Summer Hair 101

Is your hair damaged from this Summer weather, and you don’t know why? Read more to figure out some answers to your Summer hair woes!

What common summer elements can damage the hair?

Heat, sun, chlorine , and saltwater!

Why is it important to switch out your hair products come summer? What do you want to avoid?

During the summer there are different elements that will effect the hair. You want to switch products out seasonally as your hair has different needs per season, just like your skin care routine.

Frizz and dryness - number one complaint I get from clients while in my chair (I am a curly hair specialist). Using products that help to combat frizz is obviously important. You can find a lot of frizz fighting products on the market. Avoid ones with silicone! I typically use frizz fighting products or anti-humectants because they aid in blow drying the hair as well. Look for one that will help smooth hair out as well as prevent frizz (two of my favorites are Moon Landing by R+Co and Kerastase Discipline).

Why is scalp exfoliation important for healthy hair in the summer? What can happen if you don’t remove everything lingering on the surface?

Healthy scalp equals healthy hair. If you do not shampoo often and you worship dry shampoo and mousse - it’s likely that you’ll get some buildup. As mentioned, healthy scalp equals healthy hair. That means the healthier the scalp the easier it is for the hair to grow, which leads to healthy thick hair. If you don’t remove buildup from the scalp it can prevent hair from growing. In short, think of: the cleaner the scalp, the healthier, longer, and stronger your hair can be.

Why does color tend to fade in the summer? How can you prevent this?

Sun , water, hot tools, and not using SPF are all culprits of color fading. Dry hair, when going into a pool, absorbs the water much quicker than wet hair. That means the water can quickly strip out hair color. A good pro-tip is to wet the hair before going into the pool and apply a leave in conditioner that will treat the hair while you swim. This will work as a barrier between the water and your hair.

Why is hydration so important for healthy hair in the summer? what formulations and ingredients work best?

Being overly exposed to the sun and heat can really dry the hair out. Have you been to Arizona? I left with my hair feeling dry and brittle. I recommend over-hydrating for anyone that has blonde ,curly, or has some texture to their hair. Healthy, hydrated hair reflects light the most which creates the best shine and healthiest looking hair!

What are the causes for summer frizz, and how do you recommend fighting it?

Frizz can be caused by several different things. People with curly hair tend to be more frizzy, as oil from the scalp doesn’t travel down the curl pattern which helps hydrate. I recommend using a mask as your conditioner and a leave-in conditioner to help prevent frizz.

Over drying your hair with a blow dryer can cause frizz. I recommend rough drying your hair (this means using your hands and a blow dryer 90% of the way before going in with a brush to style). Rough Drying creates less direct contact with the blow dryer to the hair.

Pro Tip: When blow drying, keep the blow dryer off the hair at all times. Never press it to the brush, as that will burn the hair.

Another reason people tend to see frizz and flyaways is because they flipped their head upside down to create volume while blow drying. I recommend doing a directional blow dry, which means pushing the hair in the opposite direction you want it to fall versus flipping your head upside down. You’re getting the hair to push away from from where it naturally wants to live and creating a nice cushion for volume.

Also, using too many hot tools without heat protection will ultimately dry the hair out and create frizz. I highly recommend using heat protection anytime before applying heat. This means if you are going to blow dry, use heat protection before. If you’re going to use a curling iron or flat iron, do another layer of heat protection.

Need some expert hair advice? Click the link below to book an appointment with one of our amazing stylists at BASE!