Summer Hair and 10 Easy Tips How To Protect It

Summer Hair Don’t Care!

Summer is finally here, and as ecstatic as you may be to see the cold, icy winter come to an end, your hair might still be in need of some TLC.

Because the winter wreaks havoc on our hair in different ways than the summer does, looking after your hair during the Summer requires different techniques than wintertime. Here at Bearfruit Basics, we’ve compiled a list of top 10 tips on how to take care of your locks this summer!

1. Be Proactive With Your Summer Hair Care

Before you even leave the house, think about what activities you’ll be doing and how you can be proactive with your hair. For example, if you are off to the pool, wet your hair before you go for a swim. Dry hair is like a sponge, so if it’s already wet before getting in to the pool, it won’t soak up as much of the chlorinated water.

If you are a blonde, don’t let the dread of having green hair keep you from enjoying your summer days with a refreshing dip in the pool. A cool trick is to apply a leave-in conditioner in your hair after you’ve rinsed it with cool, fresh water.

This will help prevent your hair from drying out your hair when swimming in the salty ocean or the pool. The more you baby your hair beforehand, the less chance salt or chlorine water have to enter and penetrate the hair shaft and cause more damage.

2. Going Outdoors? Wear a Hat to Protect Your Hair

When you are outside for a long period of time, you can cover your hair with a summer hat or a scarf to protect it from the harmful, ultraviolet rays of the sun. Wearing something on your head keeps your hair protected from the environment and the sun’s damaging results.

A fun advantage of using a hat is being able to make it fashionable. There are plenty of options that will pair well with your swimsuit or beach attire that will keep you looking stylish and chic.   

3. Don’t Wash Your Hair Every Day

When it comes to washing your hair, less is more! During the summer days, we may think that washing our hair more often is best, but it can actually cause the adverse outcome.

If you wash your hair too frequently (every day), you are cleansing your scalp of the natural oils needed to protect your hair strands. With humid summer nights, it may be tempting to shampoo your hair every day. A lot of gals extend the time between washing their hair by using a dry shampoo in-between hair wash-days. Use this powder to soak up extra grease to revamp your hairstyle and extend your look.

If you do indeed need to wash your hair more frequently than not, you can use a gentle cleansing cream that’s not as a harsh as your shampoo. Read labels, and buy shampoo and conditioners that help encourage hair repair in the areas that you need them.  

4. Keep Your Hair Away from Heat

Another thing you can do this summer to shield your delicate mane is to ditching the heat all together! It’s no secret that heat is damaging for your hair. When it comes to using heat appliances during the summer, it’s extra damaging – now you’re heaping heat damage on top of the sun’s damaging rays.

Use the summer season to rock your natural look by letting your hair air dry and embracing your summer care-free style. If you are going to use your blow dryer or flat iron, make sure you use a heat protective product to minimize the harm as much as possible.

5. Get a Trim for Unhealthy Split Ends

Another vital hair care tip for the summer – don’t forget to trim your ends! I know it sounds counterintuitive (especially if you are trying to grow your hair longer), but it’s crucial to remove any split ends, and cutting them is the only way to get rid of them, unfortunately.

Most people believe you should trim your hair every six to eight weeks but that’s debatable, as some stylists say you can trim your hair every three to six months.

Keep those pesky split ends at bay by following these tips:

• Trim your hair when needed
• Deep condition your hair once a week
• Wear loose hair styles
• Choose all natural shampoos and conditioners that contain no harsh ingredients
• Gently detangle wet hair with a wide-tooth comb
• Don’t towel dry your hair
• Use a satin/silk pillowcase

6. Give Hair Coloring a Break

If you have gray hairs, dyeing your hair might make you feel youthful and cheerful – and you deserve to feel happy with yourself. Whether you color your hair due to grays or just want to change your hair color for a brighter, summery look, take a hiatus and stop dyeing your hair for a while if you feel like your hair might need a break.

In addition to allergies and hair loss hair dye dries out your hair. Skip a touch up or forego the exciting color for a little while if your hair is brittle and dried out this summer. Nurse your hair back to health before you book your next appointment at the salon or buy your at-home hair dye.

If you dye your hair yourself, I love to use ammonia-free hair dye.

7. Use a Hair Mask

When your summer hair is screaming for attention, a quick life vest you can throw on is using a hair mask. (My curly hair loves this Black Castor Oil Hair Mask.) Using a hair mask formulated specifically for your dilemma is another great summer hair tip to help maintain healthy locks.

Many cosmetology experts agree in using a nourishing mask once a week to condition your hair. Soften and rebuild your hair with moisturizing hair masks with protein.  If you are into making DIY hair masks, here are some easy and simple ingredients that you can whip together in the kitchen and apply to damp hair:

• Yoghurt, Eggs, Honey
• Coconut Oil
• Milk and Honey
• Banana or Avocado and Olive Oil
• Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey

Use any combination of these to keep the sun from making your hair dry and frizzy.

8. Use Protective Hairstyles During The Summer

Using protective hairstyles this summer is another great way to keep your hair sheltered from the destructive sun’s rays.  Loose mermaid braids, messy buns, or French braids are all great options to keeping your hair tied back without causing extra stress on your strands. Experiment this summer with new hair styles.

Go natural this summer by going easy on the rigorous hairstyling and living a more relaxed lifestyle for the summer.

9. Use Hair Sunscreen

I know, I Know. I didn’t even know this was a “thing” either! We’ve all been told that we’re supposed to be wearing sunscreen on our skin under the hot summer sun, but what we didn’t know, was that we could have been extending that protection to our hair as well! Sunscreen for your hair can be weightless and non-greasy with nourishing ingredients – making your hair look shiny and smooth.

Scalp and hair sunscreen can come in many different forms, such as: mists, oils, primers, veils, and even powders. If you won’t be covering up with a hat or scarf this summer season, consider getting a sunscreen formulated just for your hair.

You can check out this article from allure to learn more about hair sunscreen.

10. Nourish Your Hair From Within

Lastly, the most important summer hair tip we can give you, is to nourish from within! The best tip I’ve learned is to fill a large water bottle early in the morning, and try to empty it throughout the day. I love these daily water intake bottles. Our hair is a reflection of our health. Treat your body right by drinking more water and eating a healthy, balanced diet.

Promote healthy hair growth by eating fruits and vegetables, spinach, eggs, nuts, berries, and healthy fats – such as avocados and fatty fish like salmon.

The summer sun brings conditions that promote dry, frizzy hair with split ends and color fade. To combat the majority of these problems, make sure your hair stays hydrated by not washing too frequently, and moisturizing your hair with deep conditioners and protecting it from heat damage.

In conclusion, it’s vital to enjoy yourself all season long with beautiful, shiny hair with these tips to keep dehydrated and frizzy hair at bay. Embrace simplicity by letting your hair dry naturally and enjoy your summer hair.

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