Summer hair prep: How to strengthen your strands before the sun hits
Nourish your hair now to prevent dryness and damage.
Summer is just around the corner, and while there’s plenty to look forward to – hello, sunny days and lighter nights – the warmer months can take a toll on our hair, as hairdressers know only too well.
“When clients have been away on holiday, we often see more breakage than usual, especially if they're blonde,” says senior director Siobhan Baynes.
Whether at home or abroad, the combination of sun, heat and swimming is particularly detrimental, says creative director Marvyn Duché. “Things like chlorine and UV strip away the hair’s natural oils and make the cuticle weaker, so hair feels a bit more damaged and gets lighter, or the colour fades faster.”
You wouldn’t sunbathe without wearing sunscreen, and preparing your hair for summer is just as important. Here, Siobhan and Marvyn explain the steps you should take to help keep your strands looking and feeling healthy throughout the warmest season of the year…
WHY IS SUMMER SO DAMAGING FOR HAIR?
Several different elements impact hair in summer, whether you’re staycationing in Cornwall or island hopping in Greece. The intense sun at this time of year is often the number one culprit.
“The sun can make hair crispy, dry and tangly,” Siobhan says. “When you get back from a day at the beach, it can feel quite dried out.” That effect can be compounded if you’ve also had a dip in the pool or sea. “Saltwater can create dry and brittle hair, while chlorine coats the hair. We see this a lot with kids when they come into the salon, and their hair's really dry on the ends. We call it ‘swimming hair’.”
Sun exposure can also have a detrimental impact on scalp health, Siobhan explains. “I can always see when someone’s been in the sun without a hat on because when I part the hair the parting is either brown or red, then when I move it, the rest of the skin is white. Sun and swimming takes away the sebum that your scalp produces, so the scalp is drier or flakier and might feel tight as well.”
WHY IS PRE-SUMMER HAIR PREP IMPORTANT?
We often talk about summer SOS hair repair, but the truth is it’s better to strengthen your hair before the season of sunbathing and city breaks begins.
“When you know you're going away or going to be exposed to the sun, you want to prep the hair to make it stronger so you don't end up with problems later,” Marvyn says. “Using a product like Shu Uemura Izumi Tonic leave-in spray will help rebuild your hair.”
Siobhan recommends a pre-holiday trim to get rid of any split ends. “If you go in the sun and your hair is already brittle and split on the ends, it's just going to get worse.” A targeted salon treatment such as SAM (Strengthening Acidic Moisture) or Collagen Infusion Treatment can also help if your strands are on the weaker side. “The Redken SAM treatment rebalances the pH of your hair, giving it more moisture and shine, which prepares it to receive more UV.”
HOW CAN YOU PREVENT YOUR HAIR COLOUR FADING IN SUMMER?
UV rays from the sun have a bleaching effect on hair, and dry strands lose pigment faster than usual, which is why your colour can change drastically in summer.
“Blonde and brunette hair can go brassy or yellowy, and red tones fade more quickly,” Marvyn says. “If light blonde hair is really porous it can even get a greeny hue from swimming.”
At the last appointment before a client’s holiday he will tailor the colour accordingly. “If it’s an all-over tint, we might make the colour a tiny bit darker so that when it fades it still looks good. For clients who have soft highlights or balayage, I always tell them to let the hair lighten up nicely during the holiday, then we can see what it’s like when they get back.”
To nourish your hair pre-travel, he recommends adding a hydration step into your routine. “For tinted hair, the Shu Uemura Color Lustre Color Sealer Spray is amazing for locking in the pigment molecules, and for blondes I love the Oribe Bright Blonde Radiance Repair Treatment.”
HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOUR HAIR WHILE ON HOLIDAY?
The prep doesn’t stop the minute you set foot on the plane. To maintain your shiny, healthy hair and scalp, the best thing you can do is keep covered with a hat or by staying in the shade and not going underwater in the sea or pool (particularly if you have extensions). But if you do want to sunbathe or swim, you’ll need to use the equivalent of sunscreen for hair.
“In the morning, wet your hair and apply a hair mask or conditioner which coats the hair so you don’t have direct sun exposure onto the hair shaft,” Siobhan says. “Or if you don't like the heaviness of conditioner, you can always use your leave-in cream or UV spray, but you’ll need to top it up a bit more often, the same as you would sunscreen.”
She says Davines mask pouches are ideal for travel, while Marvyn says Shu Uemura Nourishing Taming Overnight Serum is “a great product to have in your beach bag. You can put it on wet or dry hair any time you know you're going to be in the sun.”
If you do go swimming, rinse your hair thoroughly straight after, then use moisturising conditioner or mask at the end of the day followed by an oil or serum, Marvyn says. “Kérastase have the Après Soleil range, and Shu Uemura Essence Absolue oil is a classic as well.”
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: How do I protect my hair from sun damage?
A: Wear a hat where possible and apply a leave-in conditioner, UV spray or hair mask before sun exposure. If you swim, rinse hair afterwards and follow with a moisturising mask or serum.
Q: What are the best products for summer hair protection?
A: Leave-in conditioners, UV sprays or nourishing masks will help protect hair from sun, saltwater and chlorine. Overnight serums and treatments oils are particularly useful for dry or colour-treated hair.
Q:How do I protect blonde hair from turning brassy?
A: Sun and swimming can make blonde hair turn yellow or brassy, especially if strands are already dry. Use colour-protecting products, hydrating treatments and rinse hair thoroughly after swimming.
Q: Do I need a trim before summer?
A: Yes. Trimming split or brittle ends before summer helps prevent further breakage and keeps hair healthier throughout the season.
Prepare and repair
Ensuring your hair is as strong and healthy as possible before summer arrives is the best way to prevent damage and colour fade caused by sun, high temperatures and swimming.
A pre-holiday trim will get rid of split ends, while hydrating products will nourish strands from the inside. Don’t forget to pack a UV spray and moisturising mask to protect your tresses while you’re away.
Jetting off on a sunny escape? Book your pre-holiday cut at Paul Edmonds London.
