The long-awaiting beach holiday.
Cute bathing suit – check;
A cool-looking sunglasses – check;
Hydrating sunscreen for body and face – check;
Hair protection – Che--- Err, what?
You may already be an expert on sun protection factor (SPF), from understanding the difference between chemical and physical formulations, knowing the importance of wearing sunscreen every single day. Still, we are willing to bet you are missing one key area when lathering your daily dose. Just like your face and body, your hair and scalp need sun protection too!
What exactly is the sun doing to your hair?
As much as vitamin D works wonders for our skin and hair growth, little did one know the damage it can bring to our hair. Prolonged exposure to the sun can damage the outer cover of the hair strands due to harmful UVA and UVB rays in several different ways:
Lipid damage: Prolonged sun damage can break down the external cuticles that act as a barrier to seal in moisture in the hair, keeping the hair soft and pliable. This is one of the major causes of dry hair, frizzy strands and loss of natural “swing and sway”.
Internal damage: UV damage doesn’t just affect the surface of your hair, but as well as the internal protein structure (a.k.a. cell membrane complex lipids) that kind of like the “spine” of your hair. This complex acts as a cement that holds all the cuticles together and help them to stay in place and lay flat. They also allow important ingredients like moisture to travel to the cortex of the hair. Sun damage to the internal structure of the hair can make them prone to breakage and split ends. This kind of damage is irreversible – the only cure? Cut, cut.
Colour damage: UV rays can damage your hair colour, whether it’s natural or chemically treated. If your hair is dyed, this will make your hair more susceptible to protein and lipid later damage since the hair is dehydrated from colour treatments. On top of that, the sun can make your hair’s colour treated turn brassy or make the colour go funky. That’s because UV rays could break down the colour and toner molecules that keep your hair colour pure and vivid. If you have virgin untreated hair, the more melanin your hair consists. However, in sunlight, melanin in blonde hair breaks down and dissipates faster, giving less protection to your hair.
How to protect your hair from sun damage?
In case you were wondering, no, you can’t just lather regular sunscreen on your hair and call it a day! SPF doesn’t actually protect your hair like it protects your skin, as SPF is only valid for skin products, but not for hair.
1. Keep your scalp healthy
Unlike hair which makes up a big part of your appearance, the scalp may not actually affect how you look until the problem becomes so serious that leads to hair fall and other major hair issues. As the scalp isn’t used to direct sunlight, thus it can be extra sensitive and fragile. Exposure to sun and heat can trigger excessive sebum production on the crown of our heads. Thus, it is essential to wash your hair with Olivia Hair Shampoo to minimize damage and remove any build-up.
2. Avoid chemicals
Chemicals like chlorine can weaken your hair, making it even more prone to sun damage, as well as those chemicals used in lightening treatments, that make your hair weak and vulnerable to the sun’s harsh rays. Besides that, chemicals like sulphates (SLS) and parabens can strip away natural oils in your hair making it extremely dry.
3. Make extra effort to moisturize
One of the obvious signs of hair sun damage is dryness, thus, to protect hair from sun damage, a solid moisturizing routine is essential. To help replace moisture, use shampoo and conditioner with nourishing oils, such as argan oil, jojoba oil and coconut oil. Treatment recommended: Olivia Hair Treatment & Olivia Hair Serum.
4. Take a break from heat styling
As the sun itself cause severe damage, thus avoid heat styling is recommended. Using blow dryers and curling irons less often can help keep your hair strong.
Want something simple that can provide protection, smoother, shinier and healthier-looking hair in just seconds? Olivia Apothecary & Lab is the answer! Olivia Hair Care Set contains shampoo, treatment and serum specially designed for your precious hair, from the hair follicles to the very last strands of your hair. Suitable for everyone who has dry, frizzy or damaged hair. Get yours today!