Well, if you're like me you've put thought into your hairstyle of choice (and maybe even you hair color) and you don't want one week of swimming and sunning to throw it all out of whack, much less result in a few hundred dollars worth of repair time at the salon when you get home!
There are a few key topics to consider when it comes to haircare:
-Keeping hair healthy
-Keeping your hair color
-Keeping your hair looking good
Let's dish...
Key Points:
- Protect hair from the sun with SPF
- Protect hair from the elements and sun with a hat
- Prevent color changes with SPF and with products that block or remove the effects of chlorine
- Keep hair hydrated
- Deal with frizzies by keeping hair up or in a hat
- Trim hair after your trip
Sunscreen for Hair?!
In a word: yes. Especially if you want to preserve the color! Reds start to fade, blondes can look brassy, and brunettes can start looking a little wan from too much exposure to the sun, which actually damages the hair strand itself. Not only is that a huge waste of money and effort, but it's also annoying because many of us fight to get the color we want in the first place!
But it's not just for your color that you need to take some steps to protect your locks. Sun exposure leads to dry, fragile hair with splitting, brittle ends. Not our ideal 'do!
I read an interesting article here that said SPF claims on hair products are not to be trusted (and are even against FDA rules!). Food for thought.
Try...
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Hats.
Big floppy ones are great because they also protect your face and chest from the sun, but if you can't bear to be that Grey Gardens, then at least pop on a baseball cap backwards or something. Covering the hair isn't even 100% protection, but is probably the closest you can get. - Scarves.
Same idea here. Very retro, too! Keep in mind, though, that just as you can see light glowing through your sheer scarf, you can get sun damage through it. - Sunscreen-infused products.
Please read that article I mentioned as my disclaimer!
I actually like a spray-on product for this, since you can at least reapply often! I found it telling that in that article it said SPF in hair products can be degraded by brushing, so keep that in mind. Probably best to spritz, pile it in a ponytail and not touch it again until you re-spritz, which you should do every few hours and after getting out of the water. Even then, there's no guarantee.
Try: Rene Furterer Okara dual phase spray (make sure to shake first!) which actually keeps my red pretty darn red (also available through Sephora, btw). - Mix your own!
You can also wet your hair then slick some regular sunscreen in it, which isn't foolproof but good in a pinch. Try mixing some with water in a spray bottle (don't steal anyone's watergun, though).
Hydrate your hair!
Hair can be quite beautiful when it's the color of straw, but hair shouldn't ever be as dry as straw! Take steps to protect your hair, as discussed above, then be sure to do some massive rehab, too.
- Try a deep conditioning treatment prior to leaving for vacation.
- Try a deep conditioning treatment during vacation (slick some in when you're lounging in the umbrella'd sun.
- Try a deep conditioning treatment after vacation.
And that about sums it up.
Don't overload on protein-laden products, though, because too much protein can be bad for hair, too. (It will get really weird and rubbery and hard-to-manage)
Leave-in conditioning products are nice, too. Use them when you get ready to go out in the am, while you bask, or after cleaning up to hit the nightspots.
Try: I love the no frizz line, as well as Ojon, Rene Furterer, and Fekkai. I've not found a clunker product in any of those lines of haircare.
Style it up!
You've got to look good, too, right? Sure we want to protect our investment and keep our hair healthy, but a girl's gotta be cute, too.
Short Hair: If you're a pixie girl, like me, or wear your hair in another shot style, well - you have it made! Hats are cute on short hair, spritzing sun protection in our hair doesn't ruin a thing, and a cute little headband or bow or even some adorable earrings really packs a punch. We win! Just make sure you put your SPF on the back of your neck, tops of your ears and in your part, because we can't have any cute shorties out there ruining our reputation. ;)
Medium-length Hair: To me, this is the harder length to pull off at the beach, though it's my favorite length for my own hair after uber-short. I suggest a gauzy or otherwise sheer and lightweight scarf. Tie it like a headband to keep hair out of your face (and detract from whatever the sea air does to your hair), open it up to cover up if you're stuck in the sun, or tie it all up underneath if the wind kicks up. For fun at night, find a pretty flower and tuck it behind an ear. Gorgeous!
Long Hair: Here it comes - the beach waves! Sure, medium hair can go all wavy, but long-haired girls can really carry off this look (here's a tip: you're at the beach--- it will probably go all wild and wavy on its own!). Spritz in one of the zillions of products meant to give loose, wavy curls, or tie your hair up into loose braids while you sleep. Voila! The look you've been coveting. Again, scarves are a natural for you, as is the ponytail. But this year, make your tied-up locks look oh so current by twisting yourself a side braid. Loose, tight, fishtail, french... any kind of braid at all works, especially if it's pulled to one side.
Some more tips
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Sand is abrasive. That's not good for hair or haircolor. I don't have a solution for that other than don't stick your head in the sand.
- Deep cleansing shampoos are a big no-no at the beach or if you're a frequent swimmer. Why? Well, they are very strong and your hair is already being assaulted by so many other irritants that you just don't need to add more stress. Stick with gentle products.
- Always a good idea with wet hair, but especially when hair is weak: use a wide-toothed comb to work out tangles instead of using a finely bristled or pronged brush or comb.
- Try to rinse your hair out with pure water after swimming or being at the beach. Sand, sun, salt water, pool water, and suntan lotion take their toll, so try to rinse it out as quickly as possible, even if you can't immediately shampoo. Even lake or river water may have minerals in them that cling to the hair and damage it.
- Get a trim every three weeks to stop dead ends in their tracks. Remember, a split on the end eventually works its way up the hair shaft, destroying the whole strand.