
• Use a weekly cream bath
A cream bath should be applied to the hair in the summer at a rate of two or three times a week to maintain its health and hydration in order to give it the necessary softness and nourishment. One of the natural cream baths suitable in the summer is Shea butter, which contains a group of substances, nutrients, compounds, and important fatty acids.
- It helps to nourish the hair because Shea butter contains many vitamins, such as: vitamin A and vitamin E, in addition to essential fatty acids, so it nourishes the hair and reduces its dryness.
- It helps to moisturize the scalp deeply and coarsely, maintain its moisture content, and increase its softness and shine.
• Minimize the use of the hair dryer
You should reduce the use of hair dryers or heat as much as possible in the summer. It is better to wash your hair and leave it to dry in the air. If you are forced to use heat styling tools, then you should:
- Use a hair dryer on low heat.
- Avoid using hair irons and make your hair as natural as possible in order not to be damaged by heat.
• Protect your hair from the sun
One of the most important ways to protect your hair in the summer is to protect it from the harmful rays of the sun; it is recommended to wear a hat or scarf to cover the hair in order to protect the hair from drying out as much as possible.
• Drink plenty of fluids
One of the most important ways to take care of the health of the body in general, and the health of the hair in the summer in particular, is to drink a sufficient amount of water. Thus, always make sure to drink cold liquids that will help you to keep your hair healthy and hydrated. You should also eat a large amount of fresh fruits and vegetables in your daily diet.
• Massage your hair with natural oils
It is always recommended to massage the hair with natural oils every two days in the summer to get healthy, shiny, and vibrant hair. Massage the scalp with one of the natural oils such as olive oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, or coconut oil. Leave it on the hair for 20-30 minutes, then wash it with warm water.Â
Enjoy the summer, travel, and take a lot of photos, but the most important thing is not to neglect the care of your hair. It is necessary to protect the hair from the harmful factors that it may be exposed to in the summer in order to get healthy and shiny hair.
