While it is important to protect your skin from the sun's rays, we think less about doing it for our hair. Wrongly, because they are in the first line of sight of UVA and UVB emitted by the sun which will very strongly damage the hair fiber. Discover the professional hairstyling tips to protect your long hair from the sun.
Idleness and sea water do not mix. At least for our hair. And people with long hair know what's all about it. At the end of your tanning session, your hair has become drier. And if on top of that you've decided to take a dip in the sea or the pool, salt and chlorine are added to the mix. So yes, in summer your hair will lighten by a quarter to a semitone and take beautiful, naturally golden or copper highlights depending on your hair color. But in reality, it shows a deeper hair disorder.
If the sun has the advantage of increasing the production of melanin in the skin – which is only a skin reaction to protect itself from UV rays – and therefore of offering a beautiful tanned complexion, it is not the same story for the hair. Ultraviolet rays will break down the melanin present on the hair fibers. They will therefore clear up. Salt water and chlorine will attack keratin, a major component of hair. The latter will thus be more weakened in summer than during other seasons. And this is not immediately reversible. You have to wait for the hair to fall out and other hair to grow back – which will be colored with the melanin produced by the bulb – to regain its original color and appearance.
But nothing is inevitable, by applying these few gestures recommended by hairdressing professionals, you will be able to protect your hair from the inconvenience of the sun, but also salt and chlorine.
1. Apply a preventive treatment
“Before leaving, you have to protect the fiber and when you return from vacation, you have to tighten it ", explains Jordy Brechkoff, Redken Artist. There are two solutions available to you for this: do it in a salon at a professional's or bet on a keratin-based treatment to be performed at home. The advantage is that the same product, if chosen correctly, can do both uses.
Olaplex Hair Perfector # 3
2. Moisturize the hair well
The sun and the wind added to the salty air on the beach will act as a scrub on the hair, which can seriously damage it. Jordy Brechkoff and Axel Joubert, hairdresser in Jean Marc Joubert salons, agree that hydration is the key. To keep as much hydration as possible during the day, equip yourself with a moisturizing hair mist and spray it regularly on your hair.
Christophe Robin Moisturizing Mist with Aloe Vera
3. Always use oils with sun protection
If you take good care of your skin in summer, you know that while monoi is ideal for enhancing the tan, it does not protect against UV rays, and on the contrary, creates a magnifying effect on the skin which makes them even more harmful. In other words, she's cooking!
As on the skin, putting oil on your hair will burn the hair fiber. So if you want to put a little oil on your ends to protect them from drying out while swimming, to nourish them or simply to embellish them, bet on a version containing an SPF filter of 30 to 50. Thus, it will prevent risks caused by the sun, while helping you to keep beautiful hair all summer long.
Moisturizing Protective Milky Hair Oil – Nuxe Sun de Nuxe
4. Use a hat or scarf
We all remember our parents who kept telling us to put on a hat when we went out in the sun. If we did it reluctantly, this gesture was not so trivial. If this prevents headaches related to overexposure to the sun, but also the formation of spots and the installation of wrinkles on the face, the use of a hat or a nice scarf is the most effective way to protect the hair from UVA and UVB rays. In fact, these ultraviolet rays penetrate the textile less easily.
5. Tie up your hair
Sylver Boll, Director of Education Franck Provost and Magali Dondon, hairdresser and manager of the Parisian salon Miss Mag, agree that if you have long hair, it is better to tie it up. Thus, the lengths will be more protected against the radiation of the sun. Also, it is the best way for the hair accumulate less dirt during the day and not to tear them off when brushing them because they will be all tangled after a swim. For this, you can opt for a pretty braid or a high bun. It's up to you to choose what suits you best.
6. Rinse your hair well
In addition to the sun, the hair is regularly attacked with the salt in sea water, beach sand or pool chlorine. To remove anything that can weigh down and damage the hair fiber, you must “rinse well and clean your hair after swimming to remove all residue”, Explains Axel Joubert. A tip that Eric Zemmour, Hair Artist L'Oréal Paris, also recommends. To do this, just wash them as usual. Our little advice: use sunscreen shampoo, designed to properly remove salt, chlorine and sand residues as well as care particles deposited during the day, while giving them a good dose of care, necessary to invigorate the hair.
Nourishing After-Sun Shampoo – Expert Solar Sublime Series by L'Oréal Professionnel
7. Repair them after exposure
Once you've done prevention and protected your hair while it's exposed to the sun, there's only one thing left to do according to Eric Zemmour: repair them. Indeed, the sun will open the scales of the hair fiber. This is what causes breakage, fading natural colors or fading coloring. Jordy Brechkoff then recommends using a treatment with an acidic pH "who go tighten the scales of the hair and therefore prevent it from absorbing bad things”. For its part, the Hair Artist of L’Oréal Paris leans more for a nourishing and repairing balm, without rinsing and to be applied after your shampoo and your mask. It will also have the effect of tightening the scales of the hair. So, it's up to you to choose the format and texture that best suit your hair. A balm, which is rich by nature, will tend to weigh down fine hair more.
Anti Snap – Extreme by Redken
Thanks to Eric Zemmour, Hair Artist L'Oréal Paris, Axel Joubert, hairdresser in the salons Jean Marc Joubert, Jordy Brechkoff, Redken Artist, Sylver Boll, director of education Franck Provost and Magali Dondon, hairdresser and manager of the Parisian salon Miss Mag.
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