DON'T MISS A THING

Have you noticed that once the summer comes, we tend to feel like everything should start feeling effortless? We pick lighter clothes, we spend more time outside during the night, and we drink more iced coffees. Somehow, we imagine that our hair will all do with an effortless routine. But the reality is that summer is harsh on our hair’s health. The summer sun is harsh on the hair, and if we choose to spend our holidays at the seaside, we’ll end up with more salt in our hair than on our food plates. 

Summer is glorious for our souls, but unfortunately, it tends to be quite demanding for our hair. It has to deal with UV rays, saltwater, heat, sweat, and frequent washing, which are all perfect conditions for breakage, dryness, frizz, and faded color. 

Is there any good news?
Yes, there is. 

You can have healthy hair in the summer without turning your bathroom into a professional salon or spending six hours daily on a hair ritual you’ve borrowed from an Instagram influencer. 

Your Hair Needs Special Shampoo and Conditioner for the Summer

One mistake people make is using the same hair products all year round. You might find it reasonable to keep the same hair routine during the summer if it worked the rest of the year, but you’ll soon notice that your hair in July is experiencing different conditions than your hair in December. During the winter, your hair battles dry indoor heating, cold temperatures, and static. Over the next couple of months, it will deal with humidity, UV exposure, saltwater, sweat, and chlorine. Now you understand why you need to switch to a different shampoo and conditioner during the warmer months. The best formulas for this period are those dedicated to UV protection, hydration, repair, color preservation if you have dyed hair, and lightweight nourishment. A rich and nutritious conditioner will feel like relationship counseling for the stressed strands of hair after spending time at the beach. 

Expose Your Hair as Little as Possible to Traditional Styling Tools

If you like smooth, sleek hair as much as we do, you might be in big trouble during the summer. Straightening, or at least traditional straightening, is quite bad for our locks. Yes, a traditional straightener will help you get beautiful results, but frequent exposure to intense heat will feel particularly harsh during the summer when the hair is already dealing with high amounts of environmental stress. This is where newer hair straighteners come to the rescue because they no longer rely primarily on high heat pressing directly onto your hair, but they are designed to use controlled airflow to smooth and strengthen your hair. And honestly, this kind of device makes a significant difference in your routine because after you expose your hair to sunlight, saltwater, chlorine, and frequent washing, it would really use a gentler styling approach. Air-based straightening will reduce the stress associated with repeated high-temperature styling and provide you with the same, if not better, results. This summer, your goal isn’t only to have beautiful hair, but also to be healthy.

Work With Your Summer Hair Instead of Fighting It

Each one of us has engaged in a battle against nature at least once. No matter how hard we fight, humidity wins every time. You spend forty minutes creating a perfectly sleek style, only for the atmosphere to undo your entire effort when you walk from your car to the cafe where you’re meeting your friends. So, why would you continue to force your hair to become something it doesn’t want to do? This summer, you should instead let summer work its magic and embrace a little softness and movement in your hair. Summer is the perfect time for loose waves, relaxed texture, and natural volume. These styles are perfect for the summer and reduce the amount of heat styling you use. 

Hairstyles That Don’t Pull Your Hair

It’s time to discuss a surprisingly common source of hair damage: tight hairstyles. Some of you might love them, but they are simply the worst for hair health. You know the hairstyles we’re talking about, ponytails so tight they give you an accidental facelift, buns secured with enough tension that would survive even a tropical storm. These hairstyles look incredible, but sadly, they encourage breakage over time. And during summer, all of us wear our hair up more frequently because it feels daunting to wear it loose. Who would want to have their hair glued to their neck during a heatwave?

But only because you’re hot doesn’t mean you should indulge in excessive pulling. You could pick some alternative solutions like claw clips, loose braids, soft ponytails, relaxed buns, and silk scrunchies. They promote tension minimization and keep your hair off your face and neck. 

Hair Recovery After Seaside

We all love spending our time on the beach during the summer. There are few things more restorative than a day at the beach, listening to the sound of waves, basking in the sunshine, and sipping a glass of lemonade. But your hair has a more complicated relationship with the seaside. Yes, saltwater creates gorgeous texture, but it will also leave your hair feeling tangled, rough, dry, and dehydrated. So, what you do once you get back home from the beach matters more than you realize. Rinse your hair as soon as you get home and apply some nourishing conditioner. If you spend more time at the beach, use a hydrating mask once or twice a week, and maybe also add a lightweight leave-in treatment. 

What To Keep In Mind?

Don’t expect perfection from your summer hair. Summer hair care is based on balance. You don’t obsess about protecting it, but style it without damaging it. Choose products that match your summer habits, and don’t be afraid to enjoy some seaside adventure.

Feature Image by Philipp Cordts

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