With the news that temperatures could be climbing back up to 30⁰C in the coming week, it is not only your skin that you should be keeping protected from harmful UV rays, but your hair too. Help is at hand from Yesmin O'Brien, Artistic Director for seanhanna salons, who has shared her top tips for avoiding hair damage during the summer heatwave.
"Our hair reacts differently in different weather conditions. In the heat we find that our hair can tend to frizz more easily, it can lighten from UV rays but it can also be subject to some serious damage," Yesmin told HELLO! Online.
It is important to protect your hair from the sun's harmful UV rays
"Depending on texture and budget, various brands have shampoos, conditioners, treatments, blow-dry and heat protecting products to help ease the struggle our hair goes through in the heat."
Protection:
If your hair is coloured, the colour pigments will be sensitive to the UV sun rays. A hat would be recommended, especially whilst abroad or in direct sunlight. Of course, a hat is not always possible, in this case spritz hair with a product that contains UV filters such as Kerastase Soleil Aqua-Seal shine spray.
Preparation:
In the heat, always apply product and leave on for at least 30 minutes before going out in the sun. This will allow the products to soak into the strands of the hair for ultimate protection.
Braiding hair is a good way to keep your cool on hot days
Aftercare:
If hair is exposed to sunlight you will need to help restore moisture and smooth the hair cuticle. This can be easily achieved after shampooing by applying an after-sun mask such as Kerastase Masque UV Defence Active and working it through with a wide-toothed comb.
Styling:
During the heat we often start to style our hair differently to keep it out of our face and reduce sweating. Braiding is a great style to use as it refrains from applying pressure to the scalp and hair.